Social media 'troll' says he was dressed as KKK member at Mystic rally

Mystic ― Michael Picard, a 35-year-old self-described troll, said Sunday he was the one who dressed in a Ku Klux Klan robe at a Saturday rally in support of former President Donald Trump."My point there was to remind everybody that Trump was endorsed by the KKK," Picard, of South Windsor, said in a phone interview Sunday. "He is the KKK's candidate." Picard had appeared at the Trump rally on a street corner near Olde Mistick Village. There, he said he chanted and carried a sign that read "Trump: Endorsed by the KKK." Afterward, images of Picard, dressed in the KKK robes quickly spread across several social media platforms.Trump was endorsed by the KKK during the 2016 election cycle, but rejected the endorsement, according to news reports. Picard said some of the Trump supporters appeared to have caught on to the gag and confronted him, trying to take off his hood."My bit is to get people to think that we're together," Picard said. "I try to like, insinuate myself into the protest, and try to say we're together. They hate it." "Obviously we're on two different sides," he said.Picard, whose social media channels highlight his real life trolling, or provocative or satirical activities at protests and other events, said he was surprised at how many people took his joke literally.He said Saturday's rally will appear in his next video, which he said usually take him a week to edit, and release on Sundays. Stonington Police said Saturday that they received several phone calls from residents distressed over the content of some of the props at the rally. There were no arrests, and the crowd dispersed after about an hour. Picard said he saw police at the scene but to his surprise, they didn't speak to him. On Sunday, Stonington Police Deputy Chief Todd Olson said police had not identified the person wearing the KKK garb. Picard, asked Sunday what he was chanting at the rally, said he opted for a "fan favorite" among the 94,100 people who subscribe to his Youtube channel."And that was, 'USA, USA, USA! Trump was endorsed by the KKK!," he said. "And other than that I was just saying ― I was like ― 'Come on people! Give us some love! We came out of our trailer parks for this!" "And of course I was chanting 'We love Trump. We love Trump.' " he added. "And of course, the optics were terrible, because they decided to stay." Picard said they were together for the duration of the protest. A counterprotest had formed, he said, and those protesters quickly realized he was "trolling the right."This is not the first time Picard has donned the KKK robes to elicit a response. In the most recent video on Picard's channel, which received over 100,000 views, he wore a KKK robe to the February 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., where Trump spoke, and chanted, "the Klan supports Trump!" The video then shows Picard being escorted out by security guards. "I would say going to Trump rallies is my bread and butter," Picard said. "It's something I do often." Picard said when he saw a group event on Facebook advertising the rally in Mystic, he decided it would make a good target for his next video."I expected a larger group because the event page on Facebook had like 20 people RSVP'd and 1,000 interested in going," Picard said. "So I expected a little bit more." He said the rally ended up being about 10 to 15 Trump supporters.Many of Picard's other videos involve him trolling conservative supporters and politicians, such as George Santos, former Republican U.S. representative from New York, whom Picard paid into voicing support for North American Man/Boy Love Association, an organization that advocates for pedophilia.Picard, who said he considers himself a libertarian, said he has trolled fellow libertarians, and the left, as well."Whatever opportunity is there, I take it," he said. "Nothing is above reproach. That's the principle I apply." Picard wanted to reiterate that he understands "there's a lot of meaning and hurt behind the KKK costume, and I don't use it lightly," and that he's not a racist. Picard said he thinks it's important to "hold up a mirror to people," and to "raise awareness that Trump was endorsed by the KKK." "If you have a candidate that has views that the KKK agrees with, then that should give everybody pause about that candidate," he added. d.drainville@theday.comEditor's note: This version corrects the spelling of Picard's name.