The Badass Craigslist Fiction Touted As Fact

 

When a Prank Becomes Propaganda

A bizarre Craigslist ad offering $6,500–$12,500 per week for "the toughest badasses in the city" recently went viral—and not for the reasons its creators intended. The ad, which called for individuals who "face danger head-on" and claimed they would be "activated when the situation demands it," was posted in the general labour section for Los Angeles and framed like a recruitment call for urban combat.

On the surface, it sounded like a secret paramilitary operation or the plot of a dystopian thriller. But it was neither.

The Reality: A Podcast Prank

Joey LaFleur, co-host of the prank show and podcast Goofcon1, later confirmed that the ad was part of a live stunt. In their third episode, he and his co-host Logan Quiroz called people who responded to the ad and laughed through the absurdity of it all. The show had no connection to political protests, riots, or organised unrest. The ad was posted on Thursday, before any immigration protest began in Los Angeles.

“I literally had no idea it was ever going to be connected to the riots. It was a really weird coincidence,” said Joey LaFleur, who posted the ad on Craigslist.

The ad was developed as part of a new prank show called Goofcon1, said LaFleur, who hosts the podcast with Logan Quiroz. On their show Friday, the day protests began, they spoke live on the phone with people who responded during Goofcon1’s third episode. LaFleur noted during the episode that he also posted a more “militaristic” version of the ad in Craigslist’s Austin section, but didn’t get many responses.

LaFleur himself later posted on Instagram: "Accidentally goofed the entire nation on the latest @goofcon1." In another post, he joked about ending up on Newsmax.

But what started as satire was quickly weaponised.

How It Was Repackaged as Fact

The Craigslist ad was picked up and posted as real by various Trump-aligned influencers, including news anchor Christina Aguayo. On her Facebook channel, under the branding Christina Aguayo News, she posted:

"Craigslist ADs paying people $6,500 to $12,500 per week to be 'tough bad*sses' in Los Angeles. This isn’t for everyone."

She gave no context that it was a joke or a prank. No fact-check. No update when the ad was debunked. And no acknowledgement that the post was feeding a dangerous misinformation cycle.

The Facts, Cross-Checked

• Source: Joey LaFleur, Goofcon1 podcast

• Purpose: Comedy and prank experiment

• Timeline: Posted before LA protests began

• Verification: Confirmed by the Associated Press and WRAL

• Current status: Shared widely as disinformation among Trump supporters

Why This Matters

False claims about paid protesters have long been used to discredit legitimate political dissent. In 2020, similar stories were used to delegitimise Black Lives Matter protests. Now, in 2025, that tactic is resurfacing.

In this case, the prank ad is being cited by Trump supporters as evidence of an orchestrated leftist insurrection—fuel for Trump’s ongoing narrative of chaos and justification for bringing in federal troops.

Christina Aguayo: Bias and Misrepresentation

Christina Aguayo, a presenter affiliated with Salem News Channel, has a history of amplifying conservative talking points. Her Facebook feed contains largely pro-Trump messaging, often lacking source transparency or corrections.

By presenting the Craigslist ad without context and continuing to leave it up after its debunking, Aguayo effectively contributed to the spread of false information. She failed the basic journalistic responsibility to fact-check, update, or clarify.

Gary’s Soapbox Comment

This isn’t just sloppy journalism—it’s reckless. A prank ad, clearly meant for laughs, gets picked up and repackaged as evidence of a left-wing plot. Trump supporters are using this fiction to justify talk of military intervention. It nudges Trump closer to invoking the Insurrection Act—a power that’s already been floated far too casually. This is how democracies degrade: not with grand declarations, but with lies repeated often enough to feel true.

Strangely, the language in the ad—"badasses," "high-risk," "no room for hesitation"—reflects exactly the kind of tough-guy image Trump likes to project. Yet Trump, a man who dodged the draft and avoids conflict unless surrounded by loyalists, is more reminiscent of a school bully: loud with his gang behind him, but the bravado fades when he's alone. That this ad unintentionally mirrored his bluster and then got used to validate his narrative is either a surreal coincidence or a cautionary tale about how fast fiction becomes political weaponry. A prank ad, clearly meant for laughs, gets picked up and repackaged as evidence of a left-wing plot. Trump supporters are using this fiction to justify talk of military intervention. It nudges Trump closer to invoking the Insurrection Act—a power that’s already been floated far too casually. This is how democracies degrade: not with grand declarations, but with lies repeated often enough to feel true.