The 'El Chicano' actor has caught the attention of the United States Secret Service after he jokingly accepted the $80M bounty on President Donald Trump.
- Jan 9, 2020
AceShowbiz - Members of the U.S. Secret Service have confirmed they are aware of a joke made by comedian George Lopez, in which he poked fun at assassinating President Donald Trump.
The quip was made by the star after a false report surfaced that alleged Iranian leaders offered an $80 million reward for the murder of the controversial leader. Responding to the report, the funnyman joked via Instagram, "We'll do it for half."
"The Secret Service is aware of the (post) made by Mr. Lopez," a representative for the agency said in a statement, obtained by Page Six. "The Secret Service takes all threats against the President and or any of our protectees seriously, and as a matter of practice, we do not comment on matters involving protective intelligence."
Lopez's remark has led to backlash on social media, with some using the hashtag #ArrestGeorgeLopez but a spokesperson for the 58 year old told NBC News that it "really was a joke."
The "El Chicano" actor isn't the only celebrity to come under fire for speaking out against Trump. Kathy Griffin famously sparked a media firestorm after she appeared in polarising video footage in 2017 holding a bloody likeness of Trump's head. Griffin lost endorsement deals and was removed as co-host of CNN's New Year's Eve coverage as a result of her actions.
The controversy led to an investigation by U.S. officials which ultimately cleared her, though Griffin insisted she was repeatedly detained as she toured the world with her comedy special months later.
"I was under a two-month federal investigation for conspiracy to assassinate the President of the United States...," she explained on talk show "The View". "When you're under investigation, I'd been put on what's called the Interpol list, so I was detained at every single airport..."
