Camping World’s American flag feud leads to written attacks against city employees, officials say

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT/Gray News) – An ongoing feud between Camping World and a city in Tennessee over a giant American flag has now led to threats against city employees.

Camping World’s 130-foot flagpole violates city policy in Sevierville, Tennessee. The city limits flag poles to a maximum of 44 feet for safety reasons.

“Excessively tall structures can create visual distractions for motorists, pose potential safety hazards, and impact the scenic views that are a vital part of what makes Sevierville a destination for residents and visitors alike,” a city official told WVLT via email.

Sevierville isn’t the only city where Camping World is refusing to take down its giant American flags. A similar feud is happening between the company and the city of Greeneville, North Carolina.

Despite the cities’ policies, Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis said the flags will not come down.

In a post on X in response to the violation notice from Greeneville, Lemonis wrote: “The flag is not coming down. You can fine me all you want City of Greenville North Carolina. #NoAmericanFlagIsTooBig”

But an official with the city of Sevierville said city employees have now been under attack from people who side with Camping World.

“Due to the nature of comments, emails and phone calls directed toward City staff we feel it necessary to say that while we respect and value the right to free expression, we believe that targeting a city employee who is simply carrying out their job is neither patriotic nor productive,” the city official said in the statement.

Camping World submitted a request for the flagpole in February of last year, the city said, which was denied due to its size. However, Camping World put up the pole and massive American flag anyway.

Camping World isn’t the only business to put in a bid for a large flagpole, the city said, but when the other requests were denied, the businesses complied.

“These businesses have complied with the rulings and worked collaboratively with the City, demonstrating an understanding of the greater community’s needs,” the city said. “We appreciate their cooperation and believe this collaborative spirit is key to Sevierville’s growth and success.”

Supporters of Camping World have called the ordinance unpatriotic. But the city said that isn’t the case.

“Let us be clear: the City of Sevierville is not, and never will be, against patriotism,” the public official said. “True patriotism embodies respect for the values that unite our community – freedom of expression, responsibility, and civil discourse. Publicly attacking an employee for enforcing regulations is not a reflection of patriotism but a failure of basic human decency.”

Skeptics of Camping World have called the whole situation a publicity stunt to gain customers.

Camping World has a 30-day clock ticking, which began on Jan. 30 when the city notified the business the flagpole had to go. If it isn’t brought into compliance by then, the business could face legal action.