Doug Mackey, known as “the Meme Guy” on social media, was recently found guilty of election interference charges by a federal court in the Eastern District of New York. Joe Rogan expressed shock when he heard about the verdict during a recent episode of his podcast.
Comedian Big Jay Oakerson, a guest on the show, commented on the memes that encouraged Hillary Clinton supporters to vote via text message, saying “if you believe that is true, don’t vote anyway.”
The charges against Mackey, who went by the name “Ricky Vaughn” on Twitter, stemmed from a meme he posted on November 1, 2016, which provided a number for Hillary Clinton supporters to text and “vote from home.”
BREAKING: Joe Rogan gasps in shock at hearing “The Memes Guy” Doug Mackey aka Ricky Vaughn convicted for meme and facing ten years…
Joe and the gang chuckle at “very subtle parody” of Hillary Clinton ad…
Source: Joe Rogan Podcast Episode 1966 pic.twitter.com/hk5NH4ATpF
— Revolver News (@RevolverNewsUSA) April 11, 2023
The Department of Justice claimed that the meme constituted election interference, but was unable to prove that anyone was actually deceived by it. Other memes encouraging voters to vote for Trump were also spread on social media at the time, but Mackey was the only one to face federal charges.
Assistant US Attorney Turner Buford argued that Mackey’s actions were an attempt to “vaporize votes” and “make them disappear.” According to a letter from Mackey’s attorney, an expert witness for the case withdrew his name from the witness list after being contacted by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which planned to release a negative article about the witness.
Attorney Andrew Frisch argued that the meme was “ludicrous to anyone with a basic knowledge of how presidential elections work.” Despite this, Mackey was found guilty of the charges on March 31.
