Gay couple who attacked MAGA influencer claims he played brutal trick on them — but say there’s a bigger enemy

Nypost · May 11, 2026 · 444 words · By Nina Joudeh

Digital Clout and Exploitation Provocation vs. Assault Freedom of Expression vs. Hate Speech

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What to know about Digital Clout and Exploitation

Gay couple who attacked MAGA influencer claims he played brutal trick on them — but say there’s a bigger enemy The gay couple at the center of last month’s altercation with MAGA influencer Ryley Niemi now claim Niemi was the real instigator, accusing him of…

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

David and Anthony Vullin allege that Niemi and his show “Off The Record” cast them as pawns, exploiting their story to chase viral fame and internet clout.

Common ground

“When someone inserts themself into a specific community with the intention of triggering people, it’s not freedom of expression.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Digital Clout and Exploitation story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that one of our primary cameras, a Sony A7C II, was completely destroyed?
How does this story connect Digital Clout and Exploitation with Provocation vs. Assault over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/11/us-news/gay-couple-who-attacked-maga-influencer-cl…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 70% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

info Single Source 2

verified Verified 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “one of our primary cameras, a Sony A7C II, was completely destroyed”

CORROBORATED

Both the Tyla article and the GoFundMe page explicitly state that a Sony A7C II camera was completely destroyed during the incident.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — "In the middle of the incident, one of our primary cameras, a Sony A7C II, was completely destroyed. "We are currently taking the appropriate steps to pursue justice through the proper legal channels.…
https://www.tyla.com/news/thousands-raised-david-vulin-punch…

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web search NEUTRAL — In the middle of the incident, one of our primary cameras, a Sony A7C II, was completely destroyed. We are currently taking the appropriate steps to pursue justice through the proper legal channels. T…
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ryley-niemi

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A video posted on social media by political commentator Ryley Niemi, which had drawn more than 100,000 views as of Friday, shows Niemi approaching Anthony Vulin, a member of West Hollywood's Business …
https://wehotimes.com/maga-influencer-punched-during-confron…

info

Claim 2: “David charged at Niemi, hitting him several times on the back of the head and pushing him into the camera.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the attack is widely reported, the specific detail of David hitting him 'several times on the back of the head' is not explicitly detailed across multiple independent news reports in the provided evidence, though the general attack is confirmed.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Walk through the life of David: from shepherd to king. This study reveals his victories, failures, and heart for God.
https://unforsaken.org/bible-studies/studies-by-theme/a-comp…

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web search NEUTRAL — May 4, 2026 · David, second ruler of the united kingdom of ancient Israel and Judah and an important figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He was the father of Solomon and united the tribes of I…
https://www.britannica.com/biography/David

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — David is born to a man named Jesse in the Judean city of Bethlehem. He is the eighth and youngest son (1Samuel 17:12 - 13, 1Chronicles 2:13 - 15) and the great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 4:17 - 2…
https://www.biblestudy.org/maps/life-of-david-timeline.html

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Claim 3: “On April 16, Niemi and “Off The Record USA” interviewed the couple about adoption rights”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources explicitly state that on April 16, 2026, Ryley Niemi and 'Off The Record USA' were interviewing the couple about adoption rights.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — I *QUALIFIED* For $1,000,000 Clash Royale League Ryley - Clash Royale 76K views • 2 years ago 35:49
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAw2ZHAIP177ryD3WF9iXmw

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Canadian esports player and social media personality best known for playing the multiplayer game title Clash Royale.
https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/ryleycr1.html

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web search NEUTRAL — Stats, battles logs and decks of Clash Royale player Ryley #R90PRV0PY
https://royaleapi.com/player/R90PRV0PY?lang=en

verified

Claim 4: “Niemi has since launched a GoFundMe campaign for support.”

VERIFIED

A GoFundMe page specifically for Ryley Niemi by 'Off The Record USA' is explicitly cited in the evidence.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — UPDATE: On April 16, 2026, Ryley Niemi and Off The Record USA were violently assaulted during an incident in West Hollywood. Hi, we are asking for your support after a situation that has directly impa…
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ryley-niemi

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web search NEUTRAL — The gay couple from West Hollywood recently launched a campaign to raise funds for their legal defense after being accused of attacking a MAGA (Make America Great Again) influencer, Ryley Niemi.
https://www.primetimer.com/news/anthony-vulin-gofundme-recei…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Donations have reached over $71,000 to support the legal defence for gay dads following an altercation with a right-wing media personality.
https://gcn.ie/71k-for-gay-dads-after-right-wing-altercation…

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Claim 5: “An Instagram video shows the influencer being attacked by the parent soon after he said, “gay men are statistically much more likely to commit child molestation,” and asked if the two men had paid $50,000 to a woman to get pregnant.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm a video on Niemi's Instagram shows him asking the couple about statistics regarding gay men and child molestation immediately before the attack.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Ryley Niemi and “Off The Record USA” were interviewing two men with a baby about adoption rights when one of the gay men attacked him, a video posted on Instagram showed. “On April 16, 2026, what star…
https://nypost.com/2026/04/18/us-news/conservative-influence…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In a second Instagram video, Niemi claimed the couple followed him and continued the confrontation, though as the video cuts between clips it is difficult to know exactly what happened.
https://www.thepinknews.com/2026/04/22/gay-dads-west-hollywo…

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web search NEUTRAL — In a video posted to Niemi’s Instagram account, the influencer asks Miller-Robinson and Vulin, who is holding their baby, if they’ve heard that “gay men are statistically much more likely to commit ch…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/donations-pour-gay-dads-…

info

Claim 6: “overa dozen emergency responders arrived at the scene”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of dictionary definitions for the word 'more' and does not contain any factual information regarding the number of emergency responders at the scene.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Examples of more in a Sentence Adjective I felt more pain after the procedure, not less. The new engine has even more power. You like more sugar in your tea than I do.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/more

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — More or less means ‘mostly’, ‘nearly’ or ‘approximately’. We use it in mid position (between the subject and main verb, or after the modal verb or first auxiliary verb, or after be as a main verb).
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/more

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web search NEUTRAL — You use more to indicate that there is a greater amount of something than before or than average, or than something else. You can use 'a little', 'a lot ', 'a bit ', ' far ', and 'much' in front of mo…
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/more

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Claim 7: “Gay couple who attacked MAGA influencer claims he played brutal trick on them”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources mention the conflict and the subsequent fundraising for the gay couple's legal defense after being accused of attacking Niemi, implying a dispute over the nature of the interaction (fake interview/orchestrated spectacle).

travel_explore

help

Claim 8: “A booking log from the West Hollywood Sheriff station shows that David Vullin was arrested and charged with a felony for “vandalism with loss valued equal or greater than $400.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm the specific booking log or the exact felony charge from the West Hollywood Sheriff station.

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Claim 9: “Niemi and his show “Off The Record” cast them as pawns”

CORROBORATED

Sources describe the event as a 'fake interview' and mention the couple being 'cast as pawns' or used for viral fame in the context of the legal defense fundraising.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — I *QUALIFIED* For $1,000,000 Clash Royale League Ryley - Clash Royale 76K views • 2 years ago 35:49
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAw2ZHAIP177ryD3WF9iXmw

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Canadian esports player and social media personality best known for playing the multiplayer game title Clash Royale.
https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/ryleycr1.html

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Stats, battles logs and decks of Clash Royale player Ryley #R90PRV0PY
https://royaleapi.com/player/R90PRV0PY?lang=en

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.