New Delhi: The appearance of American influencers at the funeral of Iran’s former Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has triggered a wave of criticism online, with users calling for investigations, arrests, or the banishment of those involved.
Jackson Hinkle is among the most prominent of these influencers. An American social media personality known for his “MAGA communist” branding, he frequently posts about Iran. Hinkle uploaded several videos of the funeral on his social media accounts.
“I was honored to spend my day with Professor Marandi at the last farewell to Sayyed Ali Khamenei,” he wrote on X.
His feed features frequent criticism of Israel and support for Iran.
Iran is fighting for your freedoms.
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinkle) July 11, 2026
Videos and online posts showed Hinkle at the Tehran funeral, where he joined crowds chanting slogans including “Down with USA” and “Down with Israel”. His appearance prompted strong reactions from American political commentators and critics on social media.
“American social media influencer Jackson Hinkle led ‘Down with the USA’ chants at a pro-regime rally in Tehran, Iran. If that’s where your loyalty is, don’t come back. You can stay there,” said Brandon Tatum, an American conservative political commentator and YouTuber.
He wasn’t alone. “His citizenship should be put for auction as soon as possible before he commits crimes against the U.S.,” another user wrote.
Many also mocked the situation, joking that Hinkle was a spy sent by the US to Iran.
“Jackson Hinkle is a CIA plot to spy on Iranian, Houthi, and Hezbollah leadership,” one user wrote.
The controversy surrounding the funeral appearances intensified after the Iranian embassy in Armenia publicly praised Hinkle, calling him “the voice of all Americans who have honour”, while funeral crowds were reported to have chanted slogans including “Death to America” and “Death to Trump”.
Trump ally Laura Loomer accused Hinkle of colluding with Iran’s regime, highlighting his past friendship with former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and demanding that his passport be revoked.
“How did the Trump administration ever appoint a DNI who is surfing buddies with a self-proclaimed communist who aids our adversaries, lives in Russia, and travels the world chanting ‘Death to America’ with Islamic terrorists?… Who protects Jackson Hinkle from being arrested by U.S. authorities?” Loomer wrote.
Other American attendees
Iran held a week-long state funeral and mourning period for Khamenei. He was killed along with four members of his family in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on 28 February.
Influencers and media personalities from several countries were invited as part of an effort to shape international coverage of the funeral. The event has been described as the largest funeral gathering in recorded history.
Another American figure reported to have attended the funeral events was Calla Walsh, a former Democratic activist who has been associated with anti-war and anti-Israel activism.
Other American attendees reportedly included Max Blumenthal, journalist and founder of The Grayzone and Christopher Helali, activist and member of the American Communist Party.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
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