Scott LoBaido, a Staten Island artist and conservative activist, is pushing to permanently install a massive American flag at Ground Zero ahead of America’s 250th birthday, with billionaire entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis stepping in to fund the project and pledging to “take care of the bill.”
As the milestone anniversaries approach in 2026, LoBaido has launched a public campaign calling for the permanent installation at the World Trade Center site, framing it as a lasting symbol of unity, remembrance, and American resolve.
The proposal calls for a 150-foot flagpole flying a 30-by-60-foot American flag near the Freedom Tower, positioning the installation as a long-overdue tribute to the nearly 3,000 victims of 9/11 and the first responders who rushed into the devastation.
A conceptual rendering of artist Scott LoBaido’s proposal to install a towering American flag at Ground Zero ahead of America’s 250th birthday.
The effort has drawn significant public backing, with a Change.org petition supporting the proposal showing nearly 88,000 signatures as of Monday, according to the site’s live tally.
Lemonis, a billionaire entrepreneur best known for leading Camping World and starring on Fox’s business series The Fixer, publicly committed to underwriting the entire project — estimated at roughly $200,000 — in a post on X.
“I will be happy to pay for the 150 ft flagpole,” Lemonis wrote, adding that organizers simply need to tell him “when and where,” and that they can “count on it.”
Lemonis has become nationally known for his unapologetic defense of massive American flags flown outside Camping World locations across the country, repeatedly refusing to take them down despite pressure and legal challenges from local governments, and describing the displays as a personal expression of gratitude to the United States.
“This is about more than a flag,” LoBaido said, arguing the Ground Zero installation would ensure that “every American, and every visitor from around the world, is reminded that even in our darkest hour, we stood together.”
He tied the initiative directly to the upcoming anniversaries, saying that as the nation approaches its 250th birthday alongside the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Americans “owe it to the victims, the families, and our country to create a symbol that reflects our unity, strength, and gratitude.”
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) endorsed the proposal in a January 22 letter to LoBaido, calling the flag installation “a patriotic tribute to the victims of September 11, 2001 and the sacrifices of our first responders who, to this day, continue to succumb to 9/11-related illnesses.”
Support has also come from families who lost loved ones in the attacks, including Staten Island resident Massimo DiDonna, a family member of fallen firefighter Carl V. Bini, who described the proposed flagpole as “more than a monument.”
“It’s a promise,” DiDonna said, explaining that the flag would stand as a reminder “that our unity stands taller than our tragedy, and that our strength will always rise higher than our grief.”
The proposal now turns on whether officials overseeing the World Trade Center site sign off on the installation, as supporters press to have the flag in place in time for the dual anniversaries, and Lemonis signals the funding is ready once approval is granted.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
