Trump admin revels in illegal BASE jumper convictions: ‘FAFO’

The Trump administration reveled in the Friday National Park Service (NPS) announcement that three men were convicted for illegally BASE jumping in Yosemite National Park for incidents in 2020 and 2024 as similar stunts are reportedly resurfacing amid the government shutdown.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wrote Friday on X that those who had “illegally BASE jumped at in @YosemiteNPS earlier this year have been detained, pleaded guilty & were CONVICTED!” Amid the ongoing government shutdown there have been reports and circulating social media posts about BASE jumpers in national parks, and the Department of the Interior (DOI) celebrated the announced convictions on Friday.

“Under @POTUS, law enforcement officers can actually enforce the law! FAFO!” the official DOI press account wrote on X on Friday.

FAFO is an acronym for “F*** Around, Find Out” according to the dictionary Merriam-Webster, and serves as “an expression of warning or schadenfreude.”

Burgum addressed the recent BASE jumping reports in a separate Oct. 14 post in which he stated that “unauthorized camping, squatting, and illegal activities like BASE jumping are being addressed with firm, appropriate law enforcement action.”

“We do not tolerate illegal activity in Yosemite National Park,” Yosemite National Park Superintendent Raymond McPadden said in a statement Friday. “Our law enforcement rangers remain efficient, effective. and vigilant 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. These convictions demonstrate the professionalism and dedication of Yosemite’s protection team in upholding federal regulations and ensuring the safety of both visitors and first responders.”

Burgum also noted in his Oct. 14 post that “contrary to recent reports, the park remains fully staffed to ensure visitor safety and protect natural resources.”

The NPS website is topped with a banner that reads: “National parks remain as accessible as possible during the federal government shutdown. However, some services may be limited or unavailable.”

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