A judge’s decision to lower the bond for Karmelo Anthony, a Black high school athlete charged in connection with the slaying of a white student at a Dallas-area track meet, has ignited a wave of fury among MAGA-aligned conservatives on social media. Anthony, 17, had been jailed since April 2 fo r the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, also 17, during a confrontation at a UIL track meet in Frisco, Texas. Karmelo Anthony walking out of jail surrounded by his legal team and media. (Credit: NBC Video Screengrab) On Monday, a judge agreed to reduce Anthony’s bond from $1 million to $250,000 — citing his clean criminal record and his upstanding background in academics and athletics. The ruling, which saw Anthony released on house arrest on April 14 with an ankle monitor, was welcomed by his family and legal team. But online, particularly in far-right circles, the backlash was immediate and intense. The online firestorm quickly engulfed Judge Angela Tucker, a Republican elected official, after she lowered Anthony’s bond — a decision grounded in legal reasoning but met with explosive backlash. MAGA circles erupted into full-blown meltdown mode, with social media flooded by outrage, conspiracy theories, and racially charged attacks, many zeroing in on the fact that Tucker is a Black woman in a position of power. “This evil judge deserves to spend the rest of her life in prison for what she did today,” one X user wrote on a post that included a photo of the judge. “Why would the judge do that?” one user asked on X, outraged over Anthony’s bond reduction. White tears taste so salty.— MilitantFBA OG (@blackdaddygod) April 14, 2025 “I don’t understand why you would donate to a murderer? What am I missing?” asked another person, obviously confused about the news. Tucker, who said the bond hearing was randomly assigned to her, was forced to make her X account private to minimize direct hate messages in her feed. Collin County government jumped in the fray to issue a warning on X after the judge’s personal information was leaked online. We are aware of a social media post on this platform that appears to dox a sitting judge. Sharing a judge’s private information is a crime and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. #RuleofLaw #CommunityStandards— Collin County Govt (@CollinCountyGov) April 14, 2025 “We are aware of a social media post on this platform that appears to dox a sitting judge. Sharing a judge’s private information is a crime and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. #RuleofLaw” Black voices rose up to defend the judge while also flipping the script, pointing out the sudden shift in who was crying foul over racial bias in the justice system — and who was demanding harsher punishment before a verdict was even reached. “So now all of a sudden they understand the concept of a judge showing favor to the accused because of their race? Funny how that works,” one person clapped, responding to a white user’s outrage over the teen’s bond instead of letting the justice process run its course. “It’s so dystopian watching white ppl cry about getting treated unfairly when they literally celebrated when Kyle rittenhouse and George Zimmerman got off scotch free,” one person wrote on another thread. Right-wing influencer @CollinRugg, who has a large MAGA following, fumed: “There is a large population who live in fantasy land and have created a false reality in their head about what happened that day. They also think getting touched is a good reason to stab someone to de*th in the heart (it’s not). Never underestimate how stupid people can be.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Atlanta Black Star (@atlblackstar) “I never wanna hear ‘white privilege’ again,” wrote End Wokeness, a verified X account where the comments section was on fire. “Because he bailed out of jail?” a Black commenter asked incredulously while adding the crying laughing emojis, clearly picking up on the phony outrage from conservatives. Below his comment was a meme talking about, “Black Privilege: The ability to break any law in society and still remain the victim”—with side-by-side photos of Anthony and Metcalf, underscoring the intensifying racial animus surrounding the case. The uproar comes amid growing political polarization around the case, which some have compared to the Kyle Rittenhouse double-murder trial. But unlike Rittenhouse — who was widely defended by conservatives and ultimately acquitted — Anthony is receiving scorn, not support, from that same crowd, prompting accusations of a racial double standard. “He’s a victim, he did nothing wrong besides defend himself,” one frustrated X user fumed. “He’s not a thug. He’s a good kid… Stop being so damn RACIST sh-t like this won’t happen. Ppl are tired of whites thinking they can do whatever they want and say whatever they want to ppl.” During Monday’s hearing, Anthony’s father testified that his son is an honors student and the captain of both his football and track teams — an effort by the defense to show that Anthony is no street thug but a respected student-athlete with no history of violence. The defense also stressed that the $1 million bond was excessive for a teenager with no prior criminal record. The family’s sole breadwinner, he told the court he’s currently on leave from work. Prosecutors questioned why they hadn’t used the more than $400,000 raised through a GiveSendGo fundraiser to post bond. “We don’t have access to the money,” the father responded, adding that the family now needs the funds to relocate and pay for security due to racist threats and online harassment. Anthony’s legal team emphasized that the money is for Anthony’s legal defense and safety needs — not for bond. The backlash against the fundraiser has also intensified online. Some conservative influencers are attempting to shut it down entirely, calling it fraudulent. One high-profile account, known as “Ladylawyer,” bragged about contacting the platform to get the campaign removed — sparking criticism for what many saw as selective outrage. “Y’all said 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was justified in killing two people with an AR-15 because he felt threatened,” noted Bishop Talbert Swan on X. “17-year-old Karmelo Anthony was defending himself when he killed Austin Metcalf with a knife and y’all think he deserves to go to prison. I wonder whyTE.” The stabbing occurred during a high school track meet at Kuykendall Stadium on the morning of April 2. Witnesses say Metcalf told Anthony to leave his school’s tent and then made physical contact. One account claims Metcalf grabbed Anthony before Anthony allegedly pulled a knife and stabbed him in the chest. Metcalf collapsed in the arms of his twin brother, Hunter, and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Though police say there’s no evidence the incident was racially motivated, tensions have surged in the Frisco community. A local civil rights group has called for an unbiased investigation and condemned the doxxing of Anthony’s family. Their address and photos were posted online, prompting fears for their safety. The Metcalf family has received an outpouring of support, raising nearly $250,000 for funeral and legal expenses through two fundraisers. A local pizza shop owner who employed Austin Metcalf part-time launched one of the campaigns and plans a benefit event. Meanwhile, the Anthony family’s efforts to raise legal funds have become a flashpoint in a national debate about race, justice, and selective outrage. “This will be a long road,” the Anthony family said in a previous statement. “We ask for prayers for both families and for patience as the legal process plays out.” ‘What Am I Missing?’: MAGA Mob Accused of Releasing Personal Information About Black Judge In Retaliation for Lowering Karmelo Anthony’s Bond, Forcing Her Into Hiding Online ...read more read less