Man Who Knifed ‘Baby Trump’ Balloon: I Would 'Do It Again’
The man was charged with criminal mischief after he gashed the inflatable during President Trump’s appearance in Alabama.

Niels Christian Vilmann/Getty
A man slashed a “Baby Trump” balloon during President Trump’s trip to Alabama on Saturday, police said. Hoyt Deau Hutchinson, 32, allegedly stabbed the “Baby Trump” balloon and then attempted to flee, according to a statement from the Tuscaloosa Police Department. Hutchinson has been charged with criminal mischief and is being held on $2,500 bond, according to the statement. Jim Girvan, an organizer of the balloon protests, told the Associated Press that a man charged the balloon with a knife and cut an 8-foot-long gash in the back. Trump was visiting the state to watch the University of Alabama-Louisiana State University football game, his third sporting event in the past two weeks, and the first where he overwhelmingly received applause and cheers. A GoFundMe page has been made for Hutchinson, and the description reads, “Hoyt made sure our beloved president didn’t have to see this disrespectful balloon on the streets of Ttown today!!” Hutchinson, who was freed on bond Sunday, said he would “do it again if given the opportunity.”
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