Pinella County PoliceA Florida man has been charged after being found in possession of ecstasy pills in the shape of Donald Trump’s face.
The US President has been depicted in some weird and wonderful ways since his time in office began, including the infamous Trump baby blimp, a statue of him tweeting on the toilet and even little busts of the POTUS inviting dogs to pee on him.
The recreations are all controversial but one which definitely wouldn’t receive the presidential seal of approval comes in the form of the drugs reportedly held by 23-year-old Brendan Dolan-King.
PAAccording to a police report obtained by The Smoking Gun, the Florida resident was arrested at his Clearwater apartment after police were called to the home in late June ‘in reference to an overdose’.
Dolan-King gave officers permission to search his home and they discovered powder and five tablets in an air vent. On Friday (August 16), after lab tests confirmed the powder seized was fentanyl and the pills contained MDMA, he was charged with drug possession.
The tablets depicted Trump’s face on one side, while the other was adorned with the words ‘Trump NL’ and six stars. True to the Donald’s personal brand they were orange in colour.
Pinella County PoliceAuthorities determined the 23-year-old was ‘possibly the person to provide the victim of the overdose with the heroin that he overdosed on’.
According to The Smoking Gun, Dolan-King has been in custody since June on marijuana possession with intent to sell and probation violation counts. He is serving an 18-month felony probation sentence following a conviction last year on cocaine and marijuana possession charges.
The 23-year-old was also convicted earlier last year of possessing cocaine, liquid THC, and MDMA. At the time, Dolan-King was in possession of five MDMA doses in the shape of Darth Vader.
Pinella County PoliceDolan-King is reportedly a registered voter, though he has not declared a party affiliation. The pills could show a support for Trump through their depiction of his face or they could be a unique form of protest, given their illegality.
The Florida man is being held on $2,000 bond.
The pills appear similar to tablets which have prompted ‘high dose’ safety warnings due to their elevated level of MDMA. In 2018, a community group called The Loop, which provides drug safety testing, tested a Trump-shaped pill and found it contained 250+mg of MDMA – over two regular doses.
Tablets with "Donald Trump" logo tested by @WeAreTheLoopUK at #Bestival2018 containing 250+mg of MDMA – over two doses in one tablet. Others tested in Europe with different strengths. Visit The Loop on site for independent drug safety testing and advice. pic.twitter.com/4izWhgysMi
— The Loop (@WeAreTheLoopUK) August 3, 2018
The Loop warns people dosage cannot be recognised simply by looking at the pills.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.