A Virginia nurse anesthetist was fired this week after posting a series of disturbing TikTok videos in which she encouraged protesters to assault Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents with drugs and other harmful substances.
Malinda Cook, who worked at Virginia Commonwealth University Health, was terminated Tuesday after the videos surfaced and quickly went viral amid the anti-ICE unrest.
Local media identified Cook as the woman behind the clips.
"Sabotage tactic, or at least scare tactic. All the medical providers, grab some syringes with needles on the end," Cook said in one video circulating online.
"Have them full of saline or succinylcholine, you know, whatever," she continued, referencing a fast-acting anesthetic that can cause temporary paralysis. "Whatever.
"That will probably be a deterrent. Be safe."
In another video, Cook suggested using poison ivy or poison oak as a weapon against agents.
"OK, for today's resistance tip, I vote — anybody got any poison ivy, poison oak in their yard?
"Get some of that, with gloves, obviously, and get it in some water," she said. "Like a gallon of water."
"And get the poison ivy/oak water and I'm going to put it into a water gun," she added. "Aim for faces, hands."
Cook also encouraged women to target ICE agents through dating apps and drug their drinks to incapacitate them.
"Single ladies, where these ICE guys are going, have a chance to do something, you know, not without risk, but could help the cause for sure," she said.
"Get on Tinder, get on Hinge, find these guys. They're around.
"They're an ICE agent, bring some Ex-Lax [over-the-counter laxative] and put it in their drinks.
"Get them sick. You know, nobody's going to die.
"Just enough to incapacitate them and get them off the street for the next day. Highly, easily deniable," she said.
VCU Health launched an investigation after the videos — later deleted — were shared on X by LibsofTikTok and spread rapidly across social media.
The health system confirmed Cook's termination in a Tuesday social media post.
"We prioritize the health and safety of anyone who comes to us for care. We are aware of a series of videos that appear to have been posted by an individual confirmed to be an employee of our health system," VCU Health said in a statement on X.
"The content of the videos is highly inappropriate and does not reflect the integrity or values of our health system."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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