MAGA Influencer Arrested for Lewd Acts as Uncle Sam at Trump's State Fair

A MAGA social media influencer allegedly performed lewd acts while dressed as Uncle Sam during an acrobatic performance at President Donald Trump’s Great American State Fair, according to police documents. Gian Rachtelli, 54, was charged with lewd, indecent and obscene acts Thursday afternoon at the event on the National Mall. According to U.S. Park Police documents, obtained by The Independent, three separate witnesses reported that they observed Rachtelli engage in what appeared to be a sexual act during a performance by the Cirque Mechanics acrobat troupe. One witness told police they were standing behind Rachtelli while he vaped and filmed the female acrobats, before observing him place his hand inside his pants. A second witness reported seeing him return for a later show and repeat the behavior. A third witness stated that a member of the acrobatic team approached them to report that an older white male was making the performers uncomfortable by making lewd gestures in his pants while they were on stage. Rachtelli, known to his thousands of followers as “Manny,” was wearing an Uncle Sam costume and overalls at the time of his detention, anti-Trump activist Brianne Chapman posted on X. A Park Police Public Information Office told The Independent in a statement that “officers responded to a National Guard report at 12th and Jefferson SW concerning a subject involved in lewd acts and indecent exposure. Officers located and arrested the individual.” The Independent has contacted Rachtelli for comment. Rachtelli is a conservative political influencer who broadcasts live from Trump rallies and right-wing demonstrations, and has nearly 14,000 followers on X and about 2,000 subscribers on YouTube. According to an arrest affidavit, the incident unfolded around 3:50 p.m. when National Guard personnel or other outside law enforcement partners working at the State Fair were approached by a witness. Some of these officers detained Rachtelli behind one of the performing stages and requested assistance from the Park Police. The primary arresting official, Sergeant Nielsen, tracked down and interviewed the onlookers, according to the report. Police determined there was sufficient probable cause to place Rachtelli in handcuffs and transport him to the Park Police District 1 station in Southeast D.C. for processing. The incident was captured on Park Police body-worn cameras, though the footage was not reviewed prior to the preparation of the initial report, in compliance with department policy, according to documents. Rachtelli’s final livestream from Thursday showed him broadcasting himself walking through the fairgrounds in an Uncle Sam costume before the video cut off abruptly as police officers walked in front of him. Rachtelli’s video did not contain audio of the encounter. He has not posted online since. Some MAGA supporters quickly defended the influencer online and claimed his arrest was politically motivated. One X user named HaleyReports, posted a graphic demanding his release, along with the words: “FREE MANNY.” The graphic, showing Rachtelli in his American flag overalls at the event, reads: “FALSE REPORT. UNFAIR ARREST. WRONGFUL DETENTION. JUSTICE FOR MANNY!” The arrest adds to a growing list of issues at the taxpayer-funded Great American State Fair, part of the Trump administration's America 250 celebrations. The event has had low public turnout and, before the fair opened June 25, several musical acts, including Martina McBride, Morris Day & The Time, Young MC and Fab Morvan, pulled out after learning it had direct ties to the Trump administration. In response, the planned musical lineup was largely canceled, and President Donald Trump headlined the opening night with a MAGA rally. The musical schedule faced further disruption on Friday, when a performance by rapper Vanilla Ice was canceled just two hours before showtime due to inclement weather. The Independent has contacted Rachtelli for comment.