Construction sign on I-40 displays message to drivers: 'Good job Kyle'

A man towed a large, digital traffic sign to display political messages on the side of Interstate 40 on Saturday afternoon.

Posted 8:39 p.m. Nov 20, 2021 — Updated 1:57 p.m. Nov 21, 2021

Jose Zimmer

, WRAL photojournalist

RALEIGH, N.C. — A man towed a large, digital traffic sign to display political messages on the side of Interstate 40 Saturday afternoon.

The construction sign flashed messages that said, "Good job Kyle" and "American Freedom." Kyle is a reference to Kyle Rittenhouse, an 18-year-old who was acquitted of homicide charges on Friday. He testified that he acted in self-defense during a protest where he shot and killed two men, wounding a third, with a semiautomatic weapon.

Daniel Cook places large LED sign on the side of I-40 to display the message "American Freedom"

The third message was a vulgarity about President Joe Biden.

Daniel Cook told WRAL News he towed the sign to the side of eastbound I-40, near exit 299 or the exit to Shaw University. Even though it resembled a sign that would be used by a construction team working for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, it was not. Cook said it was privately-owned.

Online listings show that similar message boards that size cost around $19,000.