Steve Symms, a Republican who represented Idaho for four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and two terms in the U.S. Senate, died Thursday. He was 86.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little has ordered all U.S. and state of Idaho flags to be lowered until sunrise on Aug. 12 to honor his service to the state. Symms served in the U.S. House from 1973 to 1981 and in the U.S. Senate from from 1981-1993. Symms unseated four-term Democratic Sen. Frank Church in the 1980 election.

Born on April 23, 1938, in Canyon County, Symms attended public schools and graduated from Caldwell High School before going on to graduate from the University of Idaho in 1960, according to the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1960-1963 and worked as a private pilot and fruit rancher.

“Senator Steve Symms was a true patriot — a military veteran and dedicated public servant whose roots in agriculture helped informed his decisions back in D.C. representing Idaho’s interests,” Little said in a news release issued Friday. “A conservative who was elected during the ‘Reagan Revolution,’ Steve Symms routinely pushed back on government overreach, stood up for the working people of Idaho, and defended the freedoms we hold dear as Americans. God bless this fighter for Idaho values.”

Little said he and his wife, Teresa, share their condolences for the family and friends of Symms.

U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said in an emailed statement that Symms was a friend to him and his wife, Vicki, and that they also extend their condolences to the family.

“He was a staunch defender of conservative values in Washington, D.C., for the people of Idaho,” Risch said. “His commitment to Idaho and conservative principles has stood as an inspiration for our state leaders. We will never forget the great day President Reagan came to Boise to rally for Steve’s reelection to the Senate. What a team they were.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said in a statement posted on social media that he and his wife Kathy “are deeply saddened” by the death of Symms.

“Steve was an exceptional public servant whose dedicated years of service and unwavering commitment to Idahoans have left a lasting legacy on our state,” Simpson wrote.

The internet can’t seem to get enough of Braden Smith’s TikTok videos of him using his Tesla Cybertruck to care for his 2,000-acre farm.

When farmer Braden Smith drives his Tesla Cybertruck around Idaho Falls, Idaho, he either gets a “middle finger or the thumbs up.”

“It’s insane because I really am a nice guy,” Smith, 34, told USA TODAY.

Smith, who is also an online content creator, has gone viral for an unlikely pairing: using the shiny, electric Cybertruck to care for his family-owned 2,000-acre farm full of wheat and potatoes instead of the typical heavy-duty pickup a farmer might typically prefer. His videos on TikTok have amassed millions of views, and he’s only had the vehicle since April.

“It’s been fun,” Smith said of owning the Cybertruck. “A lot of the times when I talk to people they’re very skeptical about it … you could literally weld all day with this thing and still be OK. It’s been good for around the farm.”

Trading an F-250 for a ‘stainless steel fridge’

Before buying the Cybertruck, Smith said he would trade in his pickup trucks quite often. In December 2023, when Smith was planning on trading in his F-250, he received an invite to configure a Cybertruck.

Smith said he justified the purchase due to the 50 amp style plug in the back of the Cybertruck which he uses to power his welder and plasma compressor.

“I think if you itemized down everything I wanted in a pickup for the farm, I mean this fits the majority of those wants and needs,” he said. “It was just unfortunate that it kind of looks like a stainless steel fridge.”

TikTok of cats singing Queen began Braden Smith’s virality

Smith’s initial viral TikTok post was shared in May 2021 and involved a wallpaper of cats singing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The post has over 16 million views.

“It just kind of blew up,” Smith said about the viral TikTok in 2021. “We thought that was interesting so we decided to kind of ride it out and keep making content.”

Smith said he considered the video “pretty silly,” but when it “took off,” he began noticing how lucrative monetizing content could be.

Braden Smith did not buy the Cybertruck to ‘go green’

Smith, who drives the Cybertruck every day, said he saves a lot of fuel although he did not really buy the vehicle to “go green” or save on gas.

“I mean everybody’s saying it’s so wonderful that you’re going green and everything, and then they see that my license plate reads ‘Coal Fed,’” Smith said. “They start scratching their heads.”

A small drawback Smith has with the Cybertruck is the vehicle’s towing capabilities.

While towing things with the truck has not been a huge issue for him because he lives about 40 minutes from his farm in Rexburg, he did acknowledge that the vehicle may not be able to tow heavy stuff for longer than 150 to 200 miles.

What is the Cybertruck?

Introduced by Tesla founder Elon Musk in 2019, the Cybertruck is marketed as an electric pickup truck “built for any adventure,” according to the automotive company.

“Finally, the future will look like the future,” Musk said when he unveiled the Cybertruck during a demo in 2019.

However, the Cybetruck has had its pitfalls, as Tesla has issued several voluntary recalls since its release. The automaker recalled thousands of the trucks in June due to a windshield wiper malfunction and a trunk bed trim issue.

Other farmers may pick up on the Cybertruck

Despite the minor towing issue and perplexed looks from people in town, Smith said he enjoys the Cybertruck and the vehicle is nothing like he’s “ever driven before or had on his farm.”

“It’s really fast (and) it’s fun to drive,” he said about the Cybertruck. “I’ll be going 60 miles an hour down one of my dirt roads and it’s just gliding.”

Cyberucks could be appealing to farmers going forward, especially when Tesla comes out with more affordable and readily available models, according to Smith.

“It’s funny because you drive down the road and everybody’s like ‘so much money,’ and yet they’re also passing King Ranch’s, Denali’s and other high spec pickups, but nobody blinks an eye,” he said. “I think it’s totally possible that other people pick up on (Cybertrucks).”

Idaho is unique on many counts, but this one is exceptional because it was exceedingly rare at the time.  The other day, I saw a story about the new wildlife license plates now available at the state DMV.  One was designed by a local artist, and she’s carrying on a grand tradition.

You see when states were adopting mottos and flags after the Civil War, there was a sameness to what we were seeing.  Many even believe we need to update some of the designs, and many states have redesigned flags.  After all, as some of our neighbors reasoned, there’s nothing more exciting than a beehive on cloth!

State seals may not be nearly as visible as a flag, and therefore less likely for changes demanded by cultural critics.  And if you plan to challenge Idaho, then you very well could offend the woke mob as being misogynistic.  You see, Idaho’s state seal was designed by a woman.  That wouldn’t be unusual in 2024, but it surely was in 1891.  You can read all the details by clicking here.

Emma Green is to this day, the only woman in America to have birthed a seal design.

Our schoolchildren may learn about it when young, but by the time many reach adulthood, it may be forgotten among all the other things they’ve learned to navigate life, it should be a sense of pride, especially for young girls with big dreams.

Kids, you can accomplish great things if you have the desire and a sense of service.

Angry Adults and Kids