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Convicted 'Tiger King' Joe Exotic reveals 2024 presidential bid, urges public to 'get over' past killings

Joe was convicted in 2019 on 21 counts, including 19 counts of wildlife crimes and two for hiring hitmen to kill wildlife activist Carole Baskin

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Joe Exotic, the 60-year-old convicted felon and star of Netflix’s hit docuseries ‘Tiger King’ whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado, has officially announced his candidacy for the 2024 US Presidential Election. He shared the news via a tweet that read, “It's official! I am now a candidate for President of the United States in 2024.”

Along with the announcement, he also shared a link to his campaign website, JoeExotic2024.com, where he clarified the news was not a joke. On the website, he stated, "Thank you for your interest in my Campaign. Yes, I know I am in Federal Prison and you might think this is a joke but it's not. It is my Constitutional right to do this even from here." And accused the Department of Justice of “perjury” for his imprisonment, adding, “The only thing I did was put five very old, crippled tigers to sleep in the most humane way possible and it was approved by my USDA Inspector, so it's time to get over it. PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] kills thousands of animals a year. Carole has killed over 226 big cats and most of you eat some kind of animal everyday, so it's time to move past this issue."

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Joe further added, "So put aside that I am gay, that I am in prison for now, that I used drugs in the past, that I had more then one boyfriend at once and that Carole [Baskin] hates my guts. This all has not a thing to do with me being able to be your voice. The best thing you have going for supporting me is that I am used to fighting my whole life just to get by. I am broke, they have taken everything I ever worked for away, and it's time we take this country back."

Joe Exotic sentenced to 21 years in prison for murder-for-hire plot 

Joe, the star of Netflix’s docuseries ‘Tiger King’ was convicted in 2019 on 21 counts, including 19 counts of wildlife crimes and two for hiring hitmen to kill wildlife activist Carole Baskin, reports CBS News. He got sentenced to between 22 and 27 years in jail, but was re-sentenced in July 2021 to a sentence between 17.5 and 22 years, as per Mirror. At that time, Carole commented by saying, "I do think that the punishment fits the crime because he’s someone who caused hundreds upon hundreds of tigers and lions and ligers to be bred into a life of deprivation, captivity, and pacing back and forth in tiny jail cells the same size as the one that he’s in now." In January 2023, a federal judge again re-sentenced Joe to 21 years in prison for the murder-for-hire plot. Following the re-sentencing, Joe pleaded to a federal judge saying, "Please don't make me die in prison waiting for a chance to be free."

'How Joe Exotic trying to run for president behind bars?'

Following Joe's presidential announcement, many were quick to react. One wrote, "Joe Exotic is running for president in 2024.. This country is a f**king cartoon!" Another commented, "I was just talking to a friend about how lockdown was a ploy to get us all to watch tiger king. No one could’ve guessed that Joe exotic becoming President was their endgame tho." One more said, "President exotic. Has a nice ring to it." While an individual wrote, "now that wasn’t on my 2023 bingo card."

A user, "I forgot about this man, I actually sat and watched this tiger show, Covid 2020 was a time." On the other hand, one of many asked, "How Joe Exotic trying to run for president behind bars??" Joe responded, "Yes. I can run for President from prison, as a felon. Please go learn your constitution, before you vote."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.