The Alabama man charged with stabbing a “Baby Trump” balloon will apparently have no trouble paying his legal fees.
A GoFundMe account was set up over the weekend to raise $6,000 to help Hoyt Hutchinson cover the costs associated with his arrest after knifing the balloon protesting President Trump’s recent appearance in Alabama. As of the time of this writing, the fundraiser has over $36,000 in donations.
So far, over a thousand donors have approved of Hutchinson’s actions when he ran up and sliced an eight-foot tear into the 20-foot inflatable “Baby Trump” balloon during the president’s trip Saturday to Tuscaloosa for the Alabama-LSU football game.
Ahead of the incident, Hutchinson reportedly shared a video on Facebook saying he planned to “make a scene.”
“Y’all watch the news,” he said, according to AL.com. “I’m shaking I’m so mad right now. I’m fixin’ to pop this balloon. Stay tuned. It should be interesting.”
The 32-year-old was released on $2,500 bond Sunday after being arrested when he tried to flee from the park near Bryant-Denny Stadium after attacking the balloon set up by protesters.
Man who stabbed trump baby balloon as he is pushed into a cop car pic.twitter.com/FecpIZvpBw
— beach glass babe (@delovelylany) November 9, 2019
Following his release, he posted a Facebook live video saying he’d “do it again given the opportunity.”
“Some liberals tried to come to my hometown and start some trouble. That ain’t happening,” he said standing in front of a television playing the game while wearing a Trump 2020 shirt. “I did get arrested. I got charged. That’s all right. I’d do it again given the opportunity.”
The GoFundMe page titled “Restitutions for Baby Trump Stabber” featured a video of what appears to be a handcuffed Hutchinson as officers load him into a vehicle.
“Help raise money to pay legal fees and restitutions for Hoyt,” the page, which was set up by the Trump supporter, says. “He was charged with a felony criminal mischief after deflation of the disrespectful baby trump balloon. Hoyt made sure our beloved president didn’t have to see this disrespectful balloon on the streets of Town today!!”
Another GoFundMe titled “FREE HOYT” and created shortly after his arrest has raised nearly $13,000 as of this writing.
In an update on Sunday, Hutchinson thanked supporters and explained where the extra funds raised would go.
“Thank you for all the support!! Makes the whole situation easier to deal with knowing fellow patriots stand with us. All proceeds not needed for legal fees will be donated to the Trump 2020 campaign to further support this great country,” he wrote.
The diaper-clad baby caricature of the president in balloon form debuted during his trip to the United Kingdom last year and has appeared in various protests in the U.S. since then. A “Baby Trump Tour” website operated by the People’s Motorcade apparently loans out six of the balloons with plans to do so “until the big baby himself is out of office.”
Robert Kennedy, one of the protest organizers who brought the balloon to the event in Alabama, said he has accompanied the balloon to many events and never seen it attacked before.
“It is rare to get that kind of anger,” he said, according to AL.com.
Conservative commentator Ann Coulter applauded the stabbing of the balloon in Tuscaloosa Sunday, tweeting that it proves that “Alabama is the greatest state in the union.”
Proving once again that Alabama is the greatest state in the union. https://t.co/n80S0JFzcg
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 11, 2019
While other Twitter users also commended Hutchinson, many blasted the double standard in consequences.
Funny how ANTIFA THUGS get away with slashing people people in the face-
BUT if someone slashes the plastic ‘TRUMP BABY Balloon’ they get slapped with FELONY Charges.
Did POLICE ever arrest any of the ANTIFA members who brutally attacked @MrAndyNgo??https://t.co/qoT20ym4UP— Stephanie Hamill (@STEPHMHAMILL) November 10, 2019
I understand getting a ticket or a minor charge for property destruction but a felony seems excessive
— Jay3434 (@JayLen3434) November 10, 2019
And the people who assault conservatives…were they charged with felonies?
— Link (@Linked333) November 10, 2019
Antifa attacks my fiance and I right in front of the police and breaks our camera equipment: no arrests made.
Man pops baby Trump balloon: arrested for a felony.
Gotta love the equal enforcement of the law in this country. Conservatives definitely don’t get treated different.
— Kaitlin Bennett (@KaitMarieox) November 10, 2019
If only he had just mishandled classified info instead…he’d be in the clear
— #FockerAtTheMovies (@FockerRN529) November 11, 2019
Yeah, he shouldn’t have popped that balloon, but can we make stealing MAGA hats, ripping up conservative signs and hitting conservatives over the head with bricks a felony too?
— Syrena Sketches ??✝️ ☕ ? ? ? (@SlayerSyrena) November 10, 2019
Wow. I would have loved to deflate it as well. Rediculous. Felony? For a baloon?
— Mr. Rusty Duck (@mrrustyduck) November 10, 2019
I hope they plan on charging all these sign tearing, hat stealing, milkshake throwing crazy leftists with felonies from now on as well.
— Secret (@Secret_0_0_0) November 10, 2019
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