BLOOMINGTON Minn. — A right-wing activist from St. Cloud, who traveled to a No Kings rally in Bloomington, apparently armed for battle, has been charged with assault. The man, who goes by the moniker “Zac X,” punched a man who objected to him photographing his young son. The incident was rare for No Kings events, whose anti-Trump organizers nationwide stressed the protests as family-friendly and non-violent. This, according to the criminal complaint, is what happened at Bloomington:
Zak X, wearing a bullet-proof vest, was live-streaming his activities as a counter-protester. At one point he pointed his camera at a child. The child’s father pushed X’s phone away. Zac X punched father and fractured his nose. The father was taken to a hospital, where it was determined he needed surgery. Zac X himself had bleeding knuckles. Arriving at the disturbance, police discovered that Zac X had a chemical irritant spray with him. Under his sweatshirt. he was wearing a bullet proof vest. Police searched his vehicle and found a loaded airsoft gun, projectile packages, a black face mask, and gloves with reinforced in knuckle and fingers.
Before filing their criminal complaint, Hennepin County investigators found Zac X’s live-streamed video online. Their account about the video: The victim advanced on Zac X and swung at X’s camera phone. Zac X went into a fighting stance with full body rotation and punched at the victim. Zac X had space behind him to retreat before throwing his punch.
Zac X. Charge: Third-degree assault and committing a crime while wearing a bullet-proof vest. Both are felonies. He had driven 40 miles from St. Cloud to video-record his objection to the No Kings anti-Trump event.
Back again
Zac X, age 36, is no stranger as a counter-protester at anti-Trump events. In December he was charged with assault at a demonstration outside the Whipple federal building near Bloomington. The Whipple building was the command post for Trump’s military occupation of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Allegedly Zac X punched a protester in an act of political violence.
Behind the Zax X persona
Zak X has a radical right-wing presence out of St. Cloud, which is the heart of Minnesota’s ultra-conservative MN-6 Congressional district. He claims 14,000 online followers. No, his original name isn’t Zac X. He was christened Zachary Allen Stumpf at birth. In 2024, at age 34, he petitioned Stearns County Judge William Cashman for a name change. As Zac X he posts regularly on Facebook. In December, before going to an anti-Trump event as a counter-protester he posted: “We’re going in on a dangerous mission today!” On a crowd-funding site Zac X has identified himself for “protesting and exposing Somalians in St Cloud.”
Zac X. Formerly known as Zachary Allen Stumpf. Reigning at his St Cloud keyboard.