MAGA influencer arrested for lewd acts at Trump's sparsely attended Great American State Fair

A MAGA social media influencer dressed as Uncle Sam was arrested for performing lewd acts during an acrobatic performance at Donald Trump's Great American State Fair – an event that has been plagued by sparse crowds and power outages. Gian Rachtelli, 54, known online as 'Manny', was taken into custody on Thursday afternoon after witnesses reported seeing him place his hand inside his pants while watching the Cirque Mechanics acrobat troupe on the National Mall. According to U.S. Park Police documents, three separate witnesses reported the behaviour. One said they were standing behind Rachtelli while he vaped and filmed the female acrobats. A second reported him returning for a later show and repeating the act. A third said a member of the acrobatic team complained that an older white male was making performers uncomfortable by making lewd gestures in his pants while they were on stage. Rachtelli, who has nearly 14,000 followers on X and about 2,000 YouTube subscribers, was wearing an Uncle Sam costume and overalls at the time of his detention, anti-Trump activist Brianne Chapman posted on X. The arrest unfolded around 3:50 p.m. when National Guard personnel were approached by a witness. They detained Rachtelli behind a stage and requested Park Police assistance. Sergeant Nielsen, the primary arresting officer, interviewed onlookers and determined sufficient probable cause to handcuff Rachtelli and transport him to the Park Police District 1 station in Southeast D.C. for processing. The incident was captured on body-worn cameras, though the footage was not reviewed before the report, in compliance with policy. The fair, a 16-day event meant to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, has been beset with problems beyond the arrest. Photographs showed rows of empty chairs and just two people watching a performance by musician Jason Hershey. NBC News said attendance was 'nowhere near' the 45,000 Trump claimed on Truth Social. The Washington Post wrote that the crowd 'thinly covered an area about the length of the National Museum of American History, smaller than some summer outdoor movie screenings'. Each state has a booth, but Maine did not send a delegation, leaving an empty room with chairs and lobster facts, Boston Globe reporter Sam Brodey tweeted. Power outages caused melted ice cream and disrupted the 110-foot Ferris wheel. Organisers Freedom 250 acknowledged 'power hiccups'. The only buzz has come from a cow named Melania, after the first lady, shown by student Piper Stolipher. Trump, who became the headliner after musicians dropped out citing security concerns, claimed the crowd was 'packed to the brim'. The Independent has contacted Rachtelli for comment.