I saw a car with a Gadsen flag bumper sticker today.

[ShazzieB]

18. It was, back when the Tea Party was a thing.

It has historically meant a lot of different things to different people. Here's an example of the kind of thing I found when I tried to research it:

What does the Gadsden flag mean? How has its meaning evolved?

In recent years, the words “Don’t tread on me” have come to represent a more general opposition to government overreach in the US.

The flag itself began to gain popularity in Libertarian circles as a symbol boosting minimal government beginning in the 1970s.

Its popularity then surged — on everything from T-shirts to bumper stickers— after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to the New Yorker.

The flag soon became a favorite of Tea Party enthusiasts and die-hard Second Amendment supporters — along with an all-purpose emblem of independence, liberty and defiance.

As the US became more politically polarized, some extremist groups adopted it. In 2020, members of the Proud Boys were photographed waving the flag at a heated rally in Portland, Ore.

https://nypost.com/2023/08/30/the-meaning-of-the-gadsden-flag-symbol-that-got-colorado-boy-booted-from-school/

And of course, this flag made an appearance on January 6:


Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/symbols-hate-extremism-display-pro-trump-capitol-siege/story?id=75177671

So I guess there's no way to be absolutely sure what someone means by it, but it will ALWAYS be associated with the Capitol insurrection, at least in my mind.