Since COVID-19 came in to ruin the party, controversial celebrity chef Pete Evans has earned quite a reputation for flogging harmful coronavirus ‘cures’, conspiracy theories, anti-vaccine opinions and more.
It didn’t take long for everyone’s BS detectors to go off and as a result, Evans was fined and even lost his TV gig on My Kitchen Rules. However, that hasn’t stopped him from plugging utter nonsense via his chaotic Instagram page.
And yes, that includes supporting Donald Trump.
Responding to the Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd, Evans posted a speech from the US President.
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In the clip, Trump talks about taking “immediate presidential action” to stop the “rioting, looting and arson” occurring at the protests. He also says he’s liaising with governors to “dominate the streets” and “establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence,” using the military if necessary. He enforces a 7pm curfew and warns protesters will be “arrested, detained and prosecuted to the full extent of the law” if they break the rules.
Instead of offering words of support, or an explanation of any kind, Evans simply captioned the Instagram video with the red love heart emoji.
It didn’t take long for his followers to call him out – with many shocked that he supported the US president.
“I’ve looked up to you with your consistent messaging of peace and love,” one fan commented on the post. “So, the face that you’re endorsing this man and/or his fight fire with fire proposal is truly appalling.”
Another, who had agreed with Evans’ controversial stance on diets and vaccines, also expressed their disbelief. “I followed Pete because I agree with him on the nutrition/vaccine etc,” they commented. “[But] I don’t know how Trump is in the good guys gang?”
Evans copped so much backlash on the post, he doubled down on his stance with another one soon after. “Thank you to everyone for sharing your comments,” he captioned an image of a red heart. “I will be sharing with you a lot more recipes, information, and news stories that may challenge your long held beliefs or perhaps reinforce them, wherever you are in your journey.”
The chef went on to say his intention is not to “create division,” but to “create a platform for critical thought where many ideas can be presented.” He encouraged fans to unfollow him if they wish, and ended the lengthy caption by telling the 233,000 followers that still remain, “We may need to look and feel into the wound for the healing to manifest.”
Wow. It’s difficult to understand what Pete Evans is actually trying to achieve with his social media presence, but one thing is for sure, despite the backlash and controversy, it looks like he won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
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