‘Baby Trump’ balloon knifed and deflated in Alabama
A “Baby Trump” balloon has been knifed and deflated in Alabama.
The 6.1m (20ft) tall balloon had been set up in a park as the US president watched a football game nearby.
But a man who appeared to be unhappy with the orange, nappy-clad, mobile-phone-clutching caricature of Mr Trump ran at the balloon with a knife – cutting an 8ft gash in the back.
The unidentified man was subsequently arrested by police in Tuscaloosa.
A spokesperson for the Baby Trump Tour, a campaign group that “adopts” out the balloons for protests around the US, told Sky News: “One crazed Trump supporter will not stop us from our mission to save our democracy. We persist to resist!”
The Baby Trump Tour was inspired by “Trump babysitters” in the UK who first flew one of the blimps over London.
British activists wanted to show their opposition to the US leader’s visit to the capital.
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The Baby Trump Tour says on its website: “It was such an impactful visual image of the tweeting child in the White House we knew it had to cross the pond and come to the US.”
The group started a GoFundMe campaign to pay for one of the balloons, which exceeded its $4,500 (£3,500) goal by raising $24,000 (£18,790) in 72 hours.
Organisers used the extra funds to purchase a total of six balloons.
The group said its plan is “to run the Baby Trump Tour until the big baby himself is out of office”.
Robert Kennedy, a volunteer “babysitter” who brought the balloon to Alabama, said the balloon immediately began to sag after it was cut.
Mr Kennedy said the day had been going smoothly up until then.
Some people yelled “Trump 2020” as they passed while others posed for selfies with the balloon.
Mr Kennedy said he has accompanied Baby Trump to many appearances and never witnessed an attack on the balloon, although someone did stab a Trump blimp in London earlier this year.
The protester said: “It is rare to get that kind of anger.”
