A.G. Gancarski
In a reminder of how fractious the 2024 Presidential Election promises to be, an 18-year-old Donald Trump supporter showed up at an early voting location in Duval County brandishing a weapon.
According to multiple reports, Caleb Williams showed up with a group of other Trump supporters before flashing an 18-inch machete at supporters of Kamala Harris.
No one was hurt in the incident.
Duval Democrats were quick to condemn the election intimidation.
“Violence and intimidation have no place in our democratic process. The Duval County Democratic Party stands with those who seek to express their views peacefully and without fear of reprisal,” posted Chair Daniel Henry in a statement on social media.
“I am truly disturbed by the violent incident that occurred this week at the Beaches Branch Library Early Voting location. Voter intimidation has no place in our democracy. In fact – it’s illegal, and I applaud Neptune Beach Police for their swift response. We must not allow politicians who seek to divide us to scare us into not voting,” added Sen. Tracie Davis, a Democrat from Jacksonville.
The local GOP offered a statement seemingly contextualizing the threats of violence by pointing to rhetoric from Democrats and turning the focus to threats against Trump.
“The Republican Party of Duval County thanks law enforcement for swiftly apprehending the individual involved. In an environment of high political tension, where President Trump has survived two assassination attempts and Republican supporters are derided as Nazis and called ‘garbage’ by Joe Biden, we urge calm as we approach the end of this election season.”
Law enforcement seems to take this more seriously than the local GOP, meanwhile, avoiding equivocations about “high political tension” and selective quotations of the current President.
“Ensuring everyone’s right to vote is crucial, and it will not be impeded upon in Neptune Beach or Duval County. This goes way beyond expressing freedom of speech. To say your piece is your First Amendment protected right, but that goes out the window the moment you raise a machete over your head in a threatening manner,” Neptune Beach Chief of Police Michael Key said to WJXT. “To say that I am disturbed is an understatement. I am mad that this happened in Neptune Beach.”
15 comments
A Day without Crazy MAGA
October 30, 2024 at 11:49 am
Good riddance of trash,he will learn the hard way by supporting of Trump , they supporters of Trump are suffering from mass psychosis Google Trump Supporters Mass Psychosis Google Trump MAGA Hat Arrest
I Am Garbage
October 30, 2024 at 11:54 am
If Trump wins, I fully expect the zombie force to lose their minds and start rioting, looting, burning stuff. The training facility is at the Federal Courthouse in Portland, OR.
A Day without MAGA Trash
October 30, 2024 at 12:00 pm
Your one of the mindless Trump supporters,my freedom is worth more than any Trump trash
George
October 30, 2024 at 12:20 pm
If Trump loses, I fully expect the MAGA force to lose their minds and start rioting, looting, burning stuff.
Ocean Joe
October 30, 2024 at 12:06 pm
Lighten up, he’s just a stupid kid with braces who grabbed his dad’s machete and probably doesnt even know how to use it. It’s alarming, but keep this in perspective.
Scaring old women isn’t good but he doesn’t really understand the consequences and that’s why we have juvenile courts separate from adults. The brain hasn’t finished growing either. Give the kid a break and consider who he is surrounded by at home.
Paul
October 30, 2024 at 12:21 pm
He’s 18, as per the article. Going to jail.
Ocean Joe
October 30, 2024 at 1:25 pm
Got to stand with my comment. Cult members deserve our compassion. Hopefully it will pass and folks can get back to love and understanding of each other and a little less immigrant bashing. This poor kid is probably one of Donald’s Norwegian immigrants. Have mercy.
Jewelrygirl
October 30, 2024 at 4:42 pm
I did stupid stuff when I was 18, none of it was violent, but I still paid the consequences. Men often give men passes to be violent as “boys will be boys” but can’t we just insist they do better?
Phil Morton
October 31, 2024 at 5:50 am
Do you think he is the only one? Complaints are coming in from around the state. He’s just the only one with a machete.
A Day without A Mindless MAGA
October 30, 2024 at 11:58 am
A MAGA mind is terrible thing to waste, especially support of Trump,all leads to no good at the end of the day, especially by already support of a felon Trump
KathrynA
October 30, 2024 at 12:18 pm
There is no excuse for this behavior and I find it appalling that we have to be afraid when going too polling places because of the Trump hate and rhetoric. I think it’s one reason people are voting absentee and early voting, because they know what Trump supporters have been encouraged to do on election day.
MH/Duuuval
October 30, 2024 at 7:22 pm
It’s the Trump poll watchers that concern me.
Sam Snead
October 30, 2024 at 12:31 pm
If the Southern Religious Zealots had not turned their backs to God and voted for The Unrepentant Degenerant Malignant Narcissistic Imbecile with Myriad Other Mental Problems in the 2016 GOP Presidential Primary this never would have happened. The Trump Pep Rally around The Lake of Fire in Hell will feature Marco “Little Hands” Rubio, for Eternity.
PeterH
October 30, 2024 at 3:37 pm
More Americans should vote from home and drop their ballot at the post office.
MH/Duuuval
October 30, 2024 at 5:16 pm
Apparently those wacky Oregon voters vote entirely by mail.
But, early voting is good, too. You get a second chance to vote if the kid gets sick and needs to go to the ER.