A GoFundMe campaign set up for a woman sacked from her job after she was pictured raising her middle finger at Donald Trump as she cycled alongside the presidential motorcade has raised $50,000 in just four days.
Government contractor Akima last week sacked Juli Briskman, aged 50, telling her she had violated its social media policy for employees by using a picture of her flipping the bird to Trump on her Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Lone cyclist responds to @POTUS motorcade shortly after departing Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va. (Photo: @b_smialowski/@AFP) pic.twitter.com/MKM1kVIyTY
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) October 29, 2017
The GoFundMe page was set up by Rob Mello, who wrote: “Juli Briskman is an inspiration to us all. This week we learned that she was fired from her employer for exercising her first amendment rights.”
> "You're fired!" - Cyclist who gave Trump the middle finger gets the sack
Meanwhile, a story on ExtraNewsFeed that claimed Briskman had received getting on for half a million job offers following her dismissal has been taken at face value by a lot of people on social media - but turns out to be what the 45th President of the United States would term, accurately in this instance, "FAKE NEWS!"
According to the satirical story, one of the offers came from a certain Lucy Clementori, supposedly the owner of a chain of fitness centres, quoted as saying: “She can take over our spin classes and teach everyone that great presidential salute!”
A person named Norm LaForge, apparently the founder of a business that puts up mobile phone masts, was also cited: “It took guts to do what she did, giving the finger to The Great White Dope. That kind of chutzpah makes a great salesperson.”
With a nod to the one of Trump’s catchphrases on reality TV show, The Apprentice, his 'quote' finished: “She’s hired.”
Finally, the article quoted Darlene Ranalin, said to be a PR firm owner from Boston : “I don’t have any openings, but I’ll find a place for her anyway.
“I guess President Drumpf was right after all, he really is creating new jobs.”
