Pro-Trump podcaster Joey Mannarino might end up with a few regrets once the US election results are announced in Iowa – after pledging to his half a million followers that he would castrate himself on camera if Kamala Harris won the swing state.
His potentially painful promise came after a shock poll by the Des Moines Register put the current Vice President ahead in the Hawkeye State.
With Iowa backing Trump in both 2016 and 2020, the poll lead has shaken the Republican campaign, with the chair of the state party, Jeff Kaufman, describing the results as ‘propaganda’.
Perhaps less of a gambler than Mannarino, he went on to predict a Trump victory without staking any of his body parts on the outcome.
Naturally, the internet responded maturely to Mannarino’s tweet, with many questioning whether there would be anything there to cut off.
“I’m willing to hold a camera and spotlight for you so you can have two free hands to make sure you get this right,” read one reply.
For many, of course, this was yet another reason for Iowans to vote Democrat.
As Liam Nissan – sadly a parody account rather than the real Qui-Gon Jinn – put it: “Voters of Iowa, you have an opportunity to do the funniest thing in the history of mankind.”
To British election watchers, of course, this might be vaguely familiar. Ahead of the 2017 election, Professor Matthew Goodwin made a similar promise.
“I’m saying this out loud. I do not believe that Labour, under Jeremy Corbyn, will poll 38 per cent. I will happily eat my new Brexit book if they do”.
Sadly for Professor Goodwin, Labour did exactly that. And credit where credit’s due – he did go on air to put his words into action.
While hoping that Harris will win Iowa, perhaps we should also pray that if Mannarino is similarly a man of his word, he opts to deliver a cable TV channel we have never heard of.
Related: Five reasons we are certain that Kamala Harris will win the US election