Meme on JD Vance Sparks Airport DRAMA, But Feds Blame Something ELSE
A Norwegian tourist claims he was detained and deported from a U.S. airport after authorities found a viral JD Vance meme on his phone. But U.S. officials say that's not the reason at all. So what really happened? Was it a meme, drug admission, or something else entirely? In this video, we unpack what Mads Mikkelsen says happened — and what border officials are now revealing. Watch till the end for the full twist.
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Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Did a J.D. Vance meme get a Norwegian tourist blocked from entering the US?
Source: X/@evanoconnell) A Norwegian college student flew thousands of miles to visit the United States — but instead of sightseeing, he was interrogated, searched, and sent packing. The reason? According to him, it all started with a meme of Vice President J.D. Vance. The story, first reported by Norwegian newspaper Nordlys and later picked up by the Daily Mail, has gone viral online, sparking outrage from critics of the Trump administration and debate over how far the U.S. government will go in policing visitors' digital lives. What really happened at Newark airport? According to Mikkelsen, things took a turn on June 11 when he landed at Newark Liberty International Airport. He claimed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials demanded access to his mobile phone and came across two images: one was a meme of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance — reportedly a viral image tied to Vance's controversial February demand that Ukrainian President Zelensky thank Donald Trump — and the other was a photo of a homemade wooden pipe. Source: X/@evanoconnell Mikkelsen told Nordlys that he was threatened with a $5,000 fine or five years in prison if he didn't hand over his phone password. He said he eventually complied, but was interrogated on topics ranging from drug smuggling and terrorism to far-right extremism, and even forced to give a blood sample before being denied entry and sent back to Norway. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Birla Evara 3 and 4 BHK from ₹ 1.75 Crore* Birla Estates Learn More Undo Social media lit up with reactions from both netizens and anti-Trump organizations. One user wrote, 'A tourist from Norway denied entry to the US and deported after finding JD Vance meme on his phone. Hail the champions of Free Speech.' Another remarked, 'The best thing about the U.S. refusing entry to a Norwegian student because of this meme is now every news agency across Europe is now sharing this meme.' Homeland security pushes back, citing drug use The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees both ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), strongly denied the meme theory. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin dismissed the claims as 'FALSE' and 'BS.' CBP echoed the stance in a statement on X, saying, 'Mads Mikkelsen was not denied entry for any memes or political reasons, it was for his admitted drug use.' Mikkelsen had told officials that the wooden pipe in the second image was something he made himself, but CBP reportedly saw it as evidence of potential drug use. Whether the meme actually played a role in his interrogation or not, the story has drawn attention to the Trump administration's stricter immigration policies. Under Trump's second term, officials have ramped up vetting procedures for tourists and visa applicants, including expanded screening of social media profiles — a move that blurs the line between national security and personal expression.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Time of India
Did a bald JD Vance meme really get this tourist banned from America? Here's what really happened
A 21-year-old Norwegian tourist, Mads Mikkelsen, claimed he was denied entry into the United States at Newark Liberty International Airport after immigration officers found a meme of US Vice President JD Vance on his phone. The meme, depicting Vance with an exaggerated bald head, had circulated widely online. Mikkelsen said he was detained, questioned about drug trafficking and extremism, and pressured to unlock his phone under threat of a fine or imprisonment. After hours of detention and searches, he was sent back to Norway. However, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) later clarified that the denial was due to Mikkelsen's admitted past drug use, not the meme. The incident at Newark Airport Mikkelsen arrived on June 11, 2025, intending to visit friends in New York and Texas. Upon arrival, ICE officers reportedly detained him, questioning him extensively about drug smuggling, terrorism, and extremism without clear cause. He was taken to a guarded room, asked to surrender his shoes, phone, and backpack, and pressured to unlock his phone under threat of a $5,000 fine or five years in prison. What was found on Mikkelsen's phone? According to reports, Officers discovered the JD Vance meme and a photo of a handmade wooden pipe saved from a chat app. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Mikkelsen explained these were harmless images, but officials reportedly treated them suspiciously. The meme had gained attention after Vance's controversial remarks during a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky. CBP's official response US Customs and Border Protection issued a 'Fact Check: FALSE' statement on social media, denying that the meme or political reasons led to Mikkelsen's denial of entry. Instead, CBP stated the real cause was his admitted previous drug use, dismissing widespread media speculation linking the ban to the meme. Allegations of harassment and record issues Mikkelsen described the experience as humiliating and traumatic, alleging strip-searches, luggage ransacking, fingerprinting, blood sampling, and falsified travel records. He also noted confusion when his Norwegian passport was mistakenly labeled 'Spanish,' despite never having visited Spain. While the viral story of a bald JD Vance meme causing a tourist's ban captured public attention, official sources confirm the denial was due to unrelated immigration issues. The incident underscores tensions between border security, digital privacy, and freedom of expression in an era of heightened scrutiny at US ports of entry.
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First Post
13 hours ago
- First Post
D Gukesh recalls beating Magnus Carlsen, appreciates Norwegian's gesture after loss: 'My heart rate was so high'
Asked to reflect on his victory over Magnus Carlsen in a time scramble, D Gukesh candidly admitted that the result had such a big impact on him that, for a while, he didn't understand what was happening around him. read more The video of Magnus Carlsen slamming the table after losing to D Gukesh had become a worldwide rage. World chess champion D Gukesh's famous win over world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and the five-time world champion's famous table smash after his first-ever Classical-format loss to the Indian at Norway Chess 2025 felt like a seminal moment in chess. It seemed like a proper passing of the baton from Carlsen's generation, with the Norwegian widely regarded as the greatest chess player of all time, to the NextGen, led by the youngest world champion ever, Gukesh. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The fact that Carlsen himself had never rated Gukesh very highly and picked multiple faults in his game across Classical and Freestyle formats made the Indian chess star's victory even more profound and Carlsen hitting the table after losing in a time scramble made the incident worldwide popular. What's quite amazing is that Gukesh was on the losing end throughout the match, but things changed completely once it entered the time control. The 19-year-old Indian Grandmaster is known for his dogged defence and he applied the same fighting spirit on the board on the fateful day as Carlsen committed a rare blunder to lose to Gukesh for the first time in a classical match. Gukesh: 'My heart rate was so high after beating Carlsen' Reflecting on his biggest win so far, Gukesh said that he was so engrossed in the match and the feeling of winning against Carlsen was so strong that he didn't even realise that the 34-year-old banged the table after losing. 'I was just trying to calculate the course, and after I realised it's just winning. But it was such a quick shift from losing to draw to completely winning,' Gukesh told Chess Base India in an interview. 'My mind was just trying to process what happened in the game. OH MY GOD 😳🤯😲 — Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) June 1, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I did not pay much attention to him banging the table. My heart rate was so high in those final moments. I don't even know what I felt exactly. I was just happy to win the game.' Carlsen, however, was quick to realise his mistake as he congratulated Gukesh, apologised for banging the table and patted the Indian on the back. Gukesh said it was a great gesture by Carlsen to appreciate his opponent despite suffering a bitter loss. 'I was just happy that I won the game. I didn't realize much what else was happening. But even after losing such a game, to appreciate your opponent, it's quite nice,' Gukesh added.
