The person behind the fake ads that appeared to show the Philadelphia Eagles endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president in the upcoming election has come forward.
The artist who goes by @winstontseng on Instagram admitted on the social media platform this week that the ads are his artwork, but he claims that he does not know how the art showed up at bus stops.
"The absurd poster of Kamala Harris wearing an Eagles helmet is my artwork, but I don't know how it ended up at bus stops in Philadelphia," the artist said on Instagram. "It's been made very clear that Kamala Harris is not the official candidate of the Philadelphia Eagles, much to everyone's dismay."
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The ads showed a sideview of a drawing of a person who is, presumably, Harris, holding a football and wearing an Eagles helmet along with the name, "Kamala" in big, bold letters.
The ads were spotted at the following locations in Philadelphia on Monday, Sept 2:
- North Broad Street and West Montgomery Avenue
- North Broad Street and Cecil B Moore Avenue
- North 11th Street and West Girard Avenue
- North 16th Street and West Girard Avenue
- North Broad Street and West Girard Avenue
- JFK Boulevard and North 18th Street
- Walnut Street and South 34th Street
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Officials began removing the ads late Monday afternoon and evening. One man even covered the ad on Walnut Street and South 34th Street with copies of the Philadelphia Eagles' statement.
By Tuesday, all of the ads were removed.
A spokesperson for the Harris campaign told NBC News they did not purchase the ads.
The incident placed more emphasis on the issue of political misinformation as the 2024 presidential race enters its final stretch before the November election.
The artist also urged his followers to go to the team's website to register to vote.