Election Campaign Takes Weird Turn As Joe Exotic Endorses Albo For PM
Image: joe_exotic/Instagram
With less than 48 hours to go until election day, Anthony Albanese has received a surprise endorsement from Netflix’s Tiger King, Joe Exotic.
Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, better known as Joe Exotic, is currently is serving a prison sentence of 21 years after being found guilty of 19 counts relating to wildlife violations, and two counts relating to the hiring of hitmen to kill animal activist and fellow big cat enthusiast Carole Baskin.
He maintains his innocence and has been campaigning for a pardon from the US President, with his efforts renewed after Trump pardoned several January 6 rioters.
Exotic appeared on 2dayFM’s The Jimmy & Nath Show with Emma on Wednesday morning, where the hosts asked if the 61-year-old would ask the winner of the election for assistance with his pardon.
“Here’s what we’re going to do, right? We’re friends with Albo, who could potentially- he’s the current Prime Minister. Can you say, vote one Anthony Albanese and we’ll play it for him?”
The interview prompted Exotic to then post a seemingly AI-generated image of himself and Albanese, with the words “Albanese for Prime Minister Australia” printed between them.
“Keep Australia safe and awesome. All of my friends in Australia vote for @albomp,” the caption read, with Exotic also tagging the Instagram page for the The Jimmy & Nath Show with Emma.
Exotic made two follow-up posts over the next few hours, and denied any payment from the Labor party for his endorsement.
“Just hoping he will return a favor and call Trump for me,” he wrote. “Australia is an amazing place. Steve Irwin helped me save some animals”.
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Endorsement leaves Albo bemused
The Prime Minister was questioned about the endorsement during his appearance at the National Press Club yesterday.
“He’s in jail… I wasn’t even aware of all of that,” Albanese laughed.
“I think the point of that question was to ask the question rather to get a serious answer, I hope.”
The apparent dismissal rubbed Exotic the wrong way, with the Netflix star taking to Instagram to share a clip of the incident from the ABC, and rebuking the notion that he was in jail for murder.
“Yes I endorse Anthony Albanese Prime Minister of Australia just like I did for President Trump,” he posted earlier this morning.
“Hoping that he has the respect enough to look at the video confessions on the evidence link at joeexoticofficial dot com and call Trump to finally sign my Clemency since the entire world knows how corrupt our system is.”
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