Reports that a historically black cemetery in Florida was vandalized, with “Trump” and “DeSantis” painted on gravestones, have sparked outrage, while some suggest it’s “another Jussie Smollett case.”
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump shared a news clip from a Tampa, Florida, CBS News affiliate reporting on a cemetery in Palmetto County where some tombstones were seen spray-painted with the names of the president and Florida’s governor.
“Our ancestors deserve dignity in life and in death. Desecrating sacred burial grounds is hateful, painful, and unacceptable. We must protect Black history and honor the families impacted by this cruelty,” Crump wrote in the caption to his post on X.
A historic Black cemetery in Palmetto, Florida, was vandalized, with graves damaged and “Trump” and “DeSantis” spray-painted across tombstones. Our ancestors deserve dignity in life and in death. Desecrating sacred burial grounds is hateful, painful, and unacceptable. We must… pic.twitter.com/pIPM5AKTlc
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) May 16, 2026
“Cracked concrete, broken gravesites, and red spray paint could be seen throughout Old Memphis Cemetery,” Fox 13 reported.
“The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office says 17 graves were vandalized at the 122-year-old burial ground, tied to the local Black community,” the outlet noted, adding that the words “Trump” and “Ron DeSantis” were “spray-painted in red on multiple tombstones.”
“Throughout the cemetery, the damage was extensive. One thick concrete grave appeared completely cracked open and collapsed,” the report continued. “Detectives believe this incident occurred within the past few weeks. No arrests have been made at this time, as the investigation continues.”
(Video Credit: Fox13)
“Anyone who engages in this disgusting behavior must be condemned in the harshest terms possible,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement.
Manatee County NAACP president Tracey Washington, who surveyed the damage, said, “I’m outraged and furious.”
“I’m very disturbed,” she added.
Despite the evident damage and the official investigation, social media users had doubts about some of the evidence, taking to X to share their thoughts.
“This is the most obvious hoax in history,” filmmaker Robby Starbuck posted.
“Literally nobody believes these hoaxes anymore but they keep trying anyway. You almost have to respect the commitment to the bit,” author and podcast host Matt Walsh wrote.
Yeah I wonder who did that.
— MAZE (@mazemoore) May 17, 2026
Sorry but this has every earmark of being another Jussie Smollett case.
We conservatives don’t do crap like this.— Dave Halliday (@_nwblacksmith) May 17, 2026
And afterwards they shouted “this is MAGA country!”
— Leftism (@LeftismForU) May 17, 2026
MAGA extremists pic.twitter.com/KBrtzIS54K
— e-beth (@ebeth360) May 17, 2026
And MAGA would not do that. It was staged. We want all Americans happy and safe. If you knew more, you’d know that the corruption and poison is coming from WOKE Democrats. They pulled down the statues and burned buildings, and race hoaxes are common among their activists. SPLC?
— Jason O. Hawkins (@JOHAWK580356) May 17, 2026
Trump supporters can’t spell his name correctly? “TRMP”
Some low IQ did this. pic.twitter.com/haHFqunMxB
— TheWriteStuff (@askmylab) May 17, 2026
Smollett strikes again.
Embarrassingly, Ben Crump is not smart enough to realize that Republican voters do not vandalize with graffiti – it’s simply not in our nature.
Even if it were in our nature, this GOPer would most certainly NOT write “Trump” AND “DeSantis”.
100% Fake.
— Alan Stanwyck (@PleasantBanter2) May 18, 2026
