Back in 2016, Douglass Mackey, known online as Ricky Vaughn, went to social media with a joke about voting for Hillary Clinton in that year’s presidential election via text message.

It was, actually, just an updated version of an election meme that’s been around for years. Depending on the political persuasion, it has appeared before as “Democrats vote on Tuesday, Republicans on Wednesday,” or vice versa.

That one’s comedic value obviously is that an election, for generations in America, has been on a Tuesday, so a Wednesday vote is valueless. Likewise with Mackey’s, as there is no accepted process for voting “via text message.”

A report at RedState explained, “While most people saw this particular meme and thought, ‘Haha, can you imagine anybody being that stupid,’ scolds at the Justice Department tightened up their britches and set about squashing the man.”

In fact, Mackey was arrested, charged with election interference, specifically., “conspiring with others in advance of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election to use various social media platforms to disseminate misinformation designed to deprive individuals of their constitutional right to vote.”

The Deep State feds in Washington, the report said, held the premise that “somebody might have actually believed the meme and thus had their vote stolen away by trying to cast it as a text message.”

Mackey was convicted and sentenced to seven months in prison, although he contested that at the appellate court level.

But, the report said, “Under that same premise, it must be assumed that Trump supporters might be duped by Kimmel’s suggestion and attempt to vote on Thursday or Friday after Election Day. Thus, they would be deprived of their vote as well. Kimmel must be investigated and charged with the very same crime.”

Jimmy Kimmel: “If you want to vote for Trump, vote late. Vote very late. Do your voting on Thursday or maybe Friday.” pic.twitter.com/Il1Ch6S0eE

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 31, 2024

He begged his audience: “If you want to vote for Trump, vote late. Vote very late. Do your voting on Thursday or maybe Friday.”

The Department of Justice, after trial, boasted, “Douglass Mackey, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly to 7 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to interfere with potential voters’ right to vote in the 2016 election for the Office of the President of the United States. Douglass Mackey, also known as ‘Ricky Vaughn,’ was previously convicted of the charge of Conspiracy Against Rights at trial by a federal jury in Brooklyn. Mackey was convicted of the charge in March 2023 following a three-week trial.”

U.S. attorney Breon Peace, at the time, said, “One of the foundational rights we hold as Americans, a right that many fought so hard to obtain, is the right to vote. The defendant weaponized disinformation in a dangerous scheme to stop targeted groups, including black and brown people and women, from participating in our democracy. This groundbreaking prosecution demonstrates our commitment to prosecuting those who commit crimes that threaten our democracy and seek to deprive people of their constitutional right to vote.”

The RedState report explained, “Now, there was a time when we could all sit back and hear that joke, chuckle a little bit, and move on. That time has passed. The DOJ is on record declaring that joking that people should vote after the election is a very serious and actionable crime.”

The report continued, “The Department of Justice must immediately act upon this blatant criminal behavior. Kimmel, whose comedy has all the freshness of a bottle of Centrum Silver, used a 20-minute opening monologue to disparage former President Donald Trump and his supporters. The crux of his diatribe – Republicans should not vote for Trump.

“Unfortunately, his on-camera descent into madness culminated with a very specific criminal act. It was documented for everyone to see. On tape, archived forever.”

When I made an election joke, the Deep State used it as a pretext to conduct a fishing expedition against me, subpoenaing all financial records, leases, employment information and pay stubs, and email accounts.

Will Jimmy Kimmel enjoy the same? https://t.co/uAMI9saL2i

— Douglass Mackey (@DougMackeyCase) October 31, 2024

RedState reported, “There’s no gray area here at all. Kimmel did exactly what Mackey was arrested for. The Justice Department under Biden and Harris must, in their relentless pursuit to save democracy by combatting ‘misinformation,’ arrest Jimmy.”

Bob Unruh

Bob Unruh joined WND in 2006 after nearly three decades with the Associated Press, as well as several Upper Midwest newspapers, where he covered everything from legislative battles and sports to tornadoes and homicidal survivalists. He is also a photographer whose scenic work has been used commercially. Read more of Bob Unruh's articles here.