Over the last few weeks, we’ve shared some stories about more and more tourists getting questioned or even detailed at US airports. Governments in Europe and other parts of the world have responded by releasing their own travel advisories for travel to the US from Canada and some European countries. However, this particular case involves a lot of he said she said. A Norwegian newspaper has accused the CBP for deporting a tourist back to Norway for simply sharing a bald JD Vance meme. So what’s really going on here?
Bald JD Vance Meme Controversy
Norwegian media and some British tabloids reported that a Norwegian actor was deported back to Norway for simply sharing a bald JD Vance meme. However, the CBP has refuted these reports strongly and clearly stated that he was questioned and detained for suspected drug abuse, as reported by The Independent.
Customs and Border Protection has confirmed that, no, agents did not stop a Norwegian traveler who showed them a meme of a bald Vice President JD Vance.
“Fact Check: FALSE,” the CBP wrote on X. “Mads Mikkelsen was not denied entry for any memes or political reasons, it was for his admitted drug use.”
Homeland Security deputy secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the story “false” and “BS” in a post on X. Like the CBP announcement, she insisted that Mikkelsen was denied entry after admitting to using drugs.
Mikkelsen does acknowledge that he was questioned about his use of drugs during the incident. He said DHS agents saw a second photo on his phone, which was a wooden pipe that he’d made for himself.
The agents also reportedly asked him about drug smuggling, terror plots, and right-wing extremism, and Mikkelsen claims he was forced to provide the agents with a blood sample.
While Mikkelsen and CBP may not agree on what precisely caused his denial of entry to the country, both agree that there was an encounter.
The Pundit’s Mantra
In this case, it seems like a storm in a tea cup. The CBP has strongly refuted that any denial of entry was for sharing the meme, but was instead for suspected drug use, which seems a reasonable cause. However, critics have for long cited that after the Trump administration has take over, there’s been inconsistency in the way the CBP has administered detention or even denial of entry at various immigration checkpoints in the country.
A recent State Department cable directs diplomats to review social media profiles for “any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United States.”
In one instance, a French researcher was denied entry after customs agents found a “personal opinion on the Trump administration’s research policy” on his phone. The denial earned a public scolding by a French minister.
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Yet despite the fact that there is no question to this incident, you lead with the question and even title your post with the question.
You’d make a good lefty journalist. (Their interested in only pushing their preferred fake narrative, not just simply provide the truth.)
lol
Enough of these childish things going on… the time spent on HATING eachother is ridiculous.
Please, find something constructive to do.