Proud Boys claim they'll be at polling places as Trump ups violent rhetoric and election fraud claims
As Donald Trump again makes unsupported election fraud claims and ramps up violent rhetoric, Proud Boys say they're organizing to watch the polls on Election Day.
PHILADELPHIA — As Donald Trump yet again tells his supporters he can lose Tuesday only if there's massive voter fraud and as he ramps up violent rhetoric about Democrats and other "enemies," members of the far-right group that put more "boots on the ground" than any other at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, say they're mobilizing.
The last time Trump tried to overturn his election loss, the Proud Boys played a critical role, jumping into action on Jan. 6 just weeks after Trump gave the group a major recruitment boost by telling it to “stand back and stand by” during a presidential debate. The group, which was “thirsting for violence and organizing for action,” sent members to the Capitol to act as “Donald Trump’s army,” federal prosecutors said later. Several Proud Boys leaders were ultimately convicted of seditious conspiracy and are still in prison, including former chairman Enrique Tarrio, who is serving 22 years, the longest sentence given to any Jan. 6 defendant.
But the decentralized all-male far-right group remains active around the country, and some of its members are openly making plans to get involved in Tuesday’s elections, as Trump closes his campaign by talking about shooting through the media; calls his political opponents “evil,” “dangerous” and “the enemy within”; and spreads more baseless predictions of election fraud.At least 30 of the 34 active and public Telegram channels operated by Proud Boys chapters across the country have once again been rallying support for Trump, posting pro-Trump content since the beginning of October, according to an analysis by Advance Democracy, a nonprofit research organization. Many groups are posting memes and content that suggest that the 2024 election will be stolen from Trump.
Members of the Proud Boys rally against vaccination mandates in New York City on Nov. 20, 2021.Stephanie Keith / Getty Images fileTwo Proud Boys chapters, both based in Ohio, say they'll be watching the polls on Election Day, according to posts reviewed by NBC News. The Proud Boys of Columbus recently posted a claim that they had enrolled members as poll watchers and poll workers.“The task is simply too important to trust to regular normies,” a post reposted Monday read, “so it was an all-hands-on-deck effort.”
Another Proud Boys group in Ohio recently posted that it was “watching polls everywhere” ahead of Election Day.
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