Robert Strong
Robert Strong
Robert Strong is a Psychologist and Political Activist based out of Los Angeles, California. In December, 2017 Robert Strong made headlines after delivering a box of manure outside of the Bel Air, CA home of United States Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin. The box was initially thought to be a bomb threat and was investigated by the United States Secret Service. The Los Angeles Police Department also sent their bomb squad to investigate the suspicious package. [1]
Early Life
Robert Strong is originally from Paducah, Kentucky. [1]
Education
Photo of Robert Strong with his wife Anna Song and their two children
Robert Strong studied at Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri before completing a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology and Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.
Career
Robert Strong is a Psychologist working for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health in Hollywood, California.
Personal Life
Robert Strong is married to Attorney, Anna Song. The couple have two young children and live Los Feliz, Los Angeles. The couple are both passionate left-wing activists. They supported the Occupy Los Angeles by cooking food for the protesters.
Mnuchin Manure Incident
Photo of Robert Strong filling the box with manure
Photo of the box manure Robert Strong delivered to Steven Mnuchin's home
Christmas card Robert Strong delivered along with the box of manure
On December 23, 2017 Robert Strong delivered a festively wrapped box of manure to a home United States Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin owns in Beverly Hills, and another to the home in Bel Air. The incident spurred a Secret United States Secret Service investigation, with Robert billing it as a political protest against the recently passed Republican tax bill.
On December 25, 2017 Robert Strong first spoke to the media about the incident in a call with AL.com. He defended his decision to drop the box of manure - which he says he got from a horse-owning friend - off at Mnuchin's house as a "prank" aimed at raising the awareness of Americans about the idea that "Republicans have done nothing for the American worker" and other political topics.
"The thing I live by is a rule of transparency and I was exercising my First Amendment rights," Strong told AL.com. "A few years ago when [a Supreme Court ruling] said that corporations are persons and money equals free speech, that is so absurd and my rule of thumb is now that if corporations are free speech, then so is horseshit."
In the Buckley v. Valeo (1976) case the United States Supreme Court ruled that political spending is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech, while in the Citizens United v. FEC case the supreme court ruled that corporate political spending is protected, holding that corporations have a First Amendment right to free speech. [1]
At 12:22 p.m. PST on December 23, 2017, Strong posted three pictures to Facebook, one of which depicts himself posing with a shovel next to a gift wrapped box, and another of which shows the box full of what appears to be fecal matter. They were accompanied by a message that reads in part as follows: "I need someone to ride along and document my Secret Santa project. I'm going to hand deliver boxes of horse s**t to Steve Mnuchin over in Beverly Hills."
Strong told AL.com that he delivered one box of manure to a home Mnuchin owns in Beverly Hills, and another to the home in Bel Air that led to the Los Angeles Police Department sending out its bomb squad.
Strong posted several more photos to Facebook on Saturday between 4:30 and 4:45 p.m. PST, one of which depicted a letter to Mnuchin and another of which showed a gift-wrapped box sitting in front of a palatial house.
"Mrs. (sic) Mnuchin & Trump, We're returning the 'gift' of the Christmas tax bill.
It's bulls**t," the letter states. "Warmest wishes, The American People. P.S. - Kiss Donald for me."
The LAPD was not notified about a suspicious package at Mnuchin's house until about 5:30 PST Saturday according to the New York Daily News.
Robert Strong claims United States Secret Service agents showed up at his L.A. home and interviewed him on Sunday, but that they did not arrest him.
"I just got interviewed by the Secret Service and I've now joined some of my heroes like Timothy Leary and Martin Luther King," he told AL.com. "[The agents] just showed up in my yard."
Strong downplayed any questions about whether his self-described prank could have alarmed Mnuchin or his family or caused a dangerous situation.
"It was a gift-wrapped package of poo, something a frat boy may do to another frat boy," he said.
"I was hoping to meet [Mnuchin.] I wanted to ring the door and hand it to him myself."
Strong said that because there are restrictions on mailing waste materials like manure, he instead opted to personally go to Mnuchin's home and leave it outside.
"I kind of dodged that whole issue.
Is there a law that you can't drop off a box of poo?
Not really," he explained.
Strong said his end goal is to inspire people to commit more potent acts of political advocacy.
"The fact that [Republicans] can be so brazen and act with such impunity tells me that we have to be more brazen with our activism and maybe a bit more aggressive," he said.