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RFK Jr. Crony -- Antisemitic Conspiracy Theorist -- Says She's Working On 'Trump Transition'

RFK Jr. Crony -- Antisemitic Conspiracy Theorist -- Says She's Working On 'Trump Transition'

Charlene Bollinger is a fringe commentator whose account endorsed threads praising Adolf Hitler and pushing claims about a “Jew World Order.” She recently said that she’s “part of” and “working with” former President Donald Trump’s transition team to help close friend Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

During a November 1 interview on One America News’ Real America with Dan Ball, Bollinger said: “The transition team right now is being put together behind the scenes. I am working with a number of people to put together something beautiful so that Bobby Kennedy can roll out his vision and we get to be a part of this.”

Ball replied: “That's awesome. I didn't know that. So you're going to help with the transition and getting people in place to help Bobby clean up these agencies.”

Bollinger also said she's “working with the [Trump] transition team” in a November 1 video.

She stated: “We have been supporting Donald Trump since he came down that escalator. We've been friends for Bobby even longer, and we've been working with both of these amazing men. And here we are now working with the transition team to be able to get what we do out in a bigger way, the solutions that we have been able to give millions.” Bollinger added: “If you want Bobby Kennedy to help you, you’ve got to vote for Donald Trump because we're working with that team and we're going to bring the real solutions in a bigger way. We're so excited.”

Kennedy is closely connected to Charlene BollingerFormer presidential candidate Kennedy is part of Trump’s transition team, and Trump has said he’ll have a “big role in health care” if Trump wins.

Kennedy has worked closely with Charlene and her husband Ty Bollinger over the years. Here are just some of his many connections to the couple:

  • The Associated Press reported in 2021 that the Bollingers have worked “closely” with Kennedy, including through Kennedy’s nonprofit Children’s Health Defense. (Kennedy is currently on leave from the group.)
  • Kennedy told them last year: “Love you two warriors!”
  • Charlene Bollinger interviewed Kennedy in a video that had QAnon branding.
  • The Bollingers’ account posted a picture of Kennedy with Charlene Bollinger and wrote: “#TeamKennedy #Kennedy24.” (Charlene Bollinger was also in an group picture featuring Kennedy, Mike Flynn, and Roger Stone.)
  • Charlene Bollinger wrote of Kennedy: “Ty and I are very close with Bobby and he really is the real deal.”
  • Kennedy appeared at the Bollingers' conference in 2019.

On October 30, the Bollingers wrote on their shared social media account: “@RobertKennedyJr is on the Trump team and is going to be working with us to ensure we build better health solutions for Americans.”

The Bollingers repeatedly endorsed antisemitism, including a thread about a “Jew World Order”

The Bollingers post on social media through a shared account (“TTAVOfficial”). On that account, the Bollingers have repeatedly promoted antisemitism.

On August 4, the Bollingers encouraged their followers to “read” an “entire thread” by the pro-Hitler account “Truth Troll” pushing a sprawling antisemitic conspiracy theory (the “Khazarian Mafia”) that claims that many modern-day Jewish people are frauds who have hidden behind Jewish identity to oppress the world.

The thread promoted by the Bollingers further claimed that there is a “J E W WORLD ORDER in place” and specifically criticized officials for being Jewish.

On August 18, they promoted another thread by Truth Troll which praised Hitler. They wrote: “This is an EPIC Thread - Bookmark, Read, Watch, and Share!”

The thread included such posts as: “Hitler came into power in March 1933. One of the first things he did was outlaw the ‘banking debt based system.’ The country flourished. He was allegedly the first and only leader to have ever arrested a Rothschild. I’m sure it didn’t do him any favors.”

And on August 7, they promoted another antisemitic thread about “Judaism’s strange Gods.”

The Bollingers’ conspiracy theories about cancer and other topics

The Associated Press ran an extensive expose of the Bollingers in 2021 headlined, “Inside one network cashing in on vaccine disinformation.” The AP also wrote that “medical experts” say their “Truth About Cancer” series includes “unproven information about alternatives to chemotherapy and cancer prevention. The company even sells a series that purports to show ‘the truth’ about pet cancer.”

Other observers have called out the Bollingers for their conspiratorial claims about medicine, including The Center for Public Integrity; Science-Based Medicine; and NPR.

Charlene Bollinger recently appeared on extremist Laura Loomer’s program and said: “Cancer is just an imbalance. Your body is out of balance. Something happened and the tumor is actually a blessing.”

The Bollingers have also promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory, including frequently sharing the QAnon slogan “WWG1WGA” on social media. Charlene Bollinger has also promoted the QAnon-linked adrenochrome conspiracy theory.

Additionally, the Bollingers have promoted 9/11 conspiracy theories, including calling 9/11 an “inside job scam." They also helped organize Stop the Steal efforts after the 2020 election.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

RFK Jr.

RFK Jr. Appears In Trump Ad For Catholic Group That Calls IVF 'Evil'

Anti-vaccine commentator and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who former President Donald Trump said will have a “big role in healthcare” if Trump wins, recently appeared in an ad for CatholicVote urging people to support the Republican nominee. RFK Jr. was helping a group that works to oppose IVF, which it has labeled “evil” and “immoral.”

CatholicVote is a conservative organization that is supporting Trump. The organization’s president has appeared in right-wing media outlets, including Fox News, Newsmax, and Steve Bannon’s program. The group also posts media content that attacks Democrats and IVF.

It released an October 24 video featuring Kennedy, who stated that “President Trump has promised to take bold action on our economy, on the border, and on restoring children’s health” and said, “I hope you’ll join me in supporting Donald Trump.”

In addition to supporting Trump, CatholicVote also works to end IVF. It has a supposed explainer page on its website that criticizes IVF as unethical. It writes:

At first glance, IVF seems innocuous – simply a procedure to help parents conceive a child. However, the morality and ethics of the procedure begin before the embryos are created.

To help stimulate egg production, women have to take various steps to increase the fertility of their eggs and facilitate ovulation. During retrieval, eggs are removed from the ovaries with a suctioning device or needle that harvests more than one egg at a time, with no guarantee that any of the eggs will be healthy or able to be used to create embryos.

For men, the process is different. Sperm can be collected at any time and even frozen for use at a later date and is often collected through unorthodox means.

The page adds: “During fertilization and implantation, embryos that are considered to be unviable are either ‘discarded,’ used for scientific research, or frozen indefinitely. These standard practices violate the dignity of the human person, whose life begins at conception.”

The group then urges readers to reconsider IVF.

CatholicVote also shares numerous anti-IVF materials on its website, including “Catholic Woman Who Struggled With Infertility for Years: IVF Is Not the Answer” and “Lila Rose Praises Decision of Alabama Judge to Affirm Life at Fertilization.”

In one piece, CatholicVote attacked former first lady Michelle Obama for promoting and using IVF. One section of the piece was titled “Suffering leads to evil means to create God’s children.” The piece added: “IVF is an immoral process which treats humans like chattel and often ends in their deaths. It is therefore important that pro-life advocates be ready to articulately and compassionately stand against Obama’s contribution to the anti-life problem which IVF represents.”

As a candidate, Kennedy made contradictory remarks about abortion. And while saying he is not against IVF, he claimed that there are more important factors to consider regarding “the alarming decline in fertility” and that “this issue is so much bigger than IVF.” He also picked running mate Nicole Shanahan, who called IVF “one of the biggest lies that’s being told about women’s health today.”

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Trump's Media Stooges Slander John Kelly As 'Traitor' And 'Seditionist'

Trump's Media Stooges Slander John Kelly As 'Traitor' And 'Seditionist'

After former White House chief of staff John Kelly criticized Donald Trump, right-wing commentators linked to the former president have called Kelly a “traitor,” a “seditionist,” “compromised,” a “threat to America,” and treasonous.

In a trio of audio interviews with The New York Times, Kelly “said that, in his opinion, Mr. Trump met the definition of a fascist,” and “discussed and confirmed previous reports that Mr. Trump had made admiring statements about Hitler, had expressed contempt for disabled veterans and had characterized those who died on the battlefield for the United States as ‘losers’ and ‘suckers.’”

Reflecting the chaotic nature of the Trump White House, numerous former staffers have supported and bolstered Kelly’s warnings and recollections. Right-wing media figures, however, have dismissed, ignored, or cast doubt on his remarks.

They have also descended into retributive rhetoric, saying Kelly is a “traitor,” treasonous, and seditious. Such language echoes the words of Trump himself, who has promised to carry out a retribution tour if he’s elected president.

The following are several right-wing commentators who have connections with Trump who have lashed out at Kelly:

Sebastian Gorka is a radio host who pushes conspiracy theories and extreme rhetoric. He is a former Trump White House adviser. Gorka has interviewed and been praised by Trump.

During an interview with Salem Media Group colleague Mike Gallagher, Gorka said: “I've got a message for John Kelly. You're no Marine, John Kelly. You're a seditionist. You're a traitor. You tried to push me and Steve Bannon out.” He added: “I spit on his career because he is not a Marine and people like him are the threat to America.”

Peter Navarro is an election denier and Project 2025 author. He is also a Trump campaign surrogate who was recently released from prison, where he was serving a sentence for defying a congressional subpoena.

He wrote an opinion piece attacking Kelly with the headline “Trump’s four-star bully chief of staff John Kelly was a traitor within.”

Mike Flynn is a right-wing commentator who spreads conspiracy theories and toxic rhetoric. He is also a Trump ally and former national security adviser who left in disgrace. Trump told Flynn last year that Flynn would return to the White House if he wins. And CNN reported that “multiple foreign diplomats tell CNN they see Flynn as someone who will have influence if the former president retakes the White House and have privately speculated that he could be tapped for another high-level position if that comes to pass.”

He endorsed a post by conspiracy theorist Buzz Patterson that claimed: “Flag officers who perpetuate lies and fraud, like Kelly, Milley, Austin, Brennan, etc, have violated their oaths and, in some cases, the law. They are treasonous and, dare I say, the ‘enemy within.’ Yes, I said that.”

Flynn responded to Patterson: “What Buzz said!”

Tony Shaffer is a right-wing commentator and conspiracy theorist. He advised Trump and is part of his Veterans and Military Families for Trump coalition.

During an interview, Shaffer said of Kelly: “I think he's compromised. He was part of — I'll be very clear. He was compromised when he was chief of staff to Trump.” As evidence of him being compromised, Shaffer claimed that Kelly wouldn’t let him talk to the president about concerns over the FBI being corrupted. He added on social media that “people like John Kelly were the inside men of the whole effort to conduct a coup to remove President Trump.”

Mark Robinson

Scandal-Scarred Robinson Embraced By Mike Flynn At Trump Event

North Carolina Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson recently spoke on the Trump-backed “ReAwaken America” tour, where he compared fighting the news media to battling Nazis at Normandy Beach. His speech was well-received by Trump ally and ReAwaken America co-organizer Mike Flynn, who asked the audience to donate to Robinson’s campaign.

Robinson’s rhetoric echoes that of former President Donald Trump, who has referred to the news media as the “enemy of the American people.” Trump has also explicitly threatened to use government resources to target news organizations.

Robinson has a long history of toxic remarks and antisemitic rhetoric on social media from his time as a right-wing commentator. Conservative media figures including Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have supported his campaign.

Last month, CNN reported that Robinson made a “series of inflammatory comments on a pornography website’s message board more than a decade ago, in which he referred to himself as a 'black NAZI!' and expressed support for reinstating slavery.” Robinson responded by suing CNN.

Despite Donald Trump’s connections to Robinson, including endorsing his campaign, the former president has recently feigned ignorance of Robinson. But this past weekend, in a seemingly unannounced and little-noticed appearance, Robinson spoke at the ReAwaken America tour’s stop in Selma, North Carolina, alongside members of Trump’s “inner circle.”

The event featured speeches from Trump surrogates Eric Trump, Kash Patel, and Alina Habba, along with several extremists who have pushed the conspiracy theory that Hurricane Helene was a controlled or manipulated weather event. (ReAwaken America events have also hosted multiple antisemitic speakers.) Other stops on the tour have been held at a Trump property.

Co-organizer Clay Clark recently said that close friend Eric Trump and others requested the event because North Carolina “is a state that we need to win to restore President Donald J. Trump back into the White House.” Clark also organized Donald Trump’s October 21 event with pastors.

Robinson appeared on the second day of the Selma event on October 19. During his speech, Robinson told the audience about Allied forces fighting Nazi Germany during World War II, including at the Battle of Normandy. He then compared his “fight” against the news media to the D-Day landings by American troops, stating:

MARK ROBINSON: I guarantee you, CNN will not win that fight. They will not. Because we're going to take them to task, folks. It's high time that we stop being afraid of the news media. High time. Those boys in those Higgins boats weren't afraid of those Germans. Why in the hell should I be afraid of CNN?

Following the speech, Clark said that Robinson is “a real American hero.” Flynn, who is a potential member of Trump’s second administration, also praised Robinson, saying that “we need him in the governor's office,” and encouraged people to donate to his campaign to combat the “demons” fighting against them.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

PastorJackson Lahmeyer

Pastors For Trump Leader Warns Antichrist Will Be A Jewish 'Political Leader'

Pastors for Trump leader Jackson Lahmeyer, a key Trump ally who has been visited by members of Trump’s inner circle, recently warned followers that a Jewish politician will be the Antichrist.

Lahmeyer stated: “The Antichrist will be a political leader of Jewish descent. That is how the Jews will worship him. The false prophet, I believe, will be an Islamic imam.”

Lahmeyer is a right-wing commentator and the pastor of Sheridan Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the founder and leader of Pastors For Trump, which, as its name indicates, seeks “to continue to build the relationship between Christian leaders and President Trump during his bid for the Presidency.”

Lahmeyer has a history of making toxic remarks, including calling Vice President Kamala Harris a “lying whore”; claiming Democrats are “demonic”; and lobbing bigoted attacks at LGBTQ people, Jewish people, and Muslims.

He continued that pattern during a sermon that was posted online on October 8, which carries the headline “Revelation 13 | Verse-By-Verse | Antichrist + False Prophet | Pastor Jackson Lahmeyer.” During the sermon, Lahmeyer portrayed Jewish and Muslim people as a future threat to Christians:

JACKSON LAHMEYER: This is the opinion of Jackson Lahmeyer. The Antichrist will be a political leader. This is just Jackson's opinion. The Antichrist will be a political leader of Jewish descent. That is how the Jews will worship him.

The false prophet, I believe, will be an Islamic imam. I believe that the false prophet will be an Islamic religious leader who will lead the people to worship the beast. That's just Jackson's opinion. And he will implement some form of one world religion, an Islamic caliphate. And if you do not take the mark, you will have your head chopped off.

There's only one group of people today that still chop off the heads of people, and that's radical Islamic extremists. And I believe they will implement that form of religion when the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is gone. So it's my opinion that the future Antichrist will have some form of a Jewish descent, that the false prophet will be an Islamic religious leader.

Lahmeyer is heavily tied to Team Trump

Lahmeyer recently hosted Donald Trump Jr. at his church. He is scheduled to host Eric Trump as well as Donald Trump's legal spokesperson Alina Habba next week.

He also said that he’s scheduled to speak at a pastors event with former President Trump in North Carolina on October 21, which is being organized by conspiracy theorist Clay Clark.

Lahmeyer has numerous other connections to Trump and his orbit:

  • Trump called in to a prayer call with Lahmeyer last year.
  • In 2021, when Lahmeyer was unsuccessfully running for Senate, he said that he “had the opportunity to talk to President Trump.” He added: “The President knows I am a strong ‘America First’ candidate.”
  • Trump has repeatedly promoted Lahmeyer on Truth Social.
  • Lahmeyer has spoken at Pastors for Trump events in May 2023 and October 2023 at Trump’s Doral property in Florida.
  • Lahmeyer is scheduled to speak in North Carolina on the ReAwaken America tour with Eric Trump. The tour is organized by Clark, who has promoted the event as featuring “basically President Trump’s inner circle.”
  • Lara Trump has spoken at Lahmeyer’s church.
  • Rudy Giuliani has spoken at Lahmeyer’s church.
  • Longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone has spoken at Lahmeyer’s church.

Ryan Walters, the controversy-laden Oklahoma school superintendent, is also connected to Lahmeyer.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Mark Robinson

Robinson: 'I've Had Great Conversations' With Trump Despite Scandal

Embattled North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson recently appeared on Trump ally Sebastian Gorka’s program, where he received glowing praise and support from the former White House adviser.

Robinson told the MAGA host that while he’s giving “space” to the former president, “We've spoken to him, had great conversations with him.”

CNN's Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck reported last week that Robinson made a “series of inflammatory comments on a pornography website’s message board more than a decade ago, in which he referred to himself as a 'black NAZI!' and expressed support for reinstating slavery.” (Robinson, who was previously a right-wing commentator, has a long history of toxic remarks.) Prior to that report, numerous conservative media figures, including Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Dan Bongingo, Charlie Kirk, and Gorka had lavished praise on Robinson.

The Trump campaign has repeatedly cited Gorka, a radio host and Newsmax commentator. Trump has done interviews with the MAGA loyalist and said that Gorka is “fantastic” and there’s “so much to be learned from Sebastian.”

Gorka invited Robinson on the September 25 edition of his Salem Radio Network program to defend himself and to reaffirm his support for the North Carolina lieutenant governor.

During the interview, Gorka told him: “CNN is not a news agency, and I hope you sue them into the ground. … I hope you win. I hope you win the campaign.”

He later added: “I've seen it before, so many, many times. When they can't beat you in a fair fight, they go dirty and they go dark.” He also promoted Robinson’s campaign website.

Robinson told the Trump ally during the interview that the CNN report was false and “so much of what we see the news media doing right now is — it's shades of Soviet Russia. It's the show trials. It's the propaganda.”

He was also asked about the relationship between him and Trump. Robinson said that he doesn’t want to “draw fire to any other candidate,” including Trump, and then said he’s given him “space.”

Robinson then added, in an apparent attempt to reassure the pro-MAGA Gorka that he’s still part of the Republican team: “We've spoken to him, had great conversations with him, but we have chosen to do that. And — because we want to make sure that he wins this state.”

Fellow Newsmax commentator Greg Kelly has also been strongly defending Robinson. And Fox News has been burying the story while host Sean Hannity has been doing cleanup for Trump.*

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Mark Robinson

Right-Wing Media Have Lavished Praise On Sleazy Extremist Robinson

Following the publication of this post, CNN's Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck reported that Mark Robinson “made dozens of disturbing comments on porn forum.” The below post has also been updated with additional examples.

North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson is reportedly facing calls to drop out of his race due to an impending bombshell story that could torpedo his candidacy. Some of Robinson's biggest supporters have been prominent right-wing media figures, including people like Donald Trump Jr., Dan Bongino, and Charlie Kirk.

Robinson is a right-wing commentator who became lieutenant governor of North Carolina in January 2021. He has a history of toxic remarks, including about women and LGBTQ people.

Media Matters previously uncovered that Robinson claimed in 2018 that Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby were victims of a left-wing “plot” to destroy them for their “so-called sexual crimes.” Robinson also called on his followers to “stand up against” the supposed “plot to build up a climate of fear, to shut people's mouths.” Media Matters also reported that he said mass shootings are “karma” for allowing abortion.

Despite his well-known history of extremist remarks, Robinson has gotten support from numerous Republicans. That list includes former President Donald Trump, who endorsed him by claiming he’s “Martin Luther King on steroids.”

Since Robinson began running for governor last year, numerous right-wing media figures have endorsed him with strong praise. Here is a look at those remarks prior to today's reporting about Republicans urging him to leave the race.

Donald Trump Jr. said “we need more” people like Robinson who are “not afraid to say” what they’re thinking. During his Rumble show, Trump Jr. said that he likes Robinson and he’s a “good guy, funny guy, not afraid to say what he is thinking, which I think we need more of.”

Eric Trump: “Amazing, amazing, amazing guy. Amazing guy. … Mark is a wonderful person, a wonderful guy. A person I’ve gotten to know very, very well. And I think not only are we going to win the state, I think he’s going to win the state.”

Lara Trump dismissed concerns about Robinson hurting Trump’s candidacy. During an August interview with Bloomberg, the Republican National Committee co-chair was asked if she was concerned about Robinson’s candidacy. She dismissed concerns that it would hurt her father-in-law's campaign, saying that “Donald Trump typically helps out the candidates in these various races, down-ballot races. … So that’s not a concern for us at all.”

Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk: “Mark, great work. We have your back.”

Kirk also said of Robinson: “He’s got spirit, he’s got gusto, and I think he’s going to be a great governor of this state.”

Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt: Mark Robinson's “no-BS” style is “very refreshing.” During his March 12 program, Schmitt said: “The left, as you just saw, is going nuts over this guy. The avalanche of attacks against him have been piling up in recent days. A sample of Mark Robinson's no-BS, very refreshing style has never been seen better than in 2021 when he talked about gender ideology.”

Fox-host-turned-streamer Dan Bongino: Outside of Trump, Robinson is “my personal favorite guest” and “favorite candidate.” In a video clip posted to his Rumble account during the Republican National Convention, Bongino introduced Robinson by calling him “my personal favorite guest of all time outside of President Donald J. Trump” and “my favorite candidate in the country outside of President Trump. They’re neck-and-neck.”

Former Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka: “We need Mark Robinson in the governorship of North Carolina. … Support this man today.” Interviewing Robinson on his show in March 2024, Gorka added: “He's got my vote if I lived in North Carolina. He's got my support.”

Trump adviser Roger Stone: “Mark Robinson is one of the most dynamic inspiring leaders I have seen in my 45 years in American politics.” The longtime Republican dirty trickster and right-wing commentator wrote that Robinson “is as great a communicator as Ronald Reagan and he has the courage of Donald Trump. I pray to God that he is elected governor of North Carolina.”

GOP operative Jack Posobiec: “TRUMP-ROBINSON 2024.” The right-wing commentator also wrote online: “Listening to Mark Robinson speeches in the gym.”

Moms For America Action: “We are proud to endorse Mark Robinson for Governor because he is a fellow warrior for freedom and shares the same values of faith and family as Moms for America.” The political side of right-wing group Moms for America wrote a press release endorsing Robinson in September 2023 that stated, in part: “We are proud to endorse Mark Robinson for Governor because he is a fellow warrior for freedom and shares the same values of faith and family as Moms for America.”

Newsmax’s Carl Higbie: “For those of you who don’t know @markrobinsonNC, he is the next Star!!!” Higbie added that “he is now the likely next Governor of North Carolina.”

Former Trump national security adviser and right-wing commentator Mike Flynn: “I stand and fully support this great PATRIOT to be the next Governor of North Carolina! @markrobinsonNC.”

Far-right troll Brenden Dilley: “I’m a big fan of this guy. I’ve met him, he’s a great gentleman. … Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has won the North Carolina Republican primary for governor. That’s your next governor in North Carolina, God willing.”

Actor and right-wing commentator Dean Cain: “Go get ém @markrobinsonNC !! North Carolina needs you for Governor!”

Fox’s Sean Hannity defended Robinson, saying “Democrats have been trying to smear, slander, you know, besmirch, attack the lieutenant governor day in and day out." On the March 19 edition of his radio program, Hannity said, “Democrats have been trying to smear, slander, you know, besmirch, attack the lieutenant governor day in and day out. ... I watch what any politician like yourself goes through, and I do wonder. I'm like, why would anybody bother? And I know why you bother because you care.”

Radio host Buck Sexton to Robinson: “Mark, when you win, you’ve got to come on and celebrate with us, OK?”

Right-wing host Benny Johnson: “I just love the energy of this dude.” After airing Robinson’s campaign ad, Johnson said: “I just love the energy of this dude. And I love his story because he’s like an internet story. He’s like a hero of the internet. Guy just went to a town council meeting, gave a speech, and then is going to become governor. That’s like the stuff of the Founding Fathers.”

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Heritage Chief: Vance Pick Is 'Very Connected To The Aims Of Project 2025'

Heritage Chief: Vance Pick Is 'Very Connected To The Aims Of Project 2025'

Shortly after former President Donald Trump picked Sen. JD Vance as his running mate, Project 2025 leader and Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts called Vance “a great friend of mine and Heritage” and suggested a Trump-Vance administration would have a goal “that's very connected to the aims of Project 2025.”

Project 2025, which is led by the right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation, is an extremist plan to guide staffing and policy priorities for the next Republican administration. The project has become so toxic that Paul Dans, the former Project 2025 director, recently stepped down.

Trump and his campaign have attempted to put distance between the former president and Project 2025. But there are numerous documented connections between the Trump campaign and the project. The latest and perhaps one of the strongest connections between Trump and the initiative is Vance himself, who wrote a foreword to Roberts’ book and has lavished both Heritage and Roberts with praise.

Just days after Vance was introduced as Trump’s vice presidential pick, Roberts told radio host Rich Zeoli that he and Vance have “become very good friends” and that “as a friend of Senator Vance and as someone who admires his policies, I couldn't be happier.” He also said: “His being on the ticket isn't even so much about policy, as it is President Trump saying, that's the future of the country, what we're gonna do as a Trump-Vance administration is give American people hope again. Actually, that's very connected to the aims of Project 2025.”

KEVIN ROBERTS (HERITAGE FOUNDATION PRESIDENT): JD is one of the most authentic people I've ever met. He may be — he is one of the most authentic elected officials I've ever met. We've become very good friends because we had similar upbringings. Tens of millions of Americans had hard childhoods. And I, I think therefore he personifies the moment we're in in America, which is that a majority of Americans, lamentably, as we sit here talking, Rich, don't believe the American dream is possible tomorrow. JD Vance's life proves that it is. It doesn't matter if you're white, if you're Black, if you're Asian American, Hispanic.

His being on the ticket isn't even so much about policy, as it is President Trump saying, that's the future of the country, what we're gonna do as a Trump-Vance administration is give American people hope again. Actually, that's very connected to the aims of Project 2025. So both as a friend of Senator Vance and as someone who admires his policies, I couldn't be happier.

During a July 19, appearance on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, Roberts also said of Vance: “The left is apoplectic because Trump remains popular, his vice presidential pick is terrific, a great friend of mine and Heritage.”

KEVIN ROBERTS (HERITAGE FOUNDATION PRESIDENT): This is the key point: The left is apoplectic because Trump remains popular, his vice presidential pick is terrific, a great friend of mine and Heritage. But most importantly, this is the thing guys, as y'all talk about every day. America knows that we've got one more chance to restore the American dream. What the radical left is saying is the exact opposite, and they're ready to be part of this change, which is why when they go to Project 2025 and learn about it, they say, what’s in here to hate? This is what I believe.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Paul Dans

On Video, Project 2025 Director Says Trump Is 'Very Bought In With This'

Paul Dans, a former Trump administration official and the director of Project 2025, told a right-wing podcast last year that his group has a “great” relationship with former President Donald Trump, and “Trump's very bought in with this.” His comments fly in the face of Trump’s recent attempts to distance himself from Project 2025.

Project 2025, which is organized by right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation, states that “Dans directs Heritage’s 2025 Presidential Transition Project, organizing policy and personnel recommendations and training for appointees in the next presidential administration. Prior to joining Heritage, Dans served in the Trump Administration as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.”

Media Matters has heavily documented the extreme nature of Project 2025. Notably, Heritage Foundation president and key Project 2025 figure Kevin Roberts recently sparked heavy criticism when he said, “We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

Following the controversy, Trump attempted to distance himself from the Heritage plan and has repeatedly claimed, “I know nothing about Project 2025.” But media outlets including Media Matters have documented the numerous connections between the project and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Dans himself appears to have contradicted Trump’s claim that he knows nothing about the project. During a podcast interview that aired on May 20, 2023, the Project 2025 director assured a pro-Trump host that “we've had great relationships” with Trump and other Republicans, adding that “ultimately, yes. I think, you know, President Trump's very bought in with this.”

TOM ZAWISTOWSKI (HOST): I'm taking heart of the fact that Paul, you and Spencer [Chretien, associate director of Project 2025], you know, obviously worked for President Trump. So is it alright for us to, you know, to assume that President Trump, you know, is committed to the Project 2025 so that if we go through the effort of recruiting all these people and vetting them and training them, that he will, you know, say, “OK, when I'm elected, you know, these are my people”? And have you reached out to DeSantis and Vivek and, you know, whoever else is out there so that they're buying into this as well because, obviously, that's critical?

PAUL DANS (PROJECT 2025 DIRECTOR): Absolutely. Though our project is what we call candidate-neutral or candidate-agnostic. It's there to serve the next conservative standard bearer, whoever that might be. Very important though in that is making sure the various candidates are aware of what we're doing, are bought in.

And, of course, we've had great relationships with all three of those that you mentioned and other campaigns as well. You know, I think, overall, like you explained, the left does this full-time, all the time. Conservatives though have let this, they've waited on this to happen of May of the election year. Typically, the campaign itself starts a little transition team. And as they're at the same time trying to win the office of the president, they have another group trying to come up with the plan. What we've done here is rethought the whole operation with Heritage, you know, kind of being more of a neutral with respect to candidates, but rounding up the entire conservative movement and saying we're going to do all this vetting, all this identification of people, the training of them. We're going to draft a lot of these executive orders that take, you know, months and months of time and basically allow you — you know, offer these to you when you get there.

So ultimately, yes. I think, you know, President Trump's very bought in with this. We're fortunate to have John McEntee, who many of your listeners may know was, he was, helmed the Office of Presidential Personnel in what I would call the fourth quarter of the first term of Trump. But he is one of our senior advisers. We have other senior advisers who were very close to the governor and, you know, all the other teams, Vivek.

During an appearance last month on Steve Bannon's War Room program, Dans said that Project 2025 is the “instruction manual” for a second Trump administration. He has also told the Australian Financial Review he thinks Trump “will adopt” many of the project's ideas. He has additionally defended the fake electors scheme.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Nazi-Promoting Antisemite On Speaking Tour With Eric And Lara Trump

Nazi-Promoting Antisemite On Speaking Tour With Eric And Lara Trump

Extremist commentator Christiane Northrup has promoted a pro-Nazi film that denies the Holocaust, encouraged people to check out the infamous antisemitic tract Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and repeatedly pushed the conspiracy theory that a secretive mafia is hiding behind Jewish identity to control world events. Still, Northrup has spoken twice at Trump’s Miami resort alongside Eric and Lara Trump and been featured in a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign video.

Northrup is a former OBGYN who initially gained fame as a self-help author who was praised by Oprah Winfrey. Since then, as The Washington Post reported in May 2022, Northrup has claimed COVID-19 “was part of a plot involving Deep State brainwashing and treacherous depopulation schemes” and she “encouraged fans to check out QAnon, called the Centers for Disease Control a ‘covid death cult,’ and described the vaccines as crimes against humanity.”

Northrup is listed as a “featured” speaker on the pro-Trump ReAwaken America Tour. She, along with Eric and Lara Trump — now the co-chair of the Republican National Committee — appeared on the tour’s stops at Trump Doral in Miami, Florida, in May and October 2023.

A poster for the tour’s next stop in Selma, North Carolina, in October lists Northrup, Eric Trump, and Lara Trump as scheduled speakers.

The tour has become a magnet for Hitler-promoting antisemites. Including Northrup, Media Matters has now identified at least five speakers who have shared antisemitic and pro-Hitler material.

Aside from appearing on the ReAwaken America Tour, Northrup also has connections to Kennedy’s presidential campaign. At a launch event, the campaign featured Northrup in a video titled “‘The Experiment’ | Running on Truth | Episode 1” that referred to her as a “world-renowned physician and bestselling author.” Northrup said in the video: “This is a time to bring America back together. We have been torn apart, and if anyone can bring it back together, it's the Kennedys.” (The Kennedy family, minus RFK Jr., has been extremely critical of RFK Jr.’s campaign.)

The Bangor Daily News reported in August that Northrup had donated money to the campaign.

Northrup has also repeatedly appeared on programs hosted by Children’s Health Defense — the conspiratorial group founded by Kennedy — and spoke at a 2021 anti-vaccine rally that was headlined by Kennedy.

Additionally, Kennedy’s book The Real Anthony Fauci touts a blurb from Northrup on its Skyhorse Publishing page. (Skyhorse is run by Kennedy ally Tony Lyons.)

Northrup has offered praise of both Trump and Kennedy. In May, for instance, Northrup said that she “can’t prove it" but her "opinion is that Trump and RFK Jr. are working together somehow behind the scenes to take down this entire satanic agenda.”

In the past several years, Northrup has promoted pro-Hitler and virulently antisemitic propaganda.

The pro-Nazi film Europa: The Last Battle

In December 2021, Northrup shared a link to the film Europa:The Last Battle on her Telegram account. The film is pro-Nazi propaganda that portrays Jewish people as the real villains of World War II and Hitler as someone who “ensured racial security for the people,” battled against supposed Jewish subversion, and who actually wanted peace. It also features rampant Holocaust denial.

Here are sample quotes from the more than 12-hours long film:

  • “Hitler's radical program restored German economic independence, ensured racial security for the people, and diverted the nation's wealth from banking cardinals to the ordinary people. Meanwhile, the rest of the world, still ruled under the Rothschild cabal, was still in recession.”
  • “What politically correct historians fail to mention — or deliberately cover up — is the fact that Hitler actually made several documented attempts in an effort to avoid World War II.”
  • “A growing movement of brave scientists, historians, engineers, journalists, and other free speech activists have investigated the official, politically correct Holocaust story and found it to be exaggerated and even false.”
  • “In 1933, when international Jewry had declared war upon Germany, they formally established themselves as an enemy of Germany, which according to international law, gave Germany the legal right to disarm and intern the German Jews. After the repeated attempts of subversion, murders, and terror against the German people, the Jews had made themselves into enemies of the German nation. The National Socialists logically considered Jews as a direct threat to national security.”

In February 2022, Northrup also shared a Bitchute clip from Europa: The Last Battle and wrote: “The Bolshevik Revolution. Substitute the word Jew in here with Khazarian. These are not the Hebrews of the Bible.” The clip is virulently antisemitic and states near the beginning: “The fact that we will never learn in school is that communism actually was a Jewish totalitarian ideology invented by Jews, funded by Jewish bankers, and economically manifested by Jewish Bolsheviks.”

Protocols of the Elders of Zion

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum states that “the Protocols of the Elders of Zion is the most notorious and widely distributed antisemitic publication of modern times. Its lies about Jews, which have been repeatedly discredited, continue to circulate today, especially on the internet. The individuals and groups who have used the Protocols are all linked by a common purpose: to spread hatred of Jews.”

Northrup shouted out the antisemitic text during an August 2022 interview as the “playbook” of people she opposes. She stated while talking about vaccinations: “Oh my goodness, the virtue signaling. You know, ‘I am doing this to save you.’ Whenever you hear that, that's just outright Marxism. That's how it works. You find out their playbook, you might, it's still on YouTube. I think the Protocols of Zion. And they say all over it, by the way, ‘This has been debunked.’”

The 'Khazarian mafia' conspiracy theory

As Media Matters previously documented, the antisemitic Khazarian mafia conspiracy theory essentially claims that a group of fake Jewish people (the “Khazarian mafia”) stole Jewish identity centuries ago and now hides behind Judaism to control world affairs.

Northrup has promoted videos about the Khazarian mafia. In February 2024, she shared a Rumble video with the title: “Khazarian Mafia: SATANISTS - CANNIBALS, ADRENOCHROME and The God Eaters PART 1 of 2.”

In December 2023, she shared a Rumble video with the title: “KHAZARIAN MAFIA Pt IV [RED SIREN EMOJI] The SYNAGOGUE of SATAN [RED SIREN EMOJI] Is Real, DEMONIC ATTACKS, EXORCISMS & God’s Jubilee.”

In November 2022, she shared an article promoting the conspiracy theory that the Khazarian mafia was behind the assasination of John F. Kennedy, the uncle of RFK Jr. The piece Northrup linked to claimed that “the Khazarian Mafia had no choice (in their utterly warped collective minds) but to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. And, because of his extremely serious transgressions against the Khazarian Klan, his brutal murder was used as a shocking example to all future heads of state who even thought about leaving the Khazarian-created global reservation.”

In August 2022, she made an audio clip claiming that the Khazarian mafia "infiltrated the Jewish nation.”

In December 2021, she promoted an article — since removed — that included the false claim that the Khazarian Mafia “financed the Dominion and Smartmatic voting machines used to steal the election from Trump.”

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Royce White

Minnesota GOP Senate Nominee Pushes 9/11 Conspiracy Theories

Right-wing podcaster Royce White, who has the backing of Minnesota Republicans in his campaign for the U.S. Senate, is a 9/11 conspiracy theorist. During his podcast last December, White raised questions about the collapse of 7 World Trade Center and also falsely claimed that “there's no camera footage of the plane hitting the Pentagon” on September 11, 2001.

White is the host of the podcast Please Call Me Crazy and a regular guest on the program of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who has endorsed White's candidacy. White has pushed numerous right-wing conspiracy theories, including about the hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, the tragic Maui wildfires, and the 2020 election.

Media Matters has previously reported about White’s history of using slurs and pejoratives to attack people, including hurling the words “f-g,” “c--t,” and “retard.”

White is also a frequent guest on the show of Alex Jones, the far-right host who has made a career out of pushing conspiracy theories about school shootings and 9/11, among other tragedies. Like White, Jones is a 9/11 conspiracy theorist.

During the December 3 edition of Please Call Me Crazy, White hosted antisemitic conspiracy theorist Hotep Jesus (Bryan Sharpe), who called 9/11 a “false flag” and said that “you gotta be a complete idiot” to think that “some planes” took down the World Trade Center. Sharpe added that if he “had to take a guess, it was a controlled demolition.”

White responded by saying he thinks “the planes actually hit” the twin towers, but pushed conspiracy theories about the collapse of 7 World Trade Center — a central component of the 9/11 conspiracy theory movement — and the Pentagon.

ROYCE WHITE: I think when you look at the total evidence where you had strange incidents of —

BRYAN SHARPE: I’ll say this.

WHITE: Unmarked vans going in and out of the basements weeks before and then you had building 7, which was a complete and utter ridiculous thing that nobody still will answer. And then even the Pentagon, you know, the Pentagon, the most secure build — think about it, guys. I mean, let's just talk for real. I know I know you guys love the Department of Defense that steals 3 fucking trillion dollars from you and says, oh, it just disappeared. Okay. This ain't the first time they've been doing it. Go back to Rumsfeld on 2001. He says, we're missing three, you know, whatever whatever, however much money. And then the next day, you know, you had 9/11 take place, and then you had a plane smack into the Pentagon. And there's no camera footage of the plane hitting the Pentagon? The most secure fucking building in the entire world? The most secure building in the entire world. And there's not a single camera shot of that airplane ramming into that building, and we can't even ask the question?

Contrary to White’s claim that “there's no camera footage of the plane hitting the Pentagon,” as the Associated Press wrote, “Footage from two Pentagon security cameras outside the building shows the American Airlines flight crashing into the Pentagon.” White’s claim about the “missing” money is also false but part of 9/11 conspiracy lore.

White later said that “you don't need to get bogged down with did the planes hit or didn't the planes hit. Let's look at the net result. The net result is you lost your rights. Whether the planes hit or didn't hit, whether it was controlled demolition or not. Whatever happened, we know what — You lost your fucking rights.”

Sharpe also said of 9/11: “You gotta be a whole dumbass to believe the official story of 9/11 … Or somebody who, like, you work for Fox, so you don't wanna lose your job. So you gotta kinda, like, go along to get along. Right? Like, you can't work for Fox and deny 9/11. They're gonna fire you. Right? Because they're all just fucking cuck liberals up there, right?” White responded, “Of course. Sean Hannitys.”

While Sharpe called Fox News personalities “fucking cuck liberals,” the network has repeatedly hosted him.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

South Carolina GOP House Nominee Closely Tied To Neo-Nazi Stew Peters

South Carolina GOP House Nominee Closely Tied To Neo-Nazi Stew Peters

Right-wing commentator Mark Burns yesterday advanced to a runoff for the Republican nomination for a U.S. House seat in South Carolina. Burns is a repeat guest on the show of virulent antisemite Stew Peters, whom he has called a “friend.” He also recently told Peters, “We got to be doing something right if we're being called dangerous ... I'm proud they call you dangerous.”

Peters has pushed Holocaust denial, portrayed Hitler as “a hero,” and claimed that “straight-faced lying about easily provable facts comes second-nature to the Jew,” among many other antisemitic remarks.

Burns is a Christian nationalist pastor and commentator who has a history of making toxic remarks, including about LGBTQ people. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Burns.

Burns has said he is friends with Peters. He wrote in August 2023: “It was so great to see my friend Stew Peters today here in Las Vegas.”

Peters is the host of The Stew Peters Show, which streams online. Peters is a conspiracy theorist and far-right extremist who has called for violence against his perceived enemies. He recently has taken part in a militia dedicated to “mobiliz[ing] to DEFEND this Republic from any enemy.”

Peters is also a virulent antisemite who openly praises Hitler. For example:

  • Peters praised the Nazis for burning books, stating: “When it comes down to the old Nazi book burnings, as they call them, it was justified. … It was awesome.” He said of Hitler’s role in book burning: “But for this, wasn’t he a hero?”
  • Peters has also released a promotional video claiming that Jewish “perversion” spurred the Nazis, who were “pushed to their breaking point."
  • Peters claimed: “Adolf Hitler and the rise of the National Socialists may be the most lied about people in world history.”
  • Peters has promoted the pro-Nazi film Europa: The Last Battle, calling it “one of the most important films you can watch.” That film defends Hitler as a hero and pushes doubt about the Holocaust.
  • Peters has promoted Holocaust denial on his show.
  • Peters wrote in response to a headline stating that the Nazis took “over Rothschild bank”: “Hiltler and the Nazis are the worst people in history! How could they possibly do something so positive for humanity?!??”
  • Peters wrote: “Straight-faced lying about easily provable facts comes second-nature to the Jew. Is this a cultural or genetic phenomenon?”
  • Peters wrote: “The dollar is purposely being tanked by Jewish-banksters within our own government” and “The US has merely served as a host nation for Jewish financial interests since the end of WWII.”
  • Peters has claimed that Judaism is a “death cult built on the blood of murdered babies.”
  • Peters said: “We don't have any representation in Washington. We have a bunch of people that are sold out to Jews.”

Burns has repeatedly gone on Peters’ program, including most recently on May 7. During that appearance, he repeatedly promoted extremist rhetoric including claiming that being transgender is “an evil from the gates of Hell.”

During that episode, he also praised and defended Peters. At the start of their conversation, he said: “Happy to be here, Stew. Always happy to be on your show.” And toward the end, in response to media criticism, Burns said:

MARK BURNS: Well, Stew, we got to be doing something right if we're being called dangerous people by liberal left media that's bought out by and sold out by a evil, demonic spirit, then I think we are in good company. And I'm proud that they’re calling me [inaudible] -- I'm proud they call you dangerous.

Burns used that recent appearance to promote his campaign.

In 2022, Burns caused significant controversy during an appearance on Peters’ show in which, as Right Wing Watch documented, he said “that the LGBTQ agenda represents ‘a national security threat’ and therefore anyone promoting it is guilty of treason and should be executed.” That episode was guest-hosted by far-right extremist Lauren Witzke. (Burns has attempted to distance himself from his remarks, having “said the clip was taken out of context” and his “stance on the LGBTQ community is not one of hate.”)

Peters is so extreme that Republican Arizona state Sen. Anthony Kern lost his permission to use the chamber’s broadcasting equipment after he used the Senate’s broadcast studio to appear on the show on May 1.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Angela Stanton King

RFK Jr. Campaign Director Reveals Her True Allegiance Is To Trump

Angela Stanton King, a far-right commentator working as a director for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign, said on a conspiratorial podcast last month that she loves Trump and that Kennedy is “another option” because her “fear is that they're going to stop at nothing to keep Trump from winning.”

She also said that she's working to take away votes from President Joe Biden and “if Trump or Kennedy gets it, I don't lose either way.”

Stanton King’s remarks resemble those of then-Kennedy official Rita Palma, who argued that the independent candidate’s presence on the New York ballot would help Trump defeat Biden, which she said was her “No. 1 priority.” (Palma was later fired.)

Kennedy has frequently attempted to appeal to right-wing audiences. He has also promoted numerous conspiracy theories as a commentator and has populated his campaign with conspiracy theorists.

Stanton King fits the Kennedy campaign's attempts to cater to right-wing media audiences. She is a far-right speaker, author, and guest on right-wing programming. She has claimed that the election was stolen from Trump, promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory, and made bigoted remarks about LGBTQ people.

She works as the Black voter engagement director for Kennedy and has participated in events and door knocking with him. He also recorded a song with her. This past weekend, Stanton King appeared at a campaign event with Kennedy’s running mate Nicole Shanahan.

Stanton King has been a strong supporter of Trump, who pardoned her in 2020 for a 2004 car theft sentence. In 2021, for instance, she said: “Trump can’t be President forever and I know that. But he’s the only one bold enough to fight these evil Demonic Satanic forces from the pits of HELL and I’m standing with him.”

Stanton King is still praising the former president, including while doing surrogate work for Kennedy on the April 20, 2024, edition of Nino’s Corner. That show is hosted by David “Niño” Rodriguez, a far-right podcaster who has said that Biden “stole the election”; 9/11 “was an inside job”; and COVID-19 “was a hoax and vaccines would kill u.” He has frequently promoted QAnon, including offering programming that analyzes “Q drops” and “Q posts.”

During the start of his interview with Stanton King, Rodriguez said: “I will say, I'm one foot in, one foot out with RFK. I'm a Trump supporter. Everybody knows that.” Stanton King replied: “Me too.” She later said that she’s “in a pickle here because I love” Trump and Kennedy and said:

ANGELA STANTON KING: RFK is liked by a lot of people. Like, we love Trump, but we know that RFK is not afraid to stand up to the establishment either. And I think that's what many of us respect about RFK. And for me personally, I made this decision because I was tired of being on one side where all we're doing is constantly fighting, and I was tired of not being able to work with certain people in my community because I was being labeled as a Trump supporter. And I just honestly believe that in order for us to come together that we do have to stop fighting.

She later stated that part of her efforts is to take away votes from Biden:

DAVID RODRIGUEZ: Throughout history, right, it's shown that third-party candidates kind of siphon votes from one or the other. And it looks like in this instance with RFK, he's going to probably take a lot of the votes away from Biden. Correct? I mean, that's what you're looking [inaudible]--?

STANTON KING: Well, yeah, that's true because he, and not to cut you off, but for my community — and you know how it is, you know how the media has created this stereotype that Trump and the Republicans are all racists — so for people in my community that aren't necessarily comfortable with coming over to the Republican Party, this provides a space for them. And to me, I'm like, listen, we've got to get away from the Democrats. So you guys have two options, right? If you don't want to vote for Trump, then Kennedy is a much better option than Joe Biden. And for me, shifting my community is very important. And I think that the independent space provides a safety net for those that are just not comfortable with the Republican Party but want to step away from the Democrats.

Stanton King continued offering Trump-friendly rhetoric during the interview (“I love Trump”), including stating that she loves Trump and views RFK Jr. as “another option” because she fears that “they're going to stop at nothing to keep Trump from winning”:

STANTON KING: My fear is that they're going to stop at nothing to keep Trump from winning. And I don't want to just give it over to Joe Biden. If for some reason we see another 2020, we need to have another option. And I think that RFK may be that. So that's kind of like where I'm at. I love Trump, my Republican friends that have supported me so much, I love them too. But even sometimes when it comes to the Republican Party, we've seen where the Republican Party didn't even stand behind Trump. Like, they let them get indicted four times. We saw what Mike Pence did with the vote. You know what I'm saying? So, I think it's time for us all to put people over party.

She later said that while campaigning with Trump she saw him draw vastly bigger crowds than Biden, asking, “How in the world was Joe Biden able to win or steal or whatever an election from Trump?”

She also suggested that she'd be happy if either Trump or Kennedy wins the election, stating: “If Trump or Kennedy gets it, I don't lose either way.”

STANTON KING: I love them both very dearly. A Trump-Kennedy ticket would mean the world to me because they're both guys that have shown me that not only do they care for me, but they care for my community. So for me, it's the winning ticket. Like I don't lose either way, right? If Trump or Kennedy gets it, I don't lose either way. But for both of them to get in, to me that would be a dream come true. And I don't know what those guys are doing. Trump hasn't picked a VP yet, and I'm thinking like Trump still may want to — if Trump got in and Kennedy didn’t, Trump still may want to pull Kennedy and make him, you know, the director of health administration. There are just so many options here. But I don't think that the Kennedy campaign and the Trump campaign are enemies.

Stanton King later portrayed the 2024 election as “us against the Democrats, either way it goes. It's the Republicans and independents against the Democrat Party. And we've gotta all unite.”

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

GOP Nominee To Run North Carolina Schools Is A QAnon Extremist

GOP Nominee To Run North Carolina Schools Is A QAnon Extremist

Michele Morrow, the Republican nominee for state superintendent of public instruction in North Carolina, frequently promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory in newly unearthed social media posts. She also referenced a QAnon-fueled conspiracy theory to suggest that actor Jim Carrey drinks the blood of children.

Morrow is a far-right commentator who has written for Newsmax and appeared on various media outlets. Her history includes marching in Washington, D.C., on January 6 (Morrow said that she didn’t storm the Capitol) and attacking public schools as “socialist indoctrination centers.” She espouses anti-LGBTQ views, such as saying during Pride Month in June 2023: “As a nurse, I want you to understand something: There is no pride in perversion.”

Morrow is also anti-Muslim: She has written that the country should “ban Islam” and “ban Muslims from elected offices.” (She has claimed “that she was only talking about supporters of radical Islam.”)

She won the Republican primary on March 5. North Carolina’s superintendent of public instruction oversees more than 2,000 schools and more than 100,000 teachers and administrators.

QAnon is the sprawling far-right conspiracy theory in which supporters claim that Donald Trump has been secretly working to take down pedophilia rings that are supposedly linked to high-profile politicians and entertainment figures, among others. The conspiracy theory has been linked to numerous acts of violence.

Over the years, Republican politicians including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) have promoted the conspiracy theory. Trump has also repeatedly promoted QAnon supporters online.

Morrow frequently engaged with the conspiracy theory in the lead up to the 2020 election.

One of the movement’s hashtags is WWG1WGA (“where we go one, we go all”). In 2020, Morrow posted the QAnon hashtag at least seven times.

Michele Morrow QAnon hashtag 3Michele Morrow 2 QAnon images 1Michele Morrow 2 QAnon images 2Michele Morrow 2 QAnon images 3

[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

She has also responded to posts that mentioned “Q” and “QAnon.”

In 2020, she positively responded to a post about Trump going after drug cartels that had the hashtags “#qarmy #qanon #WWG1WGA #WWG1WGA_WORLDWIDE.”

Michele Morrow QAnon response 1

In 2019, she also responded “Yes! Prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!” to a pro-QAnon post which stated, “POTUS 45 + Q + General Flynn + Mister Durham + AG Barr ... and many many other warriors are starting the storm ... 44 and his criminals will be brought to justice ... no mercy please !!!!”

Michele Morrow QAnon response 2

Additionally, in 2020 she promoted the QAnon-fueled adrenochrome conspiracy theory in response to a post about actor Jim Carrey and added the hashtag “JusticeIsComing”. The conspiracy theory essentially claims that elites are harvesting and drinking the blood of tortured children to extend the drinkers’ lives.

Michele Morrow Jim Carrey conspiracy theory

In 2020, Trump thanked Morrow after she praised him on CNN.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters

Michael Flynn

Mike Flynn Says He's Been An Alex Jones Conspiracy Fanboy Since 2008

Retired Gen. Mike Flynn appeared on the December 27, 2023, edition of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ show to praise the host, saying that when he “had first seen him in 2008 and 2009” he had said, “That guy's absolutely right on the money.” In the years since, Flynn has served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and White House national security adviser, and could potentially return to government under a second Trump administration.

Jones is one of the country’s leading conspiracy theorists. He has pushed false claims about a variety of tragedies, including the mass shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School; the Boston Marathon bombing; and 9/11. In November, Jones aired a report questioning the Holocaust death toll.

The families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims successfully sued Jones for his lies about the tragedy.

Despite Jones’ long history of toxicity, right-wing media figures and Republican politicians — including former President Donald Trump — have embraced him over the years.

Among Jones’ admirers is Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI before being pardoned by Trump. Prior to that, Flynn also served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under then-President Barack Obama, but was fired in 2014.

Trump has suggested that Flynn will be involved in his potential second administration, telling him at an event last year: “We’re going to bring you back.”

Flynn has also acted as a far-right media commentator and has repeatedly made toxic remarks. In 2021, he warned his audience that “we're being marched” to Nazi death camps but that, unlike Holocaust victims, he “would never get on that train.” He also seemed to call for a Myanmar-style coup in the United States (which he later denied); encouraged Trump to invoke martial law in order to redo the 2020 election; and tweeted that “Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL.” Flynn also previously supported the QAnon movement.

Along with Clay Clark, Flynn co-founded the pro-Trump ReAwaken America tour. Those events, which feature Eric Trump and other Trump allies, have repeatedly featured Hitler-promoting antisemites. (The tour has dropped those speakers after facing criticism.)

On the December 27, 2023, edition of The Alex Jones Show, Flynn appeared in-studio for a significant amount of time and praised his host. Clark also appeared on the program as a guest.

During a commentary about trusting the right people, Flynn spoke directly to Jones’ audience: “Alex has been bashed over the head for the better part of really 30 years, and I told Alex a couple of years ago when we met that I had first seen him in 2008 and 2009. I said, ‘That guy's absolutely right on the money.’ And here we are sitting here today in 2023, we're talking about the same issues — although they have exacerbated. So we have to really dig in. Do the research, listen to the right people.”

Shortly after Flynn’s endorsement, Jones characteristically argued that government-aligned entities are planning to stage false flags in order to spark a civil war: “They're going to stage false flags — unless we expose them and stop them — to blame us and trigger this. And they're going to make moves that they believe will elicit a civil war. This isn't coming. It's here. They are going to try this.”

Following Jones’ “false flags” warning, Flynn replied: “This is absolutely right.”

During the show, as Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights Executive Director Devin Burghart noted, Flynn also invoked violent imagery to prepare viewers for bloody conflict.

MIKE FLYNN: I don't raise my voice that much, but when I do, it means that we are moving to — as Alex just said — we're moving towards the sound of the guns here, folks. And the sound of the guns is freedom. We are going to move towards freedom.

In a December 2018 Washington Post profile about Flynn, a Defense Intelligence Agency officer said that when Flynn was leading the agency, he “started doing weird things, like bring[ing] his unsecured BlackBerry into the secure space.” Flynn “became unabashed about his beliefs,” the officer said, “In meetings, he sounded like he was reading Breitbart and Alex Jones and random bloggers, alt-right stuff, and he’d just say, ‘Well, I heard this . . .’ ”

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Donald Trump Jr.

Don Junior Previews Lunatic Staffing Of Next Trump White House

Donald Trump Jr. said on his streaming program yesterday that he wants Laura Loomer as former President Donald Trump’s White House press secretary and Mike Davis as attorney general. Loomer has described herself as a “proud Islamophobe” and “pro-white nationalism,” while Davis has declared that if given power in a future Trump Justice Department he would use it to imprison Trump’s political enemies and support pardons for “every January 6 defendant.”

On the October 9 edition of his Rumble show, Trump Jr. said that he’d “love to see” Loomer “as press secretary just to watch D.C. just explode.” He explained:

DONALD TRUMP JR.: She’s a bulldog, man, I will say that. She gets after it. I’d love to see her as press secretary just to watch D.C. just explode. There’s a couple of people that you could put in positions like that, you know. We talk about, like, you know, Mike Davis as attorney general, one of those guys. You almost have to. Just put them in as interim even just to send that shot across the bow of the swamp, you know? Like — you want to play?

You want to play? And then you can get someone, you know, the guys that wouldn’t get affirmed or otherwise. But let like Mike Davis, you know, Kash Patel be like interim AGs. Put Laura Loomer as press secretary for just a couple of days just to, you know, these losers in the — they’ll figure out exactly how easy their job is, you know, before that, so that’d be pretty funny.

Following his 2016 election, Trump stocked his White House and administration with an array of familiar faces from his television screen, including at least 20 former Fox News employees. As the former president has widened his media diet since leaving office to include even more unhinged sources, it’s not implausible that a future administration would feature denizens from the right-wing fever swamps.

Here’s who Trump Jr. is suggesting be given power under a potential 2024 Trump administration.

Laura Loomer

Loomer is a conspiracy theorist who recently joined Rumble as an exclusive host — a fitting collaboration since the platform hosts right-wing conspiracy theories and bigoted rhetoric. (Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski hailed Loomer’s addition.)

According to The New York Times, former president Donald Trump wanted to hire Loomer for his current presidential campaign but was talked out of it. Since then, he has repeatedly praised Loomer, and campaign adviser Jason Miller recently appeared on her program, where he called her “the best” and said of Trump: “I know he's very appreciative for everything that you do, Laura.”

(Ironically, one of Loomer’s biggest critics is member of congress and anti-Muslim bigot Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has called Loomer “a documented liar,” among other things)

Loomer is virulently anti-Muslim. She has said that she is “anti-Islam” and a “proud Islamophobe,” stated that she never wants “another Muslim entering this country EVER AGAIN,” and asked, “How many more people need to die before everyone agrees that Islam is cancer & we should never let another Muslim into the civilized world?” Here is a summary of some — but certainly not all — of her anti-Muslim rants.

  • Loomer described herself as a “proud Islamophobe” and wrote: “I never want another Muslim entering this country EVER AGAIN!”
  • Loomer called Muslims “savages” who “ruin everything.”
  • In response to July 2017 news that “over 2,000 migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean so far this year,” Loomer tweeted: “Good. [clapping emoji] Here's to 2,000 more.”
  • Loomer wrote of the 2019 mass murder of 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand: “Nobody cares about Christchurch. I especially don’t.”
  • Loomer said: “How many more people need to die before everyone agrees that Islam is cancer & we should never let another Muslim into the civilized world?”
  • Loomer has argued that “it should be illegal in America to take your oath of office on the Quran,” explaining, “There must be a full blown effort to prevent these people from further infiltrating our government.”
  • Loomer complained in 2021 of former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy: “Kevin is very pro-Islam. He wouldn’t allow the NRCC to support my campaign last year because I’m anti-Islam and he doesn’t like that I speak out about Sharia law and Islamic terrorism/ immigration.”

Loomer also said during a podcast: “Someone asked me ‘Are you pro-white nationalism?’ Yes. I’m pro-white nationalism.”

Mike Davis 

Davis served in the Justice Department during the Bush administration, oversaw judicial nominations as a staffer to then-Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, and played lead roles in the confirmations of Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. He founded the Article III Project, which he described to The New York Times in 2019 as an effort to “take off the gloves, put on the brass knuckles and fight back” on judicial issues. That article characterized Davis as “a take-no-prisoners conservative eager to challenge the left with hardball tactics.”

In practice, Davis has spent the last several years offering unhinged and authoritarian diatribes, conspiracy theories, and pro-Trump sycophancy on his social media feed and across a constellation of right-wing media outlets.

He has excused Trump’s withholding of government documents by claiming presidents can effectively “wave a magic wand” and declassify them; urged House Republicans to impeach Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and President Joe Biden; said that Biden is “the perfect guy to put in the White House if you want a puppet to control”; described Trump’s various criminal indictments as “a political hit by Biden and Garland to take out Trump for the 2024 presidential election” that will “have a very chilling effect on democracy” and the district attorneys and the special counsel investigating Trump as “partisan hitmen sent by Biden to take out Trump”; and argued that the New York civil suit against Trump was “only constitutional in Third World Marxist hellholes” and was essentially “legal terrorism."

Davis has put forward a chillingly specific platform for what he would do if appointed attorney general, which he describes as his “reign of terror.” He claims to have “five lists, ready to go and they're growing,” which consist of political enemies he would fire, indict, deport, or imprison in the “DC gulag” or Guantanamo Bay, as well as political supporters who would be pardoned, including “every January 6th defendant.”

When Media Matters’ Jason Campbell reported on those remarks in September, Davis replied that he was “excited to put” Campbell “and all the leftwing freaks at” Media Matters on the lists for indictment, deportation, and imprisonment at the “DC gulag” or Gitmo. When Media Matters’ Matt Gertz noted that “Trumpists are becoming unusually explicit in acknowledging they want to regain power so they can engineer political prosecutions of people they disagree with,” Davis responded, “Fact Check: True,” adding that Gertz had been added to the indictment and gulag/Gitmo lists.

Trump Jr. also mentioned Kash Patel as a potential attorney general. Patel previously worked as chief of staff to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller during the Trump administration. He is now a right-wing pundit who, along with other senior Trump officials, has spoken at events featuring Hitler-promoting antisemites. He’s also embraced the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Moms For Liberty Activist Pushed Anne Frank Book Ban -- And Joined Antisemitic Broadcast

Moms For Liberty Activist Pushed Anne Frank Book Ban -- And Joined Antisemitic Broadcast

A Moms for Liberty chair who previously fought a library for having an adaption of Anne Frank’s diary recently promoted her organization on an antisemitic network that warns viewers about “seditious Jews,” “Jewish tyrants,” and how Jewish people “have forsaken God.” She clearly had a positive effect on network leader Rick Wiles, who told her that he wants to “do everything I can to help you” and said that Moms for Liberty is doing “great work.”

Jen Pippin is the chair of the Moms for Liberty chapter in Indian River County, Florida. Pippin was recently awarded the group’s “Abigail Adams Award for Public Policy” and the group wrote that she “stepped up to launch one of the first two Moms for Liberty chapters in the country." The post celebrating Pippin’s award said she “has not only had an enormous impact on her community, she has served at the state level on committees to shape policies and guidelines for school libraries and teachers.”

Pippin made national news after she forced a high school to remove Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation from its library because it allegedly had “sexually explicit” content and was “not a true adaptation of the Holocaust.”

Media Matters has documented Moms for Liberty’s extremism as the group has gained influence among Republican politicians and in the right-wing media. Moms for Liberty also promoted rhetoric from Adolf Hitler to argue for its mission.

Pippin appeared on TruNews on September 12 to promote Moms for Liberty and its mission. Evidence about the nature of the network is ample and readily available.

TruNews is led by Rick Wiles, a virulent antisemite who has said of Jewish people: “That’s the way the Jews work. They are deceivers, they plot, they lie, they do whatever they have to do to accomplish their political agenda. … You have been taken over by a Jewish cabal.” He has also claimed that “the American people are being oppressed by Jewish tyrants” and the impeachment of Donald Trump was a “Jew coup.”

TruNews posts antisemitic content on its website such as:

National outlets have documented TruNews’ virulent antisemitism, including after the Trump White House gave the site press credentials and Donald Trump Jr. granted an interview to the outlet.

Pippin appeared in a 30-plus-minute segment on TruNews with Wiles. The two promoted the work of Moms for Liberty and Wiles repeatedly praised and offered to help the organization. After complaining about allegedly inappropriate material in schools, Wiles asked Pippin: “I think, Jennifer, we should sue the school board. You want some help, you want some help in suing the school board?” He added:

RICK WILES (HOST): I will do everything I can to help you. I will help raise money. I will help organize. I will help you get a lawsuit against the school board. I think you should sue the school board and the sheriff's office for the violation of constitutional rights in a meeting. These people have to be taught a lesson. They must be taught a lesson. And I will help you. The remaining minutes we got, tell us about Moms for Liberty, because your group just suddenly appeared in the last couple of years and now you're listed as domestic terrorists.

He continued later: “We are on your side. We will help Moms for Liberty in anything that you need. … If you [in the audience] are interested in Moms for Liberty, go to their website, MomsforLiberty.org and become a member. Start a chapter. Do something. Help them and support them because they're doing a great work and the leftist communists are smearing them and trying to take them down.”

Pippin replied at the conclusion of the segment: “Thank you for having me on. I appreciate it.”

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.