On September 6, 2018, US President Donald Trump speaks at a "Make America Great Again" rally in Billings, Montana. (Photo: Nicholas Kamm, AFP / Getty Images)

The high school student who went viral after clashing with President Donald Trump at a rally in Montana Thursday thinks he was banned from the event for not being "enthusiastic" enough.

Tyler Linfesty – who became known as "plaid man" on social networks – was removed from his post behind Trump at a rally in Billings, Montana on Thursday. Subsequently, the secret services looked at his identity card and told him to leave, Linfesty said Friday at CNN.

He said that no one had specifically told him why he was being deported, but he thinks he was not showing the proper dose of excitement during Trump's speech.

Linfesty, a high school student, said the people behind the president were told, "You have to be enthusiastic, you have to applaud, you have to cheer on Donald Trump."

He said he and his friends were invited to wear Make America Great Again hats, but he refused.

It was placed just behind the president, a position visible in most television camera shots. Linfesty, who wears a Socialist Democratic pin, reacted in real time to what Trump was saying by raising his eyebrows and giving answers.

TO CLOSE

At a rally in Montana, President Trump said the New York Times' anonymous columnist called him "treason." Later, he then discussed Nike's advertising campaign with former NFL player Colin Kaepernick and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. (September 6)
AP

Linfesty said he disagreed with "a lot" of what the president said but was not against everything. In fact, he said that he had applauded when Trump had "denounced" the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and that the president had declared that the 2016 Democratic primary had been stolen in Bernie Sanders.

Linfesty stated that the facial expressions that drove him to become viral were only his natural reactions to what the president was saying.

"I did not try to protest, they are just honest reactions," Linfesty told CNN.

He said that he was not there to provoke a scene. He just wanted to see the president and hear his speech.

"I want to say that I will not miss the opportunity to see the President of the United States," he said.

At one point, the Trump team seemed to have enough. A woman came and told Linfesty that she was replacing him. His friends have also been replaced.

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