Audio signals at two crosswalks on East Colfax Avenue in Denver broadcast an anti-Trump message to pedestrians in March 2026, disrupting audible crossing aids used by people with visual impairments.
KEY FACTS
- Incident Two crosswalk audio units played a political anti-Trump message
- Location East Colfax Avenue at North Pearl Street and North Washington Street
- Cause Devices were using factory-default passwords
- Response Passwords were changed and police are investigating
A Denver Post article reported that the units had recently been installed at the junctions of East Colfax Avenue with North Pearl Street and North Washington Street and had been turned on while still using factory-default settings, and included a statement from Nancy Kuhn, Communications Director at Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, that the devices were not yet supposed to be operational.
Pedestrians heard a robotic voice play the message: “The walk signal is on, f*** Trump. The walk signal is on, Trump murders children” as they used the crossings.
Security researchers previously demonstrated that crosswalk systems can be reconfigured when installers do not change factory passwords. A history of hacked roadside signage by Graham Cluley documents similar incidents in other cities.
WHY IT MATTERS
Tampering with audible crosswalk messages creates a safety hazard for people who are blind or visually impaired. The risk is preventable by changing factory-default credentials and following basic installation security practices.