The right-wing Oath Keepers gun militia will escort President Donald Trump’s supporters at a campaign rally in Minnesota.
The anti-government group will walk Trump fans to and from their vehicles Thursday outside the president’s rally at the Target Center in Minneapolis, where tens of thousands of supporters and protesters are expected to converge, reported City Pages.
The right-wing militia group was founded in response to President Barack Obama’s election, and remains animated by conspiracy theories about gun rights, martial law and “Antifa” activists.
Oath Keeper members have been charged as part of violent plots and took part in armed demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri, and at Cliven Bundy’s Nevada ranch, but the group promised its Trump rally escorts will be heavily vetted.
The group is calling for volunteers who can demonstrate “prior service, training, or experience that is relevant to a security mission.”
The militia will not accept “anyone who advocates, or belongs to any group that advocates, the overthrow of the U.S. government or that discriminates along racial lines. We also cannot use anyone who is a convicted felon.”
The Trump campaign threatened to sue the Target Center for passing along a $530,000 security bill from the city to cover security costs for the rally.
The arena’s management told campaign the rally could not be held if the security bill isn’t paid, and the president and his team accused Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of trying to block Trump’s visit.
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. Like you, we here at Raw Story believe in the power of progressive journalism. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and legal efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. And unlike other news outlets, we’ve decided to make our original content free. But we need your support to do what we do.
Raw Story is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. Unhinged from billionaires and corporate overlords, we fight to ensure no one is forgotten.
We need your support to deepen our investigative reporting. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us in the future. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click to donate by check.
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. Like you, we here at Raw Story believe in the power of progressive journalism — and we’re investing in investigative reporting as other publications give it the ax. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. We need your support to do what we do.
Raw Story is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. Unhinged from corporate overlords, we fight to ensure no one is forgotten.
We need your support to keep producing quality journalism and deepen our investigative reporting. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us in the future. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you.
Report typos and corrections to:
[email protected].