The January 6 Committee has begun to get into the meat of what really happened in and around Donald Trump’s attempted coup. The Committee has been bringing charges against the ex-president’s closest allies, and now has subpoenaed a Proud Boys leader.
Henry “Enrique” Tarrio was not present when Trump supporters mobbed the U.S. Capitol trying to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s win because he was already in jail on unrelated charges. After release, police ordered him to stay away from the city, but congressional investigators still want to interview him about what happened on and around January 6. The Select Committee said that he was indeed arrested on January 4. But they say Tarrio was heavily involved in planning the violence. He had two high-capacity gun magazines he took to Washington and holds the distinction of stealing a Black Lives banner outside of a church. And then, he burned it.
Another Proud Boy, Anthony Mastrostefano said in a private chat, according to the nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC):
“All I want to do is smash commies too. Actually I’m lying I’m way past just hitting them. When the time comes I will stop at nothing to fully eradicate them all.’
The SPLC tracks violent elements in our society, and the Proud Boys have been high on their watch list:
‘The Proud Boys’ actions belie their disavowals of bigotry: Rank-and-file Proud Boys and leaders regularly spout white nationalist memes and maintain affiliations with known extremists. They are known for anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric. Proud Boys have appeared alongside other hate groups at extremist gatherings such as the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.’
Former Proud Boys member Jason Kessler from California was involved in planning the Charlottesville rally and the march. He tied Neo-Nazis, antisemites, and other far-right extremists together for it.
In September 2020, two messages came over a Telegram channel affiliated with the Proud Boys:
‘All the heroes of BLM and Antifa are degenerate criminal lowlifes or pedophile rapists. I don’t lose any sleep when they are justly removed from society.’
‘The true minority in this world ARE whites. White children are less than 3% of the worlds [sic] population. I think since white-majority countries are on a pathway to extinction we should correctly refer to non-whites by their true names. Worldwide majority.’
On his Facebook page, Proud Boy and Patriot Prayer collaborator Reggie Axtell threatened a man:
‘I promise you this, Ted Wheeler: I’m coming for you, you little punk. And all your Antifa bastards. I’m coming for you f—–s, too.’
Gabe Silva said in a Facebook video:
‘The time is now. We’re gonna have to get some swollen fists. We’re gonna have to get some swollen fists. We’re gonna have to fight, alright?’
The SPLC posted September 2020, channel affiliated with the Proud Boys:
‘The true minority in this world ARE whites. White children are less than 3% of the worlds [sic] population. I think since white-majority countries are on a pathway to extinction we should correctly refer to non-whites by their true names. Worldwide majority.’
In his Facebook Proud Boy and Patriot Prayer collaborator Reggie Axtell threatened a man:
‘I promise you this, Ted Wheeler: I’m coming for you, you little punk. And all your Antifa bastards. I’m coming for you f—–s, too.’
Gabe Silva said in a Facebook video:
‘The time is now. We’re gonna have to get some swollen fists. We’re gonna have to get some swollen fists. We’re gonna have to fight, alright?’
One question yet to be determined is why did he only need to serve just five months?
Three White Lions podcast, Gloria Christie reads her week’s most important news/ commentary stories in the liberal online newspaper The Bipartisan Report. Gloria Christie Report her newsletter for people on the go. Written in her own unique style with a twist of humor in a briefer version of Bipartisan Report. Christie’s Mueller Report Adventures In Bite-Sizes a real-life compelling spy mystery (in process). Find her here on Facebook.
