Matt Carriker, the man behind the popular YouTube channel Demolition Ranch, has released a statement following the shocking news that the individual who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump was wearing a shirt from his brand.
“I’m sure there will be a lot of people who do not know me or are new to this channel and are just checking in based on recent occurrences,” Carriker began in his video statement. “For those who are new, my name is Matt Carriker. I am a Texas-based YouTuber.”
Carriker runs Demolition Ranch, a firearms-focused channel, along with other channels like Off the Ranch and Vet Ranch. He emphasized that his content generally avoids political topics.
“Across all of my videos, we really don’t talk about politics at all,” he explained. “We keep politics out of it. For one, it’s not my bread and butter, but also, I don’t feel the need to impose my political views and beliefs on other people.”
Addressing the tragic incident, Carriker expressed his condolences to the victims and their families. “To the family of the victim who died during the Trump shooting, I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s terrible, and I hate that it happened to him and to you guys. Wishing you the best from here.”
Carriker was visibly disturbed by the revelation that the shooter was wearing a shirt from his brand. “As a lot of you guys know, we were shocked and confused to find this out. The shooter who tried to assassinate Trump was wearing merch from my channel, wearing a Demolition Ranch T-shirt. And that sucked to see. I was, that was rough.”
He further explained the logistics of his apparel company, highlighting that they don’t vet who buys their shirts, similar to how major brands operate. “We make these shirts, we print them here in Texas, and ship them all over the world. We don’t vet the people who buy our shirts, obviously. It’d be impossible to do.”
Carriker underscored that his channel has never been about inciting violence or hate. “This brand is much more personal to me. To see my name next to the shooter’s name, it sucks. No matter what side you’re on politically, none of us want violence. This channel was never meant to incite violence or hate.”
In his closing remarks, Carriker reiterated his commitment to keeping his content positive and non-violent. “This channel is not about violence. This channel will never be, and we would never condone that at all. It’s unfortunate, but it’s not what we stand for, and it will never be what we stand for.”
Carriker’s heartfelt message aims to clarify his stance and assure his followers and the public that he does not support or condone the actions of the shooter.
