New Hampshire police have arrested a 70-year-old poet, Stephen Redic, on charges of simple assault and disorderly conduct following an altercation outside a polling location. The incident, captured in viral video, occurred Tuesday morning at an elementary school in Laconia where voters were casting ballots.
According to a press release from the Laconia Police Department, Redic approached a Turning Point Action tent as he was leaving the polling area. Police stated that Redic expressed a desire to "read a poem about rich people." While the poem itself was not part of the viral footage, the video depicts an increasingly agitated Redic shouting at an 18-year-old Turning Point member.
The video shows Redic confronting the teenager, raising his voice, and at one point placing his finger in the victim's face before slapping him across the face and walking away. Onlookers were audibly surprised by the interaction, with some suggesting calling the police.
Laconia Police Chief Matthew Canfield confirmed that Redic had no prior contacts with the department. Redic, who published a book of poems in 2023 titled “Tying My Shoes” and claims to have met every U.S. president since Dwight D. Eisenhower, is scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment on December 10.
This incident occurs approximately 14 months after Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and its affiliate Turning Point Action, was reportedly targeted in a shooting at a Utah Valley University event. Kirk's accused assailant, Tyler Robinson, has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting a hearing that could set a trial date.