Trump Supporter Vandalizes School With Anti-Trump Slogans To Frame Liberals
Stephen Marks, a 32-year-old supporter of President Donald Trump, admitted to vandalizing an elementary school in Connecticut with anti-Trump graffiti in an attempt to frame Democrats, The Hill reports.
Marks wrote "Kill Trump," "Left is the best," "Bernie Sanders 2020" and "Death to Trump" on playground equipment at Hartford's Morley Elementary School in June.
He told police he did this out of "anger towards liberals and they are breaking major laws everyday and being disrespectful towards our government," the Hartford Courant reports.
This is yet another example of how divided the U.S. currently is across partisan lines.
Marks wanted people to think liberals vandalized the school.
Marks told police he was playing catch with his dog at the school when he randomly found a green marker, which gave him the "dumb idea to vandalize the school with what would seem to be liberal hate speech."
After he saw his image in the news (he'd been captured on video by a surveillance camera), Marks called the police and turned himself in.
He clearly didn't think this through, and told authorities he even thought about going back to the school to clean up the graffiti immediately after (but ultimately did not).
Marks was charged with third-degree criminal mischief and breach of peace, and posted $500 bail.
He's expressed regret for what he did, calling it "stupid, stupid, stupid" in an interview with the Courant. Marks also made it clear to the Courant he's a Trump supporter.
Marks told police he would never harm the president or any member of the government. Police reportedly reviewed his social media accounts, home, garage, and vehicle, but found nothing alarming.
He has a clean record, but has been ordered to stay away from the school and has a court date next month. Marks has also reportedly agreed to see a therapist.
We can safely file this under an act of politically motivated vandalism that backfired, bigly.