The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles is going after an anti-Trump Dallas man over his vanity license plate and its play on words aimed at the president.
"L-O-K-H-M-U-P," said Bill Moore, spelling out the letters.
The letters are exactly what they sound like.
"I don't see a problem," he said.
Moore said his personalized license plate is to send his message to the White House.
"My message is clear: Lock him up," Moore said.
It's a play on the chant, aimed at Hillary Clinton, often heard at Trump 2016 campaign rallies, and even now at rallies for the midterm elections.
"I had heard them say 'Lock her up' so many times over and over again I wanted to be able to express my opinions," Moore said. "Because I feel like there is a lot of Russia collusion that is happening or has happened."
Moore said he's had the same plate for more than a year and a half and even renewed it in March.
"I was totally shocked," he said.
However, one person complained to the DMV and the department began the cancellation of the plate.
Moore was informed via a letter sent in the mail.
The DMV told NBC 5 the pattern may be viewed as derogatory if it "belittles or disparages any person, group, race, etc."
In this case, it would be President Trump who would potentially be disparaged.
"I've had people roll their windows down and say, 'Love your license plate' and I've also had a few fingers thrown at me as well," Moore said.
But Moore argued it's about freedom of speech.
"My car isn't full of tacky bumper stickers," he said. "It doesn't say, 'Shoot him up.' It doesn't have anything that would talk about violence or anything I would consider derogatory. It's just my personal opinion of how I feel about this presidency and administration."
Moore said he had 30 days to change his license plate, but he planned to appeal the decision first.
A spokesman for the DMV told NBC 5 anything resembling "Lock her up" is also off limits.
The department says anyone with a question or concern about a personalized license plate can contact them here.
