A video of a Trump supporter on a raised bike striking a skateboard and hitting the ground while riding in Manhattan has gone viral with millions of views.
Both supporters and protesters slamming the former president gathered in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday for Donald Trump’s arraignment following his indictment on 34 counts of falsification of business records. Mr Trump is the first US president, current or former, to face criminal proceedings.
The protester appeared to be dressed in a similar way to the so-called “QAnon Shaman” – Jacob Chansley – who gained fame for his appearance during the January 6 insurrection.
The rider could be seen in clips shared online riding an extra-tall bike in red, white, and blue colours before hitting a skateboard and falling to the ground.
He then gets back up and seems to run towards people moving down the street. His face was painted and he was wearing a fur hat with horns, much like Chansley.
Chansley is at a halfway house in Phoenix, Arizona, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He was sentenced to 41 months behind bars after a guilty plea to obstruction of an official proceeding, Newsweek notes. He was released after 27 months.
GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy shared security footage from the insurrection with Tucker Carlson of Fox News, who said “Capitol Police never stopped Jacob Chansley,” prompting Twitter owner Elon Musk to post, “Free Jacob Chansley,” on 10 March.
“I’m not part of MAGA, but I do believe in fairness of justice,” Mr Musk said in response to a tweet. “Chansley was falsely portrayed in the media as a violent criminal who tried to overthrow the state and who urged others to commit violence.”
“But here he is urging people to be peaceful and go home. And the other video shows him calmly walking in the Capitol building, being escorted by officers and then thanking the officers,” he added.
The clip of the man on the bike wearing a Trump flag as a cape drew plenty of reaction on Twitter as the footage garnered millions of views.
“No notes,” comedian Patton Oswalt wrote.
“Hopefully the headgear was ok,” lawyer Ron Filipkowski added.
Author James Felton said, “never seen so many poor life choices crammed into a 3 second video before”.
“Perfect, artistic and poetic fall. Job well done to the guy who threw the skateboard. Sublime aim and perfect timing. Whoever filmed this also did a fantastic job. Perfect [lighting] and no camera shaking. It’s a 10/10 for me,” artist Anis Jerbi said.
A protest was organised on Monday by Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, where both pro- and anti-Trump protesters were heavily outnumbered by members of the media.
Ms Greene was joined by the New York Young Republicans – a group with ties to embattled congressman George Santos, who also made a brief appearance at the rally before departing after being mobbed by the media. Ms Greene was also met by counterprotesters holding their own “emergency noise demo” to drown out her “hate speech”.
The New York Young Republicans at one point responded with a USA-chant.
As clashes between pro- and anti-Trump demonstrators took place, the NYPD tried to separate the groups. Both camps were separated with NYPD barricades and community affairs officers between them.
Ms Greene took aim at New York Mayor Eric Adams, saying that “you send your henchmen down here to commit assault against people by making loud noises”.
Per Ben Collins of NBC News, the reason it was difficult to hear Ms Greene may have been because a Trump supporter handed out whistles. He was apparently unaware that Ms Greene was attending.
Ms Greene urged Americans to “take a stand” during her brief speech, large parts of which were drowned out by the sounds of counter-protesters.
She claimed that the government has been “weaponized” against Americans, adding: “I’m here to protest and use my voice and take a stand. Every American should take a stand. This is what happens in communist countries – not the United States of America. We have to take a stand against the injustice, the corruption, and the communist Democrats.”
She continued: “They’re taking our legal code, twisting it, manipulating it, and perverting it into something it was never meant to be. Donald J Trump is innocent, this is election interference. DA Alvin Bragg is nothing but a George Soros-funded tool. He is a tool for the Democrats to try to hijack the 2024 presidential election. This is a travesty!”
Ms Greene soon left the rally and appeared on RSBN, saying that Mr Trump “is joining some of the most incredible people in history being arrested today. Nelson Mandela was arrested, served time in prison. Jesus! Jesus was arrested and murdered”.
