Jacob Volkmann Gets Visit from Secret Service As a Result of Offhand Post-UFC 125 Remark That He Wants to Fight Obama Next
(“…and when I said I wanted to wring Barack’s neck, I meant I wanted to re-align his vertebrae.”)
Well Jacob Volkmann won’t be getting the fight that’s at the top of his wishlist for 2010, but the UFC lightweight did get two things this week that most fighters, or even U.S. citizens will never receive: a visit from the Secret Service and guaranteed yearly IRS audits for the rest of his life.
The men in black visited Volkmann’s home before locating the mixed martial artist at his Brooklin Center, Minnesota gym on Tuesday where they questioned him about remarks he made to Ariel Helwani after his UFC 125 win over Antonio McKee. When asked by Helwani whom he would like to face next, Volkmann dryly responded that he wouldn’t mind stepping into the Octagon with President Barack Obama to let him know what he thought of his healthcare policy.
Apparently whenever anyone in the country makes a perceived threat towards the President, SS protocol requires them to be interviewed to discern whether or not the threat was legitimate.
According to one of the agents who paid him a visit, several calls came in to Washington to report that Volkmann had threatened Obama’s life, but they wouldn’t say whether or not they came from Bob Reilly’s office.
When they found him at the gym, the agents had a copy of the interview and a picture of Volkmann, who quickly explained the tone and the context of his comments to them.
“People were misunderstanding the point of view I was going for with the health care plan. That’s why they were getting so upset. I’m thinking about the provider, I’m a chiropractor, so I’m thinking about my point of view, not everyone getting insurance,” Volkmann told MMAFighting. “They don’t have to worry about getting denied, which is good I guess, just not good for health care providers.”
As of today, Volkmann says he was informed the investigation was closed and that the agent apologized and seemed embarrassed for the misunderstanding when he realized that the fighter nicknamed, “Lloyd Christmas” was in no way shape or form intimating that he was heading to the White House to take out Obama.
When he arrived home from his memorable day at the gym on Tuesday, Volkmann had at least two dozen emails — many of which were from some of the snitches who raised the alarm in Washington and several Obama supporters including a member of the election committee that worked for President Obama’s campaign.
The question is, if there was a perceived threat against the President on Saturday night, why did it take the Secret Service until Tuesday afternoon to get to the bottom of things? Threats are less serious during statutory government holidays, I guess.
