Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz turned 40 years old last week on his birthday, December 5. While many fans and loved ones presumably wished him a happy birthday, one controversial figure came out of the woodwork to send his wishes to the Agent Cody Banks actor. That fan was none other than former Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona, who was infamously pardoned by President Trump back in 2017 after getting in trouble for racially profiling Latinos, aka being racist.
“Happy Birthday to Malcolm in the Middle star actor, Frankie Muniz! I became a fan of Frankie when he visited me at my Sheriff’s office to show support,” Arpaio posted on X, almost a week after Muniz’s birthday. Plenty of people in the comments echoed the ex-sheriff’s sentiment, also wishing the My Dog Skip alum a happy birthday. As wholesome as this interaction was, many online users have not forgotten about Joe Arpaio’s past mistakes and weren’t about to let either of them off the hook.
“Everyday I learn of a new celeb that’s an [expletive],” remarks a Redditor, reacting to Frankie Muniz being praised by a racist Trump supporter. “So it’s less ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ and more ‘Malcolm in the Far Right’?” joked another. A third commenter questioned whether Muniz is actually MAGA or if this is just a misunderstanding. One user replied, claiming that the former actor’s wife had reposted many posts about Charlie Kirk, and Muniz himself had allegedly shown support for Kanye West when he criticized the 13th Amendment. On top of supporting a racist, Muniz has definitely disappointed many fans who once looked up to him from his past work on-screen.
Joe Arpaio Is Much Worse Than Just a ‘Racist Ex-Sheriff’
As for Joe Arpaio, one person noted that “racist ex-sheriff” is a significant understatement as to all the heinous acts he committed. These include such things as disobeying a judge’s order, abusing criminals with inhumane mistreatment in the “Tent City” prison camp, botching the investigations for hundreds of serious crimes, and intimidating the news media for writing negative stories about him. In other words, there are plenty of reasons people believe he should be in prison, yet he runs free since Trump pardoned him during his first term.
Of course, Frankie Muniz deserves some sympathy regarding the brain injuries he’s suffered, but many still feel strongly opposed to his alleged alt-right views, based on the somewhat hazy track record of internet evidence. In the end, as one commenter put it, it’s best to just enjoy an actor or actress’s work for what it is, since getting too parasocial with the celebrities will often just result in disappointment.
