'Trump hating' man with a machete released from jail by D.C. judge

Audio By Carbonatix

The man who was charged with trying to sneak a machete and other knives into the U.S. Capitol on the same day President Donald Trump was there paying his respects to President Carter, has been released from jail by a D.C. Judge.

44-year-old Mel J. Horne is facing multiple charges of carrying a dangerous weapon after he tried to get into the Capitol Visitor Center with a machete, two folding knives and a box cutter, according to court documents.

The Superior Court judge granted Horne a conditional release while awaiting trial. An account on X that appears to be Horne, shows he made several anti-Trump posts in recent days, calling Trump and Elon Musk derogatory names, and saying they were enemies of the state.

Horne allegedly told Capitol Police that the bladed weapons were landscaping tools, according to an affidavit.

However, officers noted that there was more than 6 inches of snow on the ground and that the city had declared a snow emergency days earlier.