Who Is Stan Pate? Skywriting Messages At Rose Bowl Target Trump

The massive crowd watching the 127th Rose Bowl game between Stanford and Iowa in Pasadena, California, on New Year’s Day noticed multiple eye-catching messages written in the sky. Millionaire real-estate developer Stan Pate was responsible for the skywriting messages aimed at Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, CBS News reported.

Multiple planes spelled out the advertising messages blasting the current GOP front-runner, with one reading, “AMERICA IS GREAT, TRUMP IS DISGUSTING. ANYBODY BUT TRUMP.” The tagline for all the messages read, “anybodybuttrump.us,” which is the web address of a group based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and called the We the People Foundation. Registered by Pate, the site features “Top 10 Donald Trump Failures,” with YouTube videos of various Trump blunders.

“There’s no place for him,” CBS News quoted Pate as saying of billionaire businessman Trump. “He needs to go back to one of his tall towers and build buildings and whatever else he does. He’s a despicable man. ... I want to see America wake up and say, ‘This is not what we expect.’”

Pate reportedly also bought smaller banner ads for display at the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl. Previously, he purchased a banner ad at the 2010 national college football championship game that read, “IMPEACH CORRUPT ALABAMA GOVERNOR BOB RILEY.” Although Pate reportedly said he was undecided about whom he will support in the presidential race this year, he was an early contributor to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. He has donated to both Republicans and Democrats in the past.

“Donald Trump is embarrassing to the country, and he’s embarrassing to me,” Pate reportedly said.

The skywriting caused a stir on social media, with many people tweeting photographs and videos of the messages, either supporting or condemning them. Despite a slew of controversial statements, Trump has consistently led the Republican field of candidates. He is strongest among GOP voters who are less affluent, less educated and less likely to turn out to cast their ballots, the New York Times reported.

“This is not over,” Pate told CBS News. “This is just beginning.”