FnF News
🇺🇸 FNF News | Politics, Security & Culture War
Published: June 18, 2025
By: Khadija Khan, FNF Political Analysis Editor
From Gaza to Tehran: Who Is “Hinkle” and Why Is He Being Roasted on the Internet?
Washington, D.C. — If you’ve been online this week and wondering why “GAZA Hinkle” and “Ayatollah Houdini” are trending together in the same fever-pitched post, welcome to the new digital battlefield of America’s ideological war. What started as a chaotic livestream by a little-known activist has now spiraled into a symbol of what many are calling a dangerous rise in sympathy for U.S.-designated enemies — all under the guise of “anti-imperialism.”
And then came the roast.
“If you can’t find GAZA Hinkle, you’ll never make it to your Butt Buddy Houdini in Iran,” one viral post read. “Kissy kissy terrorist boy… you just got roasted, clown. God bless Israel.”
The post, laced with satirical rage and nationalist fervor, was immediately picked up by tens of thousands of users, retweeted by veterans’ groups, and even referenced (albeit cryptically) by members of Congress.
But who is Hinkle? Why is the Ayatollah being called “Houdini”? And what exactly is going on?
The Rise and Flameout of Jackson Hinkle
Jackson Hinkle, a 24-year-old political commentator and podcast host, has made a name for himself as a self-proclaimed anti-imperialist, often criticizing U.S. foreign policy and defending regimes like Russia, Syria, and Iran in online forums. A former local council candidate in California, Hinkle reinvented himself during the Ukraine war as a kind of Gen Z mouthpiece for anti-NATO narratives.
He’s been invited onto shows like RT, platforms like Rumble, and most infamously appeared in pro-Gaza streams where he compared U.S. support for Israel to “war crimes.”
What made headlines this week was a reported — though unconfirmed — plan for Hinkle to travel to Iran for what he described as a “media and cultural exchange.”
“I want to understand the truth beyond the propaganda,” Hinkle tweeted before deactivating his account Tuesday morning.
“Houdini” and the Ayatollah: The Internet Takes Over
The nickname “Ayatollah Houdini” has surfaced from meme-makers who accuse Iran’s ruling clerics of vanishing accountability, hiding behind religion while orchestrating proxy wars. The Ayatollah — once feared — is now being lampooned in TikToks featuring disappearing acts and mocked in edited videos next to magic tricks.
Hinkle, by allegedly attempting to meet with Iranian officials or state media, has become the easy target of this satirical rage.
“You don’t get to pose as some free speech revolutionary while playing patty-cake with the guys funding Hezbollah,” said former CIA analyst Jenna Caruso.
The Real Danger: Normalizing Treason-Lite
Critics say Hinkle’s actions and rhetoric go beyond bad taste — they border on soft treason.
“When you amplify the talking points of a regime that funds terrorism, executes dissenters, and threatens nuclear war, you’re not engaging in critical dialogue,” said David French of The Dispatch. “You’re laundering blood-stained narratives.”
Some are calling on the U.S. State Department to investigate if Hinkle violated the Logan Act, which forbids unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments. So far, there’s no indication of legal action — but the pressure is mounting.
Roasted by the Right, Ignored by the Left
Interestingly, mainstream Democrats have largely avoided the topic. Progressive lawmakers — often outspoken on Gaza and Palestine — have not issued statements. This silence has only fueled conservative media’s narrative that parts of the American left are now openly flirting with enemy regimes.
“He wants to kiss the Ayatollah’s ass while Americans die protecting the freedoms he abuses,” wrote one Army vet on X (formerly Twitter). “No, we’re not going to forget.”
“God Bless Israel” — The Reaffirmation of Nationalist Sentiment
In an age of political tribalism, the final line of that viral post — “God bless Israel” — wasn’t just an afterthought. It was a declaration.
The overwhelming online support for Israel, even amid its controversial operations in Gaza, shows how emotionally and politically invested much of the American right remains in its alliance. At a time when some voices are calling for reduced foreign involvement, others are doubling down — not only in defense of Israel but in rejection of what they view as traitors from within.
Conclusion: Free Speech vs. National Loyalty
Jackson Hinkle isn’t going to prison. He’s not even going to Tehran — at least not this week. But his role in the ever-mutating online culture war reveals a serious fracture: where does dissent end and subversion begin?
The Internet may have roasted him for now — but the deeper battle is about how the next generation defines loyalty, patriotism, and accountability in an era of digital chaos.
FNF News will continue monitoring this story as it evolves.