Small Business Leases Six Trump Billboards After Getting PPP Loan

A small company that owns a gas station in the small desert town of Needles, California, leased several billboards in support of President Donald Trump after securing a six-figure loan through the federal government's Paycheck Protection Program earlier this year.

Jones 1 Inc. was approved for a PPP loan of between $150,000 and $350,000 at the end of April, according to CNN. With 32 employees working for a company that owns a small Shell gas station and travel center, as well as six Trump billboards, there are questions surrounding the company's loan.

Joseph Jones, who owns the business, told CNN that the loan was used to pay employees, not for the billboards. Average price estimates provided by Lamar Advertising figure six political billboards could cost between $10,000 and $30,000 for four weeks, CNN reported.

The billboards debuted in August on Arizona State Route 95 and Interstate 40. That means they could cost close to $120,000 if they stay up until the Nov. 3 presidential election.

“I simply wanted to support my president, that's all there is to it,” Jones told CNN, claiming he spent nowhere near $120,000 on the billboards.

One version of the billboards simply reads “Trump Pence 2020” with the president’s “Make American Great Again” slogan. Another has a picture of Trump with a thumbs up and the statement “Promises Made - Promises Kept.”

Some large companies that received PPP loans early on during the coronavirus pandemic returned the money when it was discovered that they were approved for loans.