Felons for Trump: Jailed Oregon militant Blaine Cooper endorses GOP candidate after Orlando massacre
One of the militants jailed for taking over an Oregon wildlife refuge has offered an endorsement of Donald Trump for president.
Blaine Cooper, who was indicted on a variety of felony charges for his roles in the Malheur National Wildlife Preserve and the 2014 armed standoff at Bundy ranch in Nevada, said the mass shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub had convinced him to back Trump.
The jailed Cooper complained that federal authorities had not stopped Omar Mateen, a Florida security guard who was twice investigated by the FBI and listed for a time on the terrorism watch list, but had shot and killed one of his fellow militants following the monthlong occupation.
"It's nice to know our fed government and FBI has America's best interest at heart," Cooper wrote in a post shared on Facebook. "When they spend millions of dollars in resources to round up and murder innocent Americans patriots and ranchers. In particular Robert LaVoy Finicum while dropping the ball on Islamic terrorism allowing hundreds of innocent Americans to be murdered at the hands of Islamic terrorist."
"I wander (sic) if Obama will call this work place violence?" Cooper added. "At least Donald Trump is offering a solution. I know who gets my vote."
It's not clear whether Cooper, who has a lengthy felony record in Arizona, is actually able to vote in November's presidential election.
He would be allowed to vote while awaiting charges in jail, but it's not clear whether he repaid court fees and applied for the restoration of his civil rights following a felony conviction.
Cooper, whose real name is Stanley Blaine Hicks, had amassed 16 felonies under his birth name and another felony under his chosen name — which is the name of Jesse Ventura’s character in the 1987 movie “Predator.”
Those include multiple counts of assault — both with and without a deadly weapon — and making threats, along with several alcohol- and traffic-related offenses.
Another jailed Oregon militant, Jerry DeLemus, served as co-chair of New Hampshire's Veterans for Trump organization and is married to state Rep. Susan DeLemus.