The violent extremist group that Donald Trump refused to condemn during a 2020 presidential debate is focusing on local politics ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
"Members of the Proud Boys, the far-right nationalist group, have increasingly appeared in recent months at town council gatherings, school board presentations and health department question-and-answer sessions across the country. Their presence at the events is part of a strategy shift by the militia organization toward a larger goal: to bring their brand of menacing politics to the local level," The New York Times reported Tuesday.
During a 2020 debate, Trump refused to denounce white supremacists and instead told the Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by."
"For years, the group was known for its national profile. The Proud Boys were prominent at the rallies of Donald J. Trump, at one point offering to serve as the former president’s private militia. On Jan. 6, some Proud Boys members filmed themselves storming the U.S. Capitol to protest what they falsely said was an election that had been stolen from Mr. Trump," the newspaper reported. "Away from the national spotlight, the Proud Boys instead quietly shifted attention to local chapters, some members and researchers said. In small communities — usually suburbs or small towns with populations of tens of thousands — its followers have tried to expand membership by taking on local causes. That way, they said, the group can amass more supporters in time to influence next year’s midterm elections."
The Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters — which have also been implicated in the Jan. 6 attack — are also focusing locally.
Read the full report.
Watch:
Trump: 'Proud Boys, stand back and stand by'youtu.be
