A video of a young man mimicking Donald Trump at a campaign rally is going viral, with many Republicans calling for the man to be “arrested” for seemingly mocking the president. Others, on the other hand, found the impression hilarious, with some even calling for the man to get his own TV show!
The video was taken at a live campaign rally at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia, and shows 20-year-old Wheeler High School alumnus Rylan Ferguson, who currently studies finance at the University of Alabama, sitting behind Trump and mimicking everything from his signature hand gestures to his facial expressions in real time while the president delivered his speech.
Social media users initially thought he was a sign language interpreter due to his animated hand movements, while others wondered if the clip was AI-generated. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Ferguson said he attended the rally on a whim while wearing a suit and tie. White House staffers reportedly handpicked Ferguson and his friends to sit behind the podium because they were Wheeler High School graduates.
Young Man Who Mimicked Donald Trump Is Actually A Fan
According to reports, Ferguson is a Trump fan and emphasized that the impression was not meant as an insult because he supports the president. His friend Jackson Stephens said Ferguson frequently breaks out his Trump impression while hanging out with their friends, while Ferguson said he has always wanted to pursue comedy and hopes this viral moment helps launch his career.
Ferguson said he was “absolutely pumped and amazed to actually sit behind the president.” Despite his explanation, many people online remained skeptical of his intentions.
While many Republicans called for Ferguson to be punished – with some even suggesting he should be arrested – others argued that the POTUS, 80, should be able to handle being mocked, particularly because he has frequently mocked political opponents and other public figures himself…
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Donald Trump Has Mocked Others Before
In addition to regularly mocking political rivals such as Joe Biden, Trump also faced widespread criticism back in 2015 for appearing to mock Serge Kovaleski, a New York Times reporter with arthrogryposis, a congenital joint condition that limits movement in his arms and wrists.
During a campaign rally in South Carolina, Trump was defending his disputed claim that thousands of people in New Jersey celebrated the September 11th attacks. After citing a 2001 article by Kovaleski, Trump criticized the reporter for saying he did not recall reports supporting that claim.
While speaking, Trump flailed his arms and bent his wrists in a way that many critics believed mimicked Kovaleski's disability. However, Trump has repeatedly denied that he was mocking the reporter.
Social Media Reactions
Many Republicans criticized the video across social media. Others, however, had the opposite reaction, with several users praising Ferguson's impression and suggesting his hopes of launching a comedy career may not be far-fetched!
"MAGA is flipping out that this dude mocked Trump. They want him arrested," noted one Trump fan. "He should be arrested! It is illegal to mock Trump at a rally!" exclaimed a second, as a third demanded: "Deport this man!" A fourth thought it was "really disrespectful to our president," as a fifth said: "As the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."
"And he's going to have a fun time come tax season, I suspect," quipped a sixth, followed by the crying laughing emoji. "What are the odds the DOJ will be kicking in his door?" asked a seventh, as an eighth said: "He's probably gonna fall out a window soon." A ninth said that Trump fans definitely wouldn't find the video funny, adding: "One of MAGA's obvious traits is a lack of a sense of humor."
Others referenced Trump's history of mocking others, with a tenth recalling: "They want someone arrested for mocking Trump, yet shrugged when Trump publicly imitated a reporter with a disability?" "What goes around comes around. Remember when Trump mocked a disabled reporter?" asked an eleventh in agreement.
A twelfth said: "Is the president the only one allowed to mock people? He does it all the time, including mocking the disabled and calling people names like Pocahontas and Sleepy Joe, for example, and people laugh. When does it stop being funny? So are we going to start arresting everyone who mocks him? That doesn't make sense."
And then of course were the many, many people who praised Ferguson, calling for him to get his own show and more. "Background hero. No script. No lines. Just perfect timing," observed one fan. "Don't arrest him! Give him his own TV show! I already love this guy," raved a second, as a third said: "I never laughed so much!"
"That guy is doing a good impression," noted a fourth, as a fifth echoed: "That guy is my new favorite person. MAGAflakes can suck it up, grab themselves, and walk away."
