According to Telegram messages introduced as evidence in court Wednesday at the trial of five Proud Boys who are charged with seditious conspiracy, the right-wing group was energized after former President Donald Trump told members of the right-wing extremist group to "stand back and stand by" during a September 2020 presidential debate, USA Today reports.
Among the Proud Boys facing charges is the group's former leader, Enrique Tarrio.
After Trump made his comments, Proud Boys sent a flurry of messages to a Telegram group chat called "Official Presidents Chat," which included defendants Tarrio, Ethan Nordean and Zachary Rehl.
The messages celebrated Trump for name-dropping the group, saying it was a clear message to remain ready to take action.
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In a different chat called Skull and Bones populated with Proud Boys "elders," one person wrote, "We are bigger than Jesus," to which Tarrio replied, "Kings."
"Boys, we are the #1 media point from the largest debate that has ever been seen or heard in the history of the world," user "Chris Cannon Pb" wrote. "3billion people heard our name and the other 4billion don't have a TV."
"Lets hope daddy Trump plays it right," Rehl wrote.
