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By Lars Hanson
Associate News Editor
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An election judge in Rogers, Minnesota, worked a polling place on Halloween in a white T-shirt printed with the words “Problem Solved” and splashed with fake blood.
City officials say the judge told them it was a costume. Conservative commentators online said it was a celebration of Charlie Kirk’s killing and called for an arrest.
A photo of the judge at a polling-site desk was posted on X by Dustin Grage, who wrote: “A poll worker in Minnesota. They just want free healthcare, guys.”
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Prominent conservatives shared it. “She should be arrested immediately and I am not kidding,” wrote Jack Posobiec. “This is a violent threat against conservative voters.”
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Matt Walsh went further. “This person should be in handcuffs on federal charges,” he wrote. “This should be the kind of decision that ruins her life. DOJ needs to be on it immediately.”
The City of Rogers responded Tuesday. Officials said they spoke with the judge, who “assured us that there was absolutely no political message or intent behind the shirt.” The judge said it “was worn as Halloween attire” and that they “would never be supportive of the apparent message that others have tied to it.”
With the judge’s permission, the city also disclosed that the worker serves as a Republican election judge. Minnesota law requires polling places to be staffed by judges from both major parties.
The shirt broke no rules, according to the city. Officials said it did not meet the definition of prohibited political or campaign material under Minnesota Statute 211B.11. Still, “had the perceived political connection of this shirt been known at the time, the election worker would have been asked to remove or cover up.”
The design has caused controversy before. Last Halloween, math teachers at Cienega High School in Arizona wore the same style of shirt. Critics said the fake blood resembled the neck wound from the September 10 shooting of Kirk, the conservative activist. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis shared the claim, calling it “disturbing to see teachers across the country glorifying a murder.”
The school district said the shirts were “worn in reference to solving math problems.” Newsweek found the same teachers had worn them in 2024, a year before Kirk was killed. The shirt had been sold on Amazon since that summer. Teachers there were targeted online after the claim spread.
The Rogers judge has not been publicly identified.
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