Morning Briefing: Proud Boys Purchase Billboard Advertisement in Illinois
In Breese, Illinois, billboard has appeared advertising the far right violent extremist group the Proud Boys, and includes a version of Donald Trump's infamous quote: 'Stand Back Stand By.'
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Morning Briefing: In southern Illinois, outside the small town of Breese, a billboard has appeared advertising the Proud Boys, the far right violent extremists group, which has resulted in “sharp condemnation from parents, local officials and state leaders who said the extremist group has no place in Illinois communities.”
The billboard includes a version of Donald Trump's infamous quote: 'Stand Back Stand By.' The Proud Boys have not typically used advertising and other similar propaganda efforts to boost recruiting — these tactics have been widely used by neo-Nazi and White Nationalist groups such as Patriot Front and White Lives Matter.
The Proud Boys are active throughout Illinois, there are at least seven Proud Boys chapters in the state. Members of the Chicago Police Department have also been revealed to have connections to far right extremists groups, including the Proud Boys.
In Heath, Texas, a pair of “Nazi flags with swastikas were removed” from Rockwall-Heath High School, and school officials and local law enforcement are reporting “reviewing security cameras to find the person or people responsible.”
In Cleveland Heights, Ohio, local law enforcement is reportedly “investigating after several homeowners reported receiving threatening messages related to the display of their Pride flags,” and residents received flyers they claimed contained “neo-Nazi” messaging.
The flyers did not contain any imagery or text connecting the flyers to any known neo-Nazi or White Supremacist groups, and Radical Reports has not yet been able to confirm the authenticity of the flyers or if they are connected to a known group.
Eric Lendrum, speechwriter for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), published a blog post on a right-wing website that “celebrated the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and likened the resulting political fallout for conservatives to slavery and the Holocaust.” Lendrum began working for DHS in March, after “previously working at the Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration.”
Jason Dare, former New Jersey State Police trooper, has reportedly “lost an appeal to return to the agency, which fired him in 2023 for violating a previous agreement to remain free from misconduct,” and while the appeal did not specifically mention his racist White Supremacist tattoos — “they were part of the internal investigation that ended his career.”
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Anna Merlan writes that the U.S. State Department announced the hiring of Darren Beattie “who was fired from the first Trump administration for speaking at a conference heavily attended by white nationalists. Beattie is also an undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs at the State Department, despite the act that created the USIP seemingly barring him from accepting a salary for both roles. When asked for comment, a State Department spokesperson did not address the issue, but sent an anonymous statement suggesting Beattie’s appointment was in response to USIP having ‘slipped in its mission over recent decades’ and saying he would ‘advance President Trump’s America First agenda in this new role.’ Beattie’s background and history of racist and extremist remarks has generated concern. He tweeted in 2024 that ‘competent white men must be in charge if you want anything to work;’ another time that year, he floated an inflammatory rhetorical question: ‘What if America moved on to some national religion other than coddling and excusing inner city black dysfunction, violence, and misbehavior?’” [Mother Jones]
Will Sommer writes that “sometimes, things get a little crazy at Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA conventions. Maybe that’s to be expected—after all, this is the new right’s premier youth organization, hosting parties in hotspots like Miami. But it does seem like there’s been an unusual amount of eyebrow-raising behavior in the House of Kirk lately. Earlier this month, a social-media argument over a right-wing influencer’s engagement ring spiraled out of control, leading to a free-for-all feud among female MAGA personalities. The fight got a lot more attention after one lobbed an evocative accusation at another: ‘You got fingered in the middle of a hotel lobby at a TPUSA event.’ (I would explain this all further, but it’s super convoluted even by the standards of right-wing feuds; if you’re really curious, I broke it down with Sam Stein and Tim Miller in this extremely NSFW video.) After I covered that sordid episode, several people asked me: What exactly happens at these conventions? While they’re mostly speeches and Benny Johnson dancing and smoke machines, I do have another story to relate today about outlandish behavior at a TPUSA convention. This situation did not involve a carnal act, but a violent one. And months later, TPUSA is still dealing with the consequences. [The Bulwark]
Elie Mystal writes that "resistance does indeed feel futile these days. People who believe their individual efforts cannot stem the rising tide of fascism, MAGA, or the hostile billionaire takeover of our government, media, and society are not wrong. The bad guys are on the march, and they are winning. There is no one magical thing that can be done to stop them, and no set of actions any single person can take to halt the enshittification of our country. But while despair is a legitimate, and even rational, response to the ongoing victory of white supremacy and bigotry over equality and decency, giving up is not. Inaction is not. Throwing up your hands and letting Jesus—or even political leaders—“take the wheel” is not… the inability to stop Trump with one act or protest or lawsuit shouldn’t diminish our efforts to try. We live in dark times. Our government is a force for evil, both domestically and abroad. At such moments, anything we can do, anything at all, to slow, frustrate, or sabotage our government’s efforts—or to help another person who is being made to suffer by these people—has value. To do nothing is to be complicit in the horrors we are visiting upon the world.” [The Nation]
What to expect from Radical Reports: Morning Briefing provides a daily round-up of reporting on the Radical Right; Extremist Links offers a weekly round-up of extremists activities including the white supremacist and militia movements; Narratives of the Right delivers weekly analysis of the current narratives in far right online spaces and promoted by right-wing media; and Research Desk provides monthly highlights research and analysis from academia on the Radical Right.
Ohio need to get out and vote
Vivek Ramaswamy is another extremist. He is a billionaire that does not care about all people. He is a Hindutva supremist that represents a convergence of ideologies that prioritize nationalism and exclusion over the values of inclusivity and diversity that are foundational to our society. The Hindutva movement, which advocates for Hindu nationalism, is finding common ground with the MAGA agenda, raising significant concerns about the implications for marginalized communities in America. This alliance not only threatens the progress we have made toward equality and justice but also risks amplifying voices that seek to divide rather than unite. Trump automatons and devoted MAGA acolytes are fervently defending the opulent privileges of billionaires, willing to sacrifice everything for a cause they will never truly belong to. He is a billionaire that will never serve the people of this country. Get out and vote and don’t let this man take office. He is not good for this country. The funny thing about all of this is when the white guys in power finish using him, he will be out and ruined.