Category Archives: Antifa

Bill Sizemore, a former Republican nominee for governor who for decades successfully ran anti-tax ballot initiatives, entered the 2022 race for governor on Feb. 7.

He says his decision was spurred in part by last weeks report by WW that Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam had in the past been part of a Portland swingers group. I did not want to run unless I saw a path to victory, Sizemore says, and there have been several events that led me to believe that this is the time when we are going to end the 30-year drought of elected Republicans for governor.

Sizemore lost to Gov. John Kitzhaber in 1998 by 34 percentage points, but he had an outsized impact on this state as a founder of Oregon Taxpayers United and in his successful effort to restrict tax increases, specifically Measure 47, which passed in 1996, limiting property tax increases to 3% a year.

He also once declared bankruptcy over $1 million in debts he incurred related to a civil lawsuit won by the states teachers union challenging Sizemores campaign finances and signature-gathering operations. I have the scars to prove I fought all of those fights, and many more, he says in a statement. Whether I won or lost, those battles have built into me the will and strength of character the next governor of Oregon will need to turn our state around.

Sizemore estimates he cut property taxes by well over $10 billion, he also says. Average homeowners across the state have saved as much as $35,000 and more due to my tax measures.

Sizemore, 70, who lives in Redmond, said there were two key factors that made him jump into the primary: First, he doesnt support Dr. Bud Pierce, who currently leads in Republican polling. He says a lot of the right things, Sizemore says, but Im not persuaded that hes truly the kind of strong conservative we need to turn the state around.

And he said Pulliams acknowledgement last week that he and his wife explored mutual relationships with other couples as WW reported last week. Stan Pulliam was making a run at it, but I think his problem, that you guys broke the news on, is going to make it very difficult for him to continue.

Sizemore says he likes his chances, not just in the primary but in the general election as well.

Theres a lot of voters in Oregon right now, reevaluating their commitment to straight line party voting, he says. Theyve seen what leftist Democrats have done to the state and to the city of Portland, all of the lockdowns and mandates and failure to deal with antifa and the homeless crisis in Portland. Thats turning Portland into another Detroit or Baltimore.

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Conservative Bill Sizemore Enters the Republican Primary for Governor - Willamette Week

Florida Antifa is making trouble in numerous places, from Florida to Texas. On Thursday in Pinellas County, an Antifa member arrested on Jan 6 with live explosives in his backpack also was found to have gear associated with Antifa and a direct action checklist. A rally was held in support of a Jan 6, 2021 participant named Jeremy Brown near where he was arrested. Brown is being held in the Pinellas County jail on federal charges. It is unclear whether the Antifa member arrested was planning to attack the rally, but that would be in keeping with Antifa goals. Antifa member arrested with explosives

According to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri at apress conference, Garrett James Smith, 22, ran away from the rally area when Pinellas County deputies saw him at around 7:30 p.m. He was arrested nearby as he was wearing all black clothing and a black backpack. Upon searching the backpack incident to his arrest, deputies found an explosive device inside. They notified the Hillsborough County bomb squad, who determined the device was active. They searched his car, which contained numerous M-80 fireworks. It is unclear what caused Smith to bolt from the rally area. The Antifa member arrested also recently went to Portland, Oregon, where large numbers of Antifa reside. Antifa member arrested with explosives.

The Sheriffs deputies then obtained a search warrant for Smiths home, where they found another pipe explosive device, nails, and several hand grenade-type devices in his bedroom.

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The Antifa member arrested refused to speak with deputies, which is also in keeping with Antifa practices. He is held in the Pinellas County jail on a $300,250 bond.

Smith has no criminal history, no social media accounts that we can find, and theres no prior intelligence information about Smith. Smith is what we call a sleeper, and these are the most concerning individuals because theres no opportunity to intervene and thwart their criminal activity until they actually act. Were fortunate in this situation that something caused Smith to flee before he ignited the explosive device and the deputies were able to apprehend him.

Sheriff Gualtieri

Though the Sheriff stated they had no idea what Smiths motives were or what political persuasion he was, for those who know what Antifa is and who they attack, we can assume he was there to harm the rally participants. Why did he run? Good question.

Cross-Posted with Conservative Firing Line

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Antifa Member Arrested With Explosives in Florida - The Lid

You've heard all the gaslighting rhetoric protecting Antifa militants who do the violent, dirty work of the political left: that the black-clad goons are "an idea, not an organization" and even a "myth," despite mountains of evidence to the contrary.

Well, let's turn our attention to San Diego prosecutors, who on Monday charged multiple Antifa militants with conspiracy to commit a riot, saying they physically attacked supporters of former President Donald Trump in January, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The kicker? A criminal complaint said the arrestees "are self-identified to be affiliated with Anti-fascists or Antifa" and began organizing themselves into San Diego- and Los Angeles-based groups a week before a pro-Trump "Patriot March" on Jan. 9, the paper said.

Pretty nifty trick for "an idea, not an organization" and a "myth."

The office of District Attorney Summer Stephan, citing video evidence, said that "overwhelmingly the violence in this incident was perpetrated by the Antifa affiliates and was not a mutual fray with both sides crossing out of lawful First Amendment expression into riot and violence, the Union-Tribune said.

Those arraigned in San Diego Superior Court were with a group arrested Thursday in raids by police officers and sheriffs deputies across Southern California, the Union-Tribune reported.

The complaint said the defendants launched their criminal conspiracy by liking and sharing a Jan. 2 social media post that called for a counterprotest against the pro-Trump rally, in essence agreeing to take part in the direct action. Others agreed by showing up in Pacific Beach on January 9th, 2021 and participating in the violence described in the complaint, the paper added, citing prosecutors.

The Antifa faithful were accused of using pepper spray, small flagpoles, sticks, and other tools to attack the pro-Trump group, the Union-Tribune said, adding that several attacks noted in the complaint appear to match incidents recorded and shared online, such as an Antifa militant pepper-spraying a dog and its owner.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Prosecutors said the aforementioned act was carried out by Jeremy Jonathan White, 39, who remained jailed Monday in lieu of $200,000 bail, the paper said.

White faces charges of conspiracy, assault with a deadly weapon, use of tear gas not in self-defense, and animal cruelty, the Union-Tribune added.

1/9/21 ANTIFA Maces Dog Along Boardwalk - Pacific Beach, San Diego CAyoutu.be

Videographer Sean Carmitchel recorded Antifa attacking people with pepper spray, sticks, a wooden folding chair, punches, and kicks assaults prosecutors described in the complaint, the paper said.

For a bit of comic relief, here are a couple of images showing an undernourished Antifa tough guy momentarily emerging from the protection of his comrades to do what we've seen hundreds of times before targeting a victim from behind and throwing like a pansy:

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @ACatWithNews

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @ACatWithNews

Here are the videos. Content warning: rough language:

In addition to White accused of pepper-spraying the dog and owner the Union-Tribune, citing the district attorney's office, named the other arraigned individuals as Luis Francisco Mora, 30; Joseph Austin Gaskins, 21; Faraz Martin Talab, 27; Bryan Rivera, 21; Brian Lightfoot, 25; and Jesse Merel Cannon, 31.

The paper said Alexander Akridge-Jacobs, 31; Christian Martinez, 23; and Samuel Howard Ogden, 24, also face charges, according to a DA's office spokesperson.

In addition, a $250,000 arrest warrant has been issued for Erich Louis Yach, 37, the Union-Tribune reported, citing the DA's office and county Sheriffs Department records.

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Antifa militants arrested, charged for physically ...

Last night members of the identitarian group Patriot Front marched on the U.S. Capitol, but had apparently kept their intentions secret, leaving the Antifa members of Washington, D.C. unable to organize into black bloc mobs and repel them with force. At least one Antifa member blamed capitalism after they were unable to mount an effective response.

According to Antifa expert Andy Ngo, Twitter accounts associated with Antifa used a tactic called cyber swarming to immediately mobilize large groups of comrades to swarm (i.e., attack) a target at the national mall in D.C.

The far-right rally was not pre-announced so #antifa were unable to organize a counter direct action ahead of time, wrote Ngo. One account blames capitalism for this.

The account in question, called DC Youth Liberation Front, complained that living in DC is f**king hard because people have jobs. The apparent Antifa member complained, You forget that were just regular people trying to live under capitalism.

The target of Antifas attempt to cyber swarm was apparently the Patriot Front march that went viral last night. The organization apparently separated from another group called Vanguard America after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The group has been accused of holding racist beliefs, and has been associated with the definition of alt right popularized by the media.

Video shows a small number of apparent Antifa members hurling insults toward the Patriot Front marchers and the police charged with protecting them.

One man repeatedly hurled insults that seemed to be directed at the police officers rather than Patriot Front members.

F**king traitors, youre a f**king disgrace, you traitors, the man shouted as the marchers passed, escorted by police officers on bicycles. F**king traitors. Hide behind your wall you f**king traitors. F**king disgusting.

According to the Patriot Fronts self-described manifesto, its mission is a hard reset on the United States, and a return to the traditions and virtues of our forefathers.

The manifesto warns that Our national way of life faces complete annihilation as our culture and heritage are attacked from all sides, and suggests that Americans are on the threshold of becoming a conquered people.

The manifesto also includes a quote about race from 30th President Calvin Coolidge and suggests that the United States government no longer serves the interests of the descendants of its creators.

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DC Antifa Member Blames Capitalism After They're Unable To ...

WACO, Texas In December at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, former President Trump speaks. Outside the arena is a small group of supporters.

Some we spoke with say they believe in conspiracy theories, some believe the election was stolen and others don't trust the government.

What is QAnon?

QAnon believes that America is run by a group of pedophiles and Satan-worshippers who run a global child sex-trafficking operation. They believe former President Trump is the only person who can stop them.

The QAnon movement dates to October 2017 and supposedly comes from a 'high-ranking government official' who posted cryptic clues on 4chan and the even more unfettered site 8chan under the name "Q."

One in five Americans said they believe in the theories according to a recent poll from the Public Religion Research Institute.

"I am a proud Q patriot," said Mickey Larson Olson.

Nick Bradshaw

Olson who retired from the Air force is dressed from head to toe in red, white, and blue. She's outside a event in Dallas where Donald Trump spoke.

She believes that President Joe Biden is really not in office. Instead it's Actors James Woods and Arthur Roberts.

"I'm fighting for what God wanted for people all across the world," said Larson.

While at the event a group dressed in all black came up during our interview with Larson. A argument broke out about the COVID-19 vaccine.

"Where is Q? Where is JFK junior," one man dressed in black started demanding.

On the date that John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas. Thousands stood waiting for the presidents son to appear. John F. Kennedy Jr. died over 22 years ago. The thought was he would appear and that he would become Vice President to former President Trump.

Families arguing over Q beliefs

"My family doesn't want to see the truth, I post stuff and send them stuff and they don't want to look at it, that's on them," said Larson.

On Reddit, there is a group called QAnon Casualties.

People who are struggling with loved ones that have Q beliefs post.

AP

Story after story of families fighting because of different belief systems.

"Families not speaking to each other and not inviting them over for the holidays," said Dr. Jennifer R. Mercieca, Texas A&M professor,Department of Communication.

Dr. Mercieca studies communication when it comes to politics.

"What we have seen over the five, ten years even, with social media, we all have the ability to set the agenda," said Dr. Mercieca.

She says what's difficult about those who believe in conspiracy theories, it's not always easy to reason with them.

"Conspiracy theory is incredibility dangerous because it's a self sealing narrative and logic can not penetrate it," said Dr. Mercieca.

Once the theory is out there it's not easy to change peoples minds.

"Once it takes hold in a community it's hard to make it go away," said Dr. Mercieca.

Politicians and Q Beliefs

AP

Over 40 candidates who publicly supported QAnon beliefs are running for national office in 2022, according to a tally by the liberal advocacy group Media Matters.

Five are from Texas.

Twelve are from Florida, nine are from California,three are from New York, New Jersey, and Arizona, two each are from Nevada, Illinois, and Ohio, and there is one each from Maryland, Rhode Island, Oregon, Tennessee, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Vermont, Alaska, Georgia, and Colorado.

The politicians have been knows to use the Q hashtags, post beliefs, and Jake Armstrong has pictures of himself at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Americans justify violence for political beliefs

A Washington Post poll was published with alarming numbers when it comes to Americans believing violence is justified when it comes to politics.

23% of Democrats believe it's justified Compared to 41% of Republicans. For those who claim to be Independent, the number is 40%.

"Yes, we should be able to fight, that's what Americans do, it's time for us to remember that," said Larson.

AP

QAnon is not the only movement and Law Enforcement Divided

FBI calls QAnon a domestic terrorist threat. ANTIFA hasn't received the title.

In 2020, FBI Director Christopher Wray argued that Antifa is more of an ideology than an organization.

Sarah Silbiger/AP

National Police Association says " ANTIFA is Terrorizing Our Nation."

AP

"So at what point does our federal government step up and declare that organizations like ANTIFA must be shut down?" said Sgt. Nancy M. Dowdy (ret.) "Some American cities are overrun with these antifacist groups, and many of these fractured communities are essentially declaring themselves independent of the federal government."

John Minchillo/AP

When protest took place in over 140 cities after the death of George Floyd, Then president Donald Trump wanted to label Antifa as a terrorist group. On May 31, 2020, he tweeted,The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.

According to Center for Strategic & International Studies Antifaor anti-fascistsgo back to the period after World War I, when German and Italian leftists worked together to fight fascist gangs in Europe.

"Many Antifa sympathizers do not support violence as the onlyor even the maininstrument to oppose fascism, they do view violence as a legitimate option," According to CSIS

Group take issues into their own hands

Susan Walsh/AP

A group called 'Oath Keepers' an American far-right anti-government militia started 2009 byStewart Rhodes, 56, of Granbury, Texas.

AP

Rhodes was an Army veteran. He was in a parachuting accident and had to leave the Army. He spent time as a firearms instructor, attended Yale Law School and worked as a legal clerk for an Arizona Supreme Court justice he became a trial lawyer but was later disbarred in 2015.

Jaske Beliberg/AP

The United States Department of Justice says Rhodes along with 10 others were Indicted in Federal Court for Seditious Conspiracy and Other Offenses Related to U.S. Capitol Breach.

The United States Department of Justice

In September, an anonymous hacker released records purportedly taken from the Oath Keepers' web servers. The records show that current officers from New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago on the Oath Keepers membership roster.

AP

What to do if a love one believes in conspiracy theories or if politics damage relationships.

Karen Douglas, PhD, is a professor of social psychology at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom said in a podcast with American Psychological Association says giving people the facts is the best.

"In some of our own research, we've actually found that it's quite effective to provide people with factual information, provide people with the facts," said Douglas.

"And this was particularly about vaccines before they're exposed to conspiracy theories, and then the conspiracy theory fails to gain traction."

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In-Depth: Why can't we all just get along? Conspiracy theories, politics, and COVID-19 misinformation dividing families - KXXV News Channel 25

About this episode:

Its been one year since a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC. They were attempting to overturn Joe Bidens presidential election win by preventing the Congressional certification of his victory.

As the attack on the Capitol unfolded, people on the internet immediately began to identify rioters and widely share details about them. Many of the rioters were fired from their jobs or even arrested.

This practice is called doxxing. And using it to chase down far-right extremists became popular through a man named Daryle Lamont Jenkins. Jenkins is a self-described anti-fascist and the founder of One Peoples Project. For over 20 years, Jenkins and his organization have used the internet to expose and publicly shame white supremacists.

His work has brought him into direct contact with white supremacists at events like the 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, VA, as well as with Black members of the far-right.

This week on Into America, host Trymaine Lee speaks with Jenkins about his fight to take on and put a stop to right-wing extremists.

Thoughts? Feedback? Story ideas? Write to us at intoamerica@nbcuni.com.

Find the transcript here.

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How the Face of Antifa is Wreaking Havoc on the Far-Right - MSNBC

The fake news is doing exactly what they did during the 2008/09 crash, convince the American people that the economy is fine and nothing is going to happen. The [DS] has now borrowed more funds on the credit card to make a payment on the debt which will create more debt. Wages are going down and inflation is moving up. Inflation is now the biggest worry of the American people. The [CB] has prepared their [FF] control economic demolition. The [DS] is panicking, the puppet masters are not in control the patriots are and the [DS] is doing exactly what the patriots want. The pandemic is failing, this is why they are making a final push to get everyone vaccinated before the new test, tick tock its not going to work. Election fraud is now being exposed and those who committed the fraud are panicking. The [DS] is not building the narrative for the riots that are coming. Antifa cell arrested, mapping started a long time ago. What we are witnessing is the deep cleaning in the progress.

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Ep. 2650 - Deep Cleaning In Progress, Antifa Mapping ...

EVERYONE has experienced hate, in some way, the victims are different, but hate affects us all. America's very future depends on how we address this issue and how we educate our children, and in turn their children, about how hate and the devastating effects of it can destroy. Hate is the social cancer that has consumed and divided all of us. Not everyone hates each other. Our example should reflect that belief. By seeing it, wearing it, and living it.

STOP HATE

is an acronym and our mission.

START TURNING OFF PREJUDICE

HEAL ATTITUDES THROUGH EDUCATION

At StopHate, we encourage everyone to get involved and be a part of this attitude change, from individuals to big business. If your first response is to find another path towards a positive outcome, you are already on our team.

You can help StopHate by simply wearing your good attitude. StopHate Gear is a practical alternative to everyday clothing and products, and a perfect way to spread a positive message. Please wear your StopHate Gear at rallies, to school or work, community and sporting events, and of course, in everyday use. Find something that you can use to address hate in your own world, gear up, and wear it out!

Our goal is to help STOP HATE through awareness and educational campaigns. This is a call to action. Join us in the fight against Hate. We are not trying to force our views on anyone. Please respect our freedoms as much as we do yours. We just want everyone to realize that ignoring the hate-induced actions we see around us is just as dangerous as running a stop sign- injury, ruined lives, fatalities.

David Sumrall created StopHate in 1992 as a result of the L.A. Riots to bridge the divide and bring peace and healing, through educating people of the division supported by the media, with a focus on communication and community. We have participated in peaceful protests, rallies, and community meetings to help open communication and educate people that not everyone chooses hate as a first response. In the mid-90s we stood against groups including the KKK, and rhetoric against certain leaders in groups including the Nation of Islam. Fast-forward to now, weve been active in local communities, and developing relationships with other social media influencers to build a bigger team, pool resources, spread our message to a bigger audience, and organize toward what our vision of victory looks like.

No one program can address every need of each person who has experienced hate individually. But we can learn to pay attention to anyone trying to seek help or express themselves about how it has affected them. Programs are good to bring people together, but many times the individual gets lost in the crowd and doesn't always get the support they would like or need in a one-on-one setting.

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StopHate.com

When I sat down at my computer on the morning of Jan. 6, 2022, I was at first tempted to write a few words about the sorry state of political discourse in the United States today given that, exactly a year ago, I was riveted to the TV news. I watched something never before seen in the US, not even during the Civil War: a confederate flag being carried proudly through the halls of the very Capitol building I walked many times during my life. I was shocked then and am saddened now by the events that unfolded that day, and perhaps even worse, the political brainwashing the national GOP has undergone to purge actual facts from memory.

But when I turned to Colorado Politics that morning, I found my fellow essayist Eric Sondermann had already written a fitting and powerful column on that very subject. I dont always agree with Eric, but his thoughts about Jan. 6 are well worth reading.

And so I wont write directly on the attempted coup or insurrection, or whatever term you wish to use, as my eyes were drawn to another story that I found both powerful and touching, and which does help us reflect on the events of that January day in 2021: the passing of Lawrence Brooks.

Mr. Brooks was, at 112 years of age, the oldest veteran of World War II. He died on Wednesday after an exceptionally long and well-lived life. He was drafted into the Army at the relatively old age of 31. And that age being old is one of the things that time does to fool us.

Mr. Brooks spent the war mostly in the 91st Engineering Battalion, a largely black unit. After his service he returned to his home in Louisiana and worked for decades and raised his family. He did not seek out the status of oldest vet, but he held that position with honor, until his passing on Jan. 5.

And you know what Mr. Brooks was during WWII?

He was antifa.

That term, misused by the far right, doesnt name an actual, organized clique. There is no ordered and structured antifa group like there are formal organizations like the Proud Boys and the KKK. Rather, to be antifa is to be, well, anti-fascist. You know, against things like Hitler and his goal of a thousand-year Reich. Fascism is a school of thought that believes in a far-right, very authoritarian dictatorial government where they suppress differences of opinion, a free press, and they try to convince folks that only they are right and anyone with any alternative point of view is not only wrong, but unpatriotic. Ring any bells for anyone?

When did it become wrong to be antifa? Mr. Brooks went to war to stop fascism, as did my dad and millions of others. We are all, or at least all of us should be, anti-fascist.

While honoring Mr. Brooks, there is another WWII veteran out there that comes to my mind. We dont know his or her name now, and we wont for a while. That person will eventually be, not the oldest, but rather the very last living veteran of the war.

That person likely lied about his or her age to enlist, later in the war, and was born in the late 1920s. Of the approximately 16 million Americans who served in WWII, roughly 240,300 are still alive. We lose about 245 each day and that last survivor will find him or herself utterly stripped of brothers and sisters in arms over the next 20 years, or so.

And that last person will be, of course, antifa in its actual meaning, anti-fascist.

So it is with a heavy heart that I note the passing of Mr. Brooks, and my mind turns to whomever is now the oldest living WWII veteran. And then that person will pass, as will his or her successor, and on and on until there is only one.

When we lose that last member of the greatest generation, I hope we find ourselves in an America where the events of Jan. 6, 2021, are noted with scorn in our history books as a failed attempt, by a failed leader who was way too comfortable with the instrumentalities of fascism, to steal an election in the name of saving it, and not as a new normal for the nation.

Millions went to war in the 1940s to fight an idea so evil that it had to be put down at a massive cost in blood and suffering. I hope that when that final veteran, looking back over his or her five score-plus years, can know that our own embracing of a man who would be a tyrant, was a brief flirtation and that we awoke from a national nightmare wherein a Capitol was despoiled.

In the meantime, Salute, Mr. Brooks.

Hal Bidlack is a retired professor of political science and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who taught more than 17 years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

The rest is here:

BIDLACK | Remembering the Big Antifa | Opinion | coloradopolitics.com - coloradopolitics.com

The surface-level facts of what happened on Jan. 6, 2021 are not very complicated. Trump hosted a well-attended rally in Washington, D.C. to stoke anger over Congress certifying the results of the previous Novembers election. After weeks of telling his supporters that the election had been stolen, he gave a speech near the White House where he told his supporters to fight like hell and said he expected them to head to the Capitol. Some of them did, and some of them were already there, and together the two groups coalesced into a mob that broke into the building, resulting in five deaths and dozens of injuries.

In realty, this is all indisputable, but the American right-wing has been, at best, distantly orbiting reality for a while now, and over the past year conservative media, politicians, and everyday Americans have methodically constructed an alternate history of what happened on Jan. 6, one in which a deadly attempt to overthrow American democracy either wasnt that big of a deal, or it was a big deal but it was perpetrated by a combination of left-wing activists, federal law enforcement, and Democratic politicians anyone but Trump and his supporters, really.

These alternative facts, to borrow a phrase from the early days of the Trump administration, are immutable in the eyes of their adherents. The lack of evidence supporting them is entirely irrelevant. In a way, its the whole point, allowing believers to transmute what happened as they see fit, tailoring it to elude any inconvenient actual facts that may arise. As long as they keep their claims vague and difficult to disprove unequivocally can we ever be totally sure absolutely nothing untoward took place during the 2020 election? theyre as good as gospel.

Conspiracy theories are powerful because they introduce premises that prevent evidence-based falsification, Dolores Albarracn, a University of Pennsylvania psychologist who studies conspiracy theories, tells Rolling Stone. For a realistic style of thinking, if there is no evidence for a belief, the lack of evidence invalidates the belief. Conspiracy theories undermine this logic and make it so that lack of evidence or evidence to the contrary proves the belief.

Its a fancy way of saying that conspiracy theories about Jan. 6 are here to stay. Below is a breakdown of how right-wing media and conservative politicians planted some of the most pernicious among them in the minds of millions.

The pictures, video, and testimony from defendants arrested for breaking into the Capitol dont lie: The mob was made up almost entirely of Trump supporters. The idea that members of antifa infiltrated the crowd to start causing mayhem was pushed early on by a right-wing media apparatus desperate to deflect blame from the president and his supporters.

Fox News host Laura Ingraham did it on the day of the riot. Ingraham tweeted that Trump should call off the rioters, but also suggested that antifa supporters may have been responsible for the violence. Brian Kilmeade of Fox & Friends a day later expressed disbelief that Trump supporters were behind the violence. I do not know Trump supporters that have ever demonstrated violence that I know of in a big situation, he said, tempering his acknowledgement that Trump supporters were involved.

The House committee investigating the attack revealed in December that both Ingraham and Kilmeade on Jan. 6 texted Chief of Staff Mark Meadows urging him to get the president to call off the violence. The text, along with a similar pleas from Sean Hannity, imply that Trump would have been able to influence the violent mob.

Republican politicians pushed the unfounded claim, too. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) took to the House floor on the morning of Jan. 7 to claim that some of the people who breached the Capitol were members of the violent terrorist group antifa. He cited a since debunked and corrected Washington Times article, noting that he didnt know if the reports are true. He made the claim anyway, as did Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), who tweeted on Jan. 6 that the riot has all the hallmarks of Antifa provocation. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) told Lou Dobbs that there is some indication that fascist antifa elements were involved, that they embedded themselves in the Trump protests. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) later said that fake Trump protesters were responsible for the violence.

The list goes on, and despite a total lack of evidence, the belief that left-wing agitators were responsible for the attack became orthodoxy among Trump supporters, and a go-to defense for anyone trying to defend Trump or Republicans in the wake of the insurrection.

Its hard to parse how a siege that left five dead and dozens upon dozens of law enforcement officers injured could be framed as a peaceful protest, but it was.

It started immediately, too. Fox News anchors were tripping over themselves to describe the in-progress riot as peaceful. Its not like its a siege, it doesnt seem. It seems like they are protesting, said Bret Baier, one of the networks relatively respectable news anchors. Another one, Martha MacCallum, said the riot remains peaceful, adding that it was a huge victory for the protesters. Griff Jenkins, who was on the scene, echoed this sentiment. It has been peaceful, everything we have seen so far has been nothing but peaceful, but they are definitely fired up, he said. The chants I heard the most today was, Fight for Trump. That is what many feel they are doing here, protesting, we will see where the day goes. Mike Tobin, Fox News on-the-ground protest correspondent, even said that aside from the things that were broken getting into the Capitol they say there is no vandalism.

These comments may have been made before the full extent of the violence was understood, but the fact that this initial softening of what actually happened was being done by Fox News news side in addition to its propaganda-spewing primetime anchors was crucial in laying the groundwork for conspiracies to take hold, as Angelo Carusone, CEO of the media watchdog group Media Matters, explained to Rolling Stone.

The idea that people like Brett Baier were starting to question this or downplay it was, to me, the real fulcrum point, he says. They softened the ground early on, and I really think that that part is very significant. Its not that I think that the right-wing fever swamps in the rest of the right-wing media would not have done what they did. They certainly would have. But that audience is always going to be lost. Its the second, third, and fourth rings within the conservative circles that really define where the lines and the boundaries are in Republican politics and then in the larger conversation.

The idea that the mob was made up people who were simply protesting persisted throughout right-wing media and among Republicans in Congress. The most shameless promoter of the idea that the riot was no big deal may have been Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), who said in May that while some were violent, many walked through the Capitol in an orderly fashion staying between the stanchions and ropes, taking videos and pictures. He then likened the deadly siege that left the Capitol ransacked to a normal tourist visit.

Photos from inside the Capitol show a panic-stricken Clyde helping barricade the doors of the House chamber and taking cover behind an officer with a gun drawn and aimed at the barricaded door as rioters tried to muscle their way inside.

Sure, antifa infiltrated the crowd of peaceful Trump supporters and started wreaking havoc, but did you also know that the entire siege was a false flag operation orchestrated by the FBI? It took a little longer for right-wing media to come around to the idea that the whole thing was a Deep State conspiracy, but thats where it is now.

The most notable pusher of the FBI theory has been Tucker Carlson, who in November released a documentary on Fox Nation teasing that the riot was a false flag and a plot against the people. The documentary features Darren Beattie, a former Trump speechwriter who was fired in 2018 after he appeared on a panel with a white nationalist. PolitiFact credits Beattie with originating the false flag idea, citing a purely speculative article published in June by his Revolver News website. Carlson seized on the ideatwo days later, and even invited Beattie onto his show to push it on multiple occasions, according to The Washington Post.

The mainstreaming of the idea that the FBI orchestrated the riot epitomized how quick conspiracy theories could bubble up from the fringes and find their place in national conservative media. There was this cauldron in the fever swamps churning out plausible alternatives, say Carusone. It was antifa. This was a setup. This was the FBI. This was a false flag. You beat that drum that enough and you get from the fever swamps to Steve Bannons program to then Tucker Carlson and Fox News documentary about Jan. 6. Theres a straight line between the primary and principle promoter of that conspiracy theory about the about the FBI and the infiltration, and Tuckers documentary.

Conspiracy theorists in Congress like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz quickly followed Carlson in pushing the false flag theory, which then spread like wildfire through right-wing circles in the ensuing months. It made its way to Trump himself in December, when he co-signed the idea during an appearance on Candace Owens podcast.Right, it seems like that, Trump said after Owens posited that FBI informants urged people to storm the Capitol. And you have BLM and you had antifa people. I have very little doubt about that and they were antagonizing and they were agitating.

The most important part of all of this, and every other bad thing that happens in this country as a result of the former president, is that Trump bears no responsibility. In reality, Trump was the tip of the spear of disinformation about the election results and spent the months preceding the riot riling up anger in his supporters. He promoted Jan. 6 in December and told supporters: Be there, will be wild! Once theyd arrived, Trump told supporters at the rally to fight like hell to reclaim the country, concluding his speech by saying he expected attendees to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue. Were going to the Capitol, he said. Were going to try to give our Republicans, the weak ones, because the strong ones dont need any of our help, were going to try to give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.

Trumps rhetoric is indisputable. So is its impact. Many of the defendants on trial for their role in the riots have pointed their finger at Trump. Trump called us, rioter Danny Rodrigues told investigators in March. Trump called us to D.C. If hes the commander in chief and the leader of our country, then hes calling for help. I thought he was calling for help. I thought we were doing the right thing.

So too have the Capitol Police officers who have sued Trump for physical and emotional damages, the latest lawsuits coming on Tuesday. So too has Sandra Garza, the partner of Brian Sicknick, the officer who died after engaging rioters during the attack. Garza says both she and Sicknick supporter Trump before the attack. No longer. I hold Donald Trump 100 percent responsible for what happened on Jan. 6, she told PBS this week. I think he needs to be in prison.

The texts Ingraham, Hannity, and Kilmeade sent to Meadows on Jan. 6 suggest they believed Trump had something to do with it, too, and at the very least that the rioters were beholden to him. It would be sacrilege, however, for any of them, or anyone else on Fox News or another outlet down the right-wing media food chain, to broadcast that Trump was culpable. He sat and watched the riot unfold on television, something the Jan. 6 committee says it has first-hand evidence of, hearing pleas to intervene from Don Jr. and Ivanka and whomever else, and doing nothing.

It wasnt his fault, though. It was the Democrats.

The American people deserve to know the truth that Nancy Pelosi bears responsibility as Speaker of the House for the tragedy that occurred on Jan. 6, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) said in July. Rather than providing [the Capitol Police] with the support and resources they needed and they deserved, she prioritized her partisan, political optics over their safety, the number-three Republican in the House added of the House speaker. The number-one Republican in the House agreed. If there is a responsibility for this Capitol, on this side, it rests with the Speaker, said Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

The biggest lie of them all, the whopper that fueled the plan to overturn the election results, that brought Trump and thousands of his supporters to the Ellipse as Congress certified those results, and that inspired many of those supporters to then storm the Capitol in an unprecedented effort to subvert democratic process, is that the election the incumbent president lost by 74 Electoral College votes, over seven millions actual votes, and over four percentage points was somehow stolen. There is not evidence that anything resembling significant fraud occurred, despite audits, lawsuits, and the desperate efforts of Trump and his cronies to uncover something anything to suggest the vote was rigged.

The problem is that millions of Americans simply dont care about the absence of evidence. They wanted Trump to win, Trump is telling them he did win, Republicans who know better arent correcting him, and so theyve joined the Stop the Steal party. Theyve bought all the merchandise, theyve memorized the talking points beaten into the discourse by everyone from Trump to right-wing YouTube hosts, and theyre calling for an authoritarian takeover of the United States to avenge a Democratic coup that never happened.

The party has grown bigger than most could have imagined, and by proxy has absorbed mainstream conservatives. An ABC/Ipsos poll released this week found that a whopping 71 percent of Republicans believe Trump was the rightful winner of the election. Another from the University of Massachusetts found 71 percent of Republicans believe Bidens election was illegitimate. A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll put the number at 58 percent, but its hardly encouraging that a simple rather than overwhelming majority of one of the nations two major parties has bought into what might be the most outlandish, pernicious conspiracy theory in American history. Unfortunately, such is the state of things in the United States in 2022.

It wasnt always like this, though. Carusone, who has been tracking right-wing media misinformation for years, remembers how back in 2009 the only real examples of right-wing media pushing reckless conspiracy theories were Glenn Beck talking about FEMA death camps and Obama hacking into GMs OnStar system. It was such a big deal when it happened that I remember it a decade later, he says. But its happening multiple times a day now. The audience has more kinetic energy and theyre scraping increasingly what used to be the fringes to keep that cauldron swirling.

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A Guide to the Rights Unhinged Conspiracy Theories about Jan. 6 - Rolling Stone