@justinhorowitz_
How Right-Wing Grifters Promote Online Sports And Crypto Gambling To Kids

How Right-Wing Grifters Promote Online Sports And Crypto Gambling To Kids

Right-wing influencer and Andrew Tate fanboy Adin Ross sits behind his computer and streams brightly colored slot games, blackjack, and roulette to his audience of loyal fans. Ross has blown through gargantuan sums of money while gambling on his livestreams and has won big jackpots.

“You have like tons of different emotions throughout your whole entire body,” Ross said about the euphoria of online gambling during an interview. “It’s just dopamine release.”

If Ross’ audience members are interested in following in his footsteps, he is setting them up to fail.

Ross is an example of influencers and right-wing figures who are promoting crypto gambling and sports betting ventures to their young audiences. Many of these figures, including Ross, have landed major sponsorship deals with gambling companies and are sometimes given house money to gamble with, removing the actual risk associated with online gambling.

Influencers are promoting these games to young viewers as gambling addiction rises among adolescents and horrorstoriesabout streamers and followers draining their bank accounts are popping up across the internet.

Meanwhile, a number of streamers have enormous and devoted followings across social media, and the lucrative industry is constantly evolving. Teens and young adults in particular have a fondness for watching livestreamers. According to a report in Wired, 21% of the users on Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch are between 13 and 17 years old.

Twitch has had a complicatedrelationship with gambling and casino streamers on its platform and has placed limits on the kind of gambling that is allowed. Some influencers have spoken out about the unrealistic expectations that gambling streamers create for their fan bases.

Influencers promoting gambling and betting companies

High-profile streamers, influencers, and celebrities have aligned themselves with gaming organizations like Stake, a crypto gambling and sports betting website. These figures share videos and pictures of themselves using Stake, gamble while livestreaming, promote the website, and sometimes share gambling earnings on social media.

For instance, rapper Drake has become an official partner of Stake, and the site has sponsored a handful of other influencers.

One of the most high-profile Stake-sponsored streamers is Ross, who has a “huge, dedicated fanbase” and exclusively streams on Twitch rival Kick. Kick is a new streaming platform that is reportedly backed by Stake and is a safe haven for white nationalist-linked content creators. The website features various gambling categories that viewers can join and watch streamers play.

On Kick, Ross labels some livestreams with “#AD,” appearing to indicate that the gambling he is doing on his stream is part of a sponsorship deal. At one point, Ross was reportedly making nearly $1 million a week from his Stake sponsorship.

An 11-year-old Ross fan reportedly admitted to gambling on Stake after watching Ross’ streams.

Ross has publicly acknowledged that young kids watch his gambling streams and that past projects he has sponsored have been scams.

“By the way, that MILF token shit that I did a while back, I already told you guys, don't buy that shit,” Ross said during a livestream about a past crypto project he promoted. “I got paid a bag to do that shit. Like, I don't give a fuck. I hope none of you guys actually bought it."

During an interview on the H3 Podcast, Ross was told about the potential harms that could come from promoting crypto gambling.

“I’m learning a lot, bro,” Ross said after hearing about the potential harms gambling can have on his audience. “I’m honestly overwhelmed right now in my life. Because it’s just — it’s so new to me.”

“You make me rethink about it now, bro. …. It’s just something I — that just doesn’t click right for me,” Ross later added.

But following this interview, Ross did not stop working with Stake and airing gambling streams.


Some of Ross’ sponsored streams are bombarded with racist and antisemiticcomments, which could also have a negative impact on young viewers.

Ross recently sat down with UFC president and Trump superfan Dana White for an in-person gambling event. Following their meeting, Ross claimed that White hopes to connect Ross with Trump for a stream closer to the 2024 election. (White’s UFC also has an official partnership with Stake as well.)

Jake Paul, a right-wing influencer and professional fighter who has a massivefollowing on social media including many young fans, co-founded Betr, a “microbetting-focused gaming company” that allows users to make monetary bets on specific plays or events, rather than betting on a team losing or winning a game. Paul appears to be hoping that the instant gratification of making money on small bets drives his young audience to Betr. Additionally, Paul has previously been accused of promoting gambling to kids.

Betr also appears to be targeting users on social media platforms that are frequented by young people, including TikTok and Instagram. The company has large followings on both platforms.

Other right-leaning influencers, including professional poker player Dan Bilzerian and gambling streamer Trainwreck (real name Tyler Niknam), have worked as sponsors for gambling companies in the past.

Major media companies are getting in on the sports betting action

Other outlets and platforms in the right-wing media ecosystem have aligned themselves with the gambling and sports betting industry.

Fox Corp., the parent company of Fox News and Fox Sports, is associated with Fox Bet, a mobile app and website that allows users to make monetary bets on professional sport competitions and play casino games.

Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch has boasted about Fox’s foray into the sports betting world, describing the venture as “a huge opportunity” for Fox Sports’ portfolio.

And in 2021, Fox acquired right-wing sports website Outkick, which includes sports wagering and betting infrastructure. During a 2021 quarterly meeting with investors, Murdoch celebrated Outkick as an outlet that “will deepen our investment in the sports wagering ecosystem.”

The right-leaning media company Barstool Sports, founded by misogynist Dave Portnoy, operates Barstool Sportsbook, a sports betting platform and mobile app that is associated with Hollywood Casino.

Adolescent gambling addiction on the rise

Reports indicatethat gambling addictions are increasing among teens and children, and experts are sounding the alarm.

The legal age to gamble in the United States is 18 or 21 years old depending on the state. This has not stopped influencers and gambling and sports betting companies from promoting their products and games to adolescents.

The earlier kids are exposed to gambling, the more likely they are to become addicted to the practice, according to a gambling treatment organization. Gambling addiction has the potential to “completely derail a person’s life,” cause mental health complications, and become a “gateway drug” to other adrenaline-inducing and potentially dangerous activities like drug use.

According to research from the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors, four to six percent of high school students are addicted to gambling. Compared to the one percent of adults addicted to the activity, this is a worrisome trend.

Researchers point to adolescents' underdeveloped brain functioning and emotionally driven decision making to understand why teens and children fall victim to gambling addiction.

Some sports betting and gambling groups have been fined for targeting their offerings to people under the legal gambling age.

While speaking with ABC News, Gary Schneider, a national board member of Stop Predatory Gambling, explained that these companies are targeting young users. “They want the next generation. They label it gaming,” Schneider said. “It's really gambling."

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

White Nationalist Streamer Promotes 'Collab' With Don Jr.

White Nationalist Streamer Promotes 'Collab' With Don Jr.

White nationalist ally and misogynistic content creator Sneako (real name Nico Kenn De Balinthazy), who was recently pictured with former President Donald Trump at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event, told his followers during an April 11 livestream that Donald Trump Jr. informed him that he hopes the pair can collaborate on projects.

During his livestream, De Balinthazy gloated about hanging out with the Trump family.

“Shout out to Barron Trump,” De Balinthazy said. “Shout out to Donald Trump Jr. Donald Trump Jr. streams on Rumble. Talked to him.”

“Donald Trump Jr. says that he would like to do a collab,” De Balinthazy continued. “That’s going to be great. … He’s entertaining, he’s a good speaker, and he streams on Rumble.”

De Balinthazy also shared a congratulatory letter from Rumble for “surpassing 100,000 followers.”

Various other creators, including DJ Akademiks, JiDion, Adin Ross, Steve Deleonardis, Jorge Masvidal, also appeared at the UFC event alongside Trump. Akademiks claimed that Rumble set up the meet-and-greet.

Rumble is a far-right video hosting platform thatfeatures bigots, conspiracy theorists, white nationalists, and QAnon content creators. De Balinthazy currently has 214,000 subscribers on the platform.

De Balinthazy, who has been described as “a cheap imitation of [Andrew] Tate,” rose to prominence on YouTube for posting gaming, motivational, and man-on-the-street interview videos. De Balinthazy later shifted toward making misogynistic and hateful content.

De Balinthazy has gained notoriety for his connection to white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Both De Balinthazy and Fuentes have proclaimed their admiration for each other online, and the influencer worked with Fuentes and Milo Yiannopoulos on Ye’s (formerly Kanye West) unofficial presidential campaign.

During an appearance on the No Jumper podcast together, De Balinthazy and Fuentes made antisemitic remarks.

The influencer has churned outmisogynistic and racist content, including videos on “why ugly girls think they’re beautiful” and “how women manipulate men.” De Balinthazy has also made anti-LGBTQ and anti-vaccinecomments.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Steve Bannon

Bannon Travels On Private Jets But Won't Pay His Lawyers (Who Sued Him)

The law firm of one of Steve Bannon’s former attorneys, Robert Costello, is reportedly suing him “over unpaid bills for a mountain of work,” according to a new filing reported by The Daily Beast. Bannon reportedly owes Costello’s firm nearly half a million dollars.

Bannon, the former Trump aide and January 6 coup plotter, reportedly refuses to pay his former lawyers. Yet he said yesterday on a right-wing radio show that he flies on private planes.

According to an exclusive from the Beast, Bannon “hasn’t paid the lawyers who spent years defending him against an onslaught of criminal charges.” Bannon allegedly owes a “significant” amount of money to his former lawyers M. Evan Corcoran and Robert Costello. Both of these counselors represented Bannon during his trial for contempt of Congress, for which he was convicted.

While discussing James O’Keefe’s departure from right-wing organization Project Veritas on The Charlie Kirk Show, Bannon admitted that he flies on private planes.

In the past, Bannon has railed against student debt forgiveness while bragging about his Ivy League education. Real America’s Voice, the platform that carries Bannon’s War Room podcast, reportedly pays producers $30,000 per year.

Bannon is a former Goldman Sachs investment banker who made millions off the sitcom Seinfeld.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Far-Right Media Scorch Fox News Over Support For McCarthy

Far-Right Media Scorch Fox News Over Support For McCarthy

As the House of Representatives continues to struggle to elect a speaker, Fox News has received backlash from its further right-wing media counterparts over what those critics describe as the network’s general support for Rep.-elect Kevin McCarthy, (R-CA) who has so far lost the speaker vote eight times. Media figures from Real America’s Voice, One America News Network, and Newsmax, among others, claim that Fox News is engaging in a blind, embarrassing defense of the Republican establishment with its coverage of McCarthy.

The attacks against Fox intensified when Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert (R-CO) appeared on the January 4 edition of Fox host Sean Hannity’s show, where he pressed against her refusal to vote for McCarthy. (Boebert is one of the 20 House representatives-elect who are refusing to support McCarthy’s bid for speakership.) The network drew more criticism after Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade called House Republicans who oppose McCarthy “insurrectionists.”

    • Newsmax’s Benny Johnson said Hannity’s “schtick” is to be “the Praetorian Guard of the establishment,” and called his on-air disagreement with Boebert “embarrassing,” because Johnson said McCarthy can’t win. [Newsmax, The Benny Report, 1/5/23]
    • On former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, right-wing radio host John Fredericks accused Fox News of being “a 24/7 shill for Kevin McCarthy. That’s all they are. They’re not even reporting the news.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 1/5/23]
    • Bannon said that Boebert “bench-pressed Hannity” during her interview and that “it was embarrassing.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 1/5/23]
    • Bannon also claimed that Fox News is “out to crush” and “destroy” members of Congress who do not support McCarthy for speakership. [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 1/5/23]
    • During his show Outside the Beltway, Fredericks said that Fox News is full of “fakers” who have been “lying to you forever” and that the network is “a money-making machine” which “was a shill for McCarthy.” [Real America’s Voice, Outside the Beltway with John Fredericks, 1/5/23]
    • On OAN, white nationalist podcasterStew Peters claimed that Fox News and its personalities are “melting down” over the speaker vote. [One America News Network, In Focus with Addison Smith, 1/4/23]
    • The Gateway Pundit’s Jim Hoft called out Fox’s “controlled opposition,” which he said “came completely unglued” following Tuesday’s votes, as McCarthy had been “hand-picked by failed former Speaker and FOX News board member Paul Ryan before he left office.” [The Gateway Pundit, 1/4/23]
    • Hoft also wrote that Hannity “jumped the shark” when he launched a “full frontal assault” on Boebert “for not supporting Kevin McCarthy.” [Twitter, 1/4/23]
    • Infowars host Owen Shroyer called Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY) “a new swamp creature” and mocked him for “hemming and hawing” and “stumping for McCarthy on Fox News.” [Infowars, The Alex Jones Show, 1/4/23]
    • BlazeTV host Chad Prather complained that the “Fox News talking heads continue to shill for the GOP do-nothing establishment.” [Twitter, 1/5/23]
    • Michael Quinn Sullivan, publisher of right-wing blog Texas Scorecard, replied to Prather’s tweet, writing, “Fox News is now WORSE than CNN and MSNBC, because the Fox crew knows better.” [Twitter, 1/5/23]
    • Turning Point USA ambassador Alex Lorusso tweeted “Hannity is insufferable” following Boebert’s appearance on his show. [Twitter, 1/4/23]
    • Right-wing host Todd Starns described Fox as “the propaganda wing of the McCarthy team.” [Twitter, 1/4/23]
    • Anti-Muslim activist Brigitte Gabriel tweeted: “It’s pathetic to hear all the Fox News talking heads blaming and attacking the 20 Members of Congress opposing McCarthy.” [Twitter, 1/4/23]
    • Former Newsmax host Emerald Robinson called Fox & Friends hosts “uniparty swamp rats” over their support for McCarthy. [Twitter, 1/5/23]
    • Right-wing personalities the Hodgetwins also attacked Fox and Friends for “calling people INSURRECTIONISTS if they don’t support Kevin McCarthy for speaker.” [Twitter, 1/5/23]
    • Women for Trump co-founder Amy Kremer tweeted that it was “sad to see” how Hannity treated Boebert on Fox News and that “she should be shown some respect.” [Twitter, 1/4/23]
    • Hate preacher Greg Locke, who spoke at the January 5 “Rally for Revival” in Washington the night before the January 6 attack, tweeted, “The only difference between the corruption of CNN and Fox News is their logo.” [Twitter, 1/5/23]
    • Conspiracy hub National File called Hannity “a LYING BULLY. Just like Kevin McCarthy.” [Twitter, 1/5/23]
    • Right-wing podcaster Mike Crispi called Hannity “a hack” and a “sellout.” [Twitter, 1/4/23]

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    Calling For Violence, Lake's Conspiracy Weirdos Crash Maricopa County Meeting (VIDEO)

    Calling For Violence, Lake's Conspiracy Weirdos Crash Maricopa County Meeting (VIDEO)

    The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors met on November 28 to certify the canvass of the 2022 primary election results. Conspiracy theorists and extremists appeared at the public meeting to push election conspiracy theories and far-right talking points in protest of Maricopa County’s certification.

    Arizona has been a hotbed of conspiracy theories and right-wing extremism leading up to and following the losses of several far-right candidates in the state’s 2022 midterm elections. Now, right-wing conspiracy theorists are protesting the certification of election results in Arizona’s largest county.

    Colorado right-wing podcaster and election denialist Joe Oltmann gave a public comment at the Maricopa Board of Supervisors meeting. Oltmann has previously called for his political opponents to be hanged and suggested that armed protestors should flood the streets of Arizona over the 2022 certification.

    Opening his comments, Oltmann described himself as “the chief election denier.” He then falsely claimed that Dominion voting machines can be used to “cheat” and suggested that American people are being gaslighted into believing in “gender fluidity.”

    Real America’s Voice correspondent and conspiracy theoristBen Bergquam also appeared at the meeting for public comment. Real America’s Voice is a right-wing network that carries Steve Bannon’s War Room, where Bergquam frequently appears, and The Charlie Kirk Show, among others.

    “What we saw on election day was outrageous. … 2020 was a disaster, how was 2022 worse?” Bergquam said.

    “The election machines didn’t work,” he added.

    Disgraced college professor and election fraud conspiracy theorist David Clements also appeared at the meeting. Clements also hasties to Steve Bannon and has previously appeared on his show to push voter fraud conspiracy theories.

    Clements opened his comments by calling himself a “slave” to the election system and “corruption.”

    Clements then declared that “this is vote trafficking” and that “we’re not here to be civil.”


    Arizona election denial gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake has been repostingpubliccomments protesting the certification on her Instagram account.

    Cochise County, another Arizona county, voted today to delay the certification of the election results, “and miss the state's legal deadline of Monday, despite finding no legitimate problems with the local counts.” Arizona’s secretary of state reportedly plans to file legal action against the county.

    At least one speaker took her disdain for Maricopa’s certification to a whole new level, calling for a “violent revolution” and suggesting that election officials in the county could face “the death penalty” for “treason.”


    Lake and secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem are both leaders in the right-wing movement to push voter fraud narratives in elections where republicans lose. Their losses have motivated conspiracy theorists, extremists, and media figures to object to the certification of the election, echoing pre-January 6 rhetoric that led to the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in 2021.

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    Neo-Nazis And Other Banned Trolls Celebrate Musk's Twitter Takeover

    Neo-Nazis And Other Banned Trolls Celebrate Musk's Twitter Takeover

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk has acquired Twitter and fired its top executives. The platform will likely become an extremist fever swamp under Musk’s control.

    Previously banned Twitter users are celebrating and showing their support for Musk’s completed Twitter acquisition and begging the tech overlord to be allowed back on the platform. Musk has suggested he will bring back some previously banned profiles, including former President Donald Trump.

    Here are banned Twitter users celebrating and embracing Musk’s acquisition:

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    White Nationalists, Neo-Nazis Celebrate Kanye West's Hate Spew

    White Nationalists, Neo-Nazis Celebrate Kanye West's Hate Spew

    Far-right and neo-Nazi-linked extremists are embracing, celebrating, and defending rapper Kanye West’s recent anti-Semitic remarks.

    On October 8, West lashed out at Jewish people, writing, “I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.” In the same tweet, he claimed, “You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.” West later tweeted, “Who you think created cancel culture?"

    Here are examples of violent far-right and neo-Nazi-linked extremists celebrating West and his anti-Semitic comments:

    • Infowarscelebrated West multiple times on October 9. Host Owen Shroyer said, “I did not hear one thing Kanye West said that was bigoted.” He later added that the backlash to his anti-Semitic remarks “only proves what he’s talking about is real.”

    • White nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes posted on Telegram, “Kanye is going to be cancelled by the Jews for saying that the Jews invented cancel culture” and shared multiplememes celebrating the rapper. Fuentes also streamed West’s music on his Cozy.TV platform while wearing a West-inspired face covering. The title of the stream was “DEFCON 3.”
    • Daily Wire host Candace Owens on West's “death con 3” tweet: “If you are an honest person, you did not think this tweet was antisemitic.” Owens added that, “It's like you cannot even say the word Jewish without people getting upset.”
    • Anti-Semite and Gab founder Andrew Torbaposted, “How do we get Kanye on Gab?"
    • Neo-Nazi blog The Daily Stormer published a story by neo-Nazi founder Andrew Anglin with the headline “Lying Jew Media Claims Kanye West is Mentally Ill for Going Death Con 3 on Jewish People.” On October 10, the header on the site’s homepage read “d e a t h c o n 3” and featured multiple stories celebrating West’s antisemitism.
    • Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander used West's remarks to suggest that Jewish people have “weaponized their trauma” and complained that “all of us are forced to learn their trauma.”


    • Far-right British extremist Tommy Robinsonwrote that West’s statement “needs to be addressed” above a meme that appears to suggest that liberals are overreacting to West’s comments.
    • Neo-Nazi streamer Baked Alaskacompared himself to West and wrote, “IT KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER” under a screenshot of one of West’s Instagram posts.
    • Former BlazeTV host Elijah Schaffer posted multipletweets that appear to be in support of West.
    • BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock defended West’s remarks in a tweet, writing, “You can't question black entertainers' unhealthy relationship with non-religious Jewish power brokers in Hollywood.”
    • White nationalist and notorious antisemite Vincent James Foxxwrote on Telegram, “Kanye is going to do another Holocaust?”
    • Fascist streamer Dalton Clodfelterwrote that West’s remarks are “very admirable.”
    • Fuentes' cronies Tyler Russell and Brandt Wiggins bothcelebrated West’s remarks with posts on Telegram.
    • Failed congressional candidate and anti-Muslim bigot Laura Loomer defended West’s remarks with multiplepostsonGab. In one post, she wrote, “Ye does have a point in his posts.”
    • On violent white nationalist Gavin McInnes’ Censored.TV, host Josh Lekach said he admires West and claimed, “I don’t understand why you can’t talk bad about the Jews.” Lekach added he believes that West may be killed for his beliefs.


    West’s anti-Semitic remarks came after he was criticized for wearing a “WHITE LIVES MATTER” shirt last week at Paris Fashion Week. He later appeared on white nationalist Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show to ramble about censorship, the media, his shirt, his career, and his family.

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    QAnon Psycho Rosanne Barr Gets Show On Fox Nation

    QAnon Psycho Rosanne Barr Gets Show On Fox Nation

    Comedian, racist, and QAnon conspiracy theory enthusiast Roseanne Barr is slated to produce and star in her own 2023 Fox Nation comedy special. The network’s decision to hire Barr continues the streaming service’s history of platforming conspiracy theorists and extremists.

    In a statement to Deadline, Fox Nation President Jason Klarman said that the outlet is “thrilled” to add Barr to its entertainment catalog.

    By enlisting Barr, Fox executives have decided to turn a blind eye to her embrace of QAnon and other conspiracy theories, as well as her racist, anti-Muslim, and antisemitic comments over the years. Barr’s history is on par with Fox News’ typical programming, however, which has spread conspiracy theories, white supremacy, and violent rhetoric.

    Barr is also not the first QAnon adherent to be given their own slot on Fox Nation. Previously, conspiracy theoristLara Logan and QAnon promoter Isaiah Washington were granted shows on the streaming service.

    Here is a brief look at the comedian’s history of making extremist claims and pushing conspiracy theories:

    Barr’s Embrace Of QAnon And Extremist Views

    • Barr’s ABC sitcom Roseanne was canceled in 2018 after she published racist tweets about former President Barack Obama’s senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.
    • Barr appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast in 2019 and promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory.


    • Barr previously tweeted the QAnon slogan, “WWG1WGA.”





    • Barr conducted an unhinged interview in 2021 with QAnon conspiracy theorist Bishop Larry Gaiters, who has claimed that President Joe Biden performed a “satanic sacrifice” of his own family to gain political influence.


    • Barr posted a video of herself watching a QAnon video in 2019.


    • Barr recorded QAnon videos with the late QAnon influencer Cirsten Weldon.
    • In May 2018, Barr tweeted that Americans should “unite against” CIA mind control program MK-Ultra. This is not the only time she has tweeted about the MK-Ultra conspiracy theory.

    • In 2015, Barr appeared on the Kremlin-controlled outlet RT (formerly Russia Today) to discuss MK-Ultra and mind control in Hollywood.
    • In 2009, Barr dressed as Adolf Hitler for the cover of satirical Jewish magazine, Heeb. It was reportedly her idea to dress as the dictator.
    • On her personal blog, Barr purported that Israel is a “Nazi state” and said, “The Jewish Soul is being tortured in Israel.” (Barr is reportedly Jewish.)
    • Barr also tweeted about “Jewish mind control” and promoted musician and Holocaust denier Gilad Atzmon on Twitter.
    • In 2013, Barr proclaimed that Islam is “rape pedo culture.”
    • In another 2013 tweet, Barr described Director of the Domestic Policy Council Susan Rice as “a man with big swinging ape balls."
    • In 2018, Barr suggested that Parkland school shooting survivor David Hogg gave a “Nazi salute” at a gun control rally.
    • Barr described Hillary Clinton as a “jew hater” and former Clinton 2016 campaign vice chair Huma Abedin as a “filthy nazi whore.”

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    'Turning Point' Student Group Promotes White Nationalist Speakers

    'Turning Point' Student Group Promotes White Nationalist Speakers

    The Turning Point USA chapter at the University of Alabama has enlisted two associates of notorious white nationalist Nick Fuentes as featured event speakers on campus next month.

    Fuentes is a white nationalist, Holocaust denier, and anti-Semite who attended the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection also subpoenaed Fuentes this year for his role in organizing “Stop the Steal” rallies that led to the pro-Trump riot at the Capitol in 2021.

    Turning Point USA is a right-wing student organization that was co-founded by far-right pundit Charlie Kirk. The group’s upcoming event at the University of Alabama, which is scheduled for October 26 and billed as a discussion with “selections from the rising young right,” will feature Kai Schwemmer, Tyler Russell, and Brandt Wiggins, all of whom are tied to Fuentes’ “groyper” movement of young white extremists.


    Schwemmer is an alt-right influencer who has espoused white nationalist views; he previously spoke alongside alt-right troll and YouTuber John Doyle during a Turning Point event in April near the University of California, Santa Barbara campus. Russell, another speaker at the event, is a Canadian white supremacist who reportedly has “the aim of securing a white ethnostate in Canada.” Wiggins, another Fuentes associate poised to speak at the event, is the vice president of the University of Alabama Turning Point chapter. Wiggins is a white nationalist, anti-Semite, and anti-LGBTQ bigot.

    On Telegram, Fuentes promoted the Turning Point event:

    As Political Research Associates’ Ben Lorber explained in a recent Twitter thread, groyper leaders and influencers are increasingly positioning themselves to be leaders on college campuses with the assistance of Turning Point.

    Although Turning Point has attempted to distance itself from white nationalists, the University of Alabama chapter’s decision to host these speakers continues a pattern of Turning Point closelyaligning with white nationalists and other far-right extremists – including Fuentes himself:

    • In 2019, a Las Vegas Turning Point leader was caught on camera uttering racial slurs and celebrating “white power!”
    • Turning Point previously listed the alt-right social media platform Gab as a sponsor for its Student Action Summit. Gab is a haven for violent white nationalists and antisemites.
    • Neo-Nazi aligned figures appeared at Turning Point’s 2021 “AmericaFest.”
    • Turning Point defended a Florida professor and chapter faculty adviser for having ties to a white nationalist organization.
    • An Iowa Turning Point chapter invited Fuentes to speak on campus in 2019, where he spoke on “preserving the ‘European texture’ of the United States.”

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    Far Right Promotes 'False Flag' Conspiracy Claim On Mass Shootings

    Far Right Promotes 'False Flag' Conspiracy Claim On Mass Shootings

    Fringe right-wing media figures are pushing baseless conspiracytheories that the recent deadly mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, were “false flag” operations orchestrated by the United States government to take away civil rights from American citizens.

    Buffalo

    The mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, left 10 Black people dead. The suspect in the mass shooting allegedly wrote a hateful manifesto that repeatedly cited the fascist “great replacement” conspiracy theory as a motive for violence against Black people. The great replacement theory has become astaple of Tucker Carlson and Fox News’ coverage of minority groups and immigration.

    Shortly after the shooting in Buffalo, Arizona Republican state Sen. Wendy Rogers posted on the white nationalist-affiliated social media site Gab that the shooting was conducted by federal agents, rather than an 18-year-old racist.

    Rogers’ comments were only the start of a flurry of false flag conspiracy theories that followed these shootings:

    On the May 16 edition of Alex Jones’ show on Infowars, Jones claimed the Buffalo grocery store shooting was a staged event. Jones attempted to link the Buffalo shooting to the Unabomber, pushing the conspiracy theory that “The unabomber worked for the CIA,” and asserted that he knows “how the globalists operate and I know who they wind up and I know what they do.”

    Militia-linked radio host and right-wing extremist Pete Santilli claimed during his May 27 radio show that the CIA and FBI radicalized, hypnotized, and indoctrinated the shooter through his computer screen via “mind control” and “screen flicker technology” to commit the shooting. Santilli proclaimed that the shooter “was copying and pasting” his racist manifesto “from the CIA and the FBI” and that “they helped him do it over a two year period.”

    White nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes posted a video to his streaming website after the Buffalo shooting with the title “False Flag Confirmed: Buffalo Shooter Groomed to Kill by FBI Agent.”

    During the video, Fuentes asserted that the mass shooting was “done by or permitted to go on by law enforcement.”

    Former Infowars host, QAnon conspiracy theorist, and failed congressional candidate DeAnna Lorraine suggested that the Buffalo shooting “could just be all just a false flag to target the white guy.”

    Lorraine also declared that the shooting was “yet another false flag” to target white conservatives who live stream events and wear tactical gear. (The Buffalo shooter live-streamed the tragedy on Twitch and wore tactical gear.)

    QAnon influencer RedPill78 argued that the shooting “is very emblematic of attacks that we’ve seen in the past where federal agents are involved and they urge these people on to commit an attack or to do something that is outside the boundaries of the law that is then going to be used to try to take away more of our rights.”

    RedPill78 continued, claiming, “These people, in my opinion, would not be dead if it wasn’t for the FBI convincing this disturbed young man to go out and commit this heinous act.”

    Uvalde

    On May 24, another mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, ended with 19 children and two teachers dead. The constantly changingnarratives and information from the Uvalde police about the timeline of the shooting have sparked criticism and indignation, feeding into conspiracy theories about the event.

    During the May 25 edition of Infowars’ The Alex Jones Show, Jones agreed with a caller who suggested that the Uvalde shooting was a false flag event. Jones said that the timing of the attack was “very suspicious” and that “everybody should be able to question this because there's been so many false flags, so many provocateured operations.”

    Fuentes suggested that the elementary school shooting was a false flag operation because “40 police officers showed up on the scene of the mass shooting while it was in progress” and “waited outside the school for 40 minutes for the shooting to be finished.”

    Fuentes proclaimed that the police waited for the shooting to end before entering the classroom in order to push a “gun control agenda.”

    QAnon conspiracy theorist, antisemite, and failed congressional candidate Lauren Witzke suggested that the Uvalde mass shooting was a false flag operation intended to “change the public narrative” around Texas’ politics because “Hispanics are starting to lean more conservative and these people are crazy, midterms are coming up.”

    On May 27, QAnon influencer Jordan Sather proclaimed that it looks like the event was “orchestrated.”

    Why This Matters

    Right-wing media has a long history of claiming that acts of violence are false flags orchestrated by the federal government and outside forces. Conspiracy theorists often suggest that fabricated attacks are a tool the opposition uses to drive their own political agenda and shape the narrative around a certain topic.

    Extremists also use these “false flag” tragedies and events to distract from their culpability in problems like the proliferation of white supremacy or the gun control impasse, and to push their audiences further from reality. Some right-wing media figures have a history of using lies and conspiracy theories about these tragic events to attack and harass mass shooting survivors and their families. Survivors from both the Parkland and Sandy Hook shootings became victims again when conspiracy theorists spread debunked claims about these traumatic incidents.

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    Steve Bannon

    Bannon Promotes GOP Candidates Charged With Sexual Misconduct

    Former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon hosted 2022 Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster on his podcast after eight women accused him of sexual misconduct, including a GOP state senator.

    On the April 19 edition of his show, War Room: Pandemic, Bannon invited Herbster to discredit the reports of sexual misconduct.

    Steve Bannon platforms Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster after eight reports of alleged sexual misconduct

    Steve Bannon platforms Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster after eight reports of alleged sexual misconductwww.mediamatters.org

    During the interview, Bannon set up Herbster to suggest that the current Governor of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, was behind the allegations.

    Bannon asked, “Do you think the Governor Ricketts is in back of this?”

    Herbster responded, “There’s no question in my mind about it. He is in back of this.”

    Published with permission from Media Matters for American.

    Steve Bannon’s 'War Room' Podcast Is Platform For QAnon Propaganda

    Steve Bannon’s 'War Room' Podcast Is Platform For QAnon Propaganda

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters

    Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon's podcast, War Room: Pandemic, is a deceptive showcase for the QAnon conspiracy theory.

    With its conspiratorial nature, calls for revolution and violence, and overwhelming number of QAnon-connected guests and co-hosts, the podcast mirrors other QAnon programming.

    Bannon's podcast is broadcast by Real America's Voice, a far-right news site that also has a history of propagating QAnon content. Streaming platforms that host the show – including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and ViacomCBS' PlutoTV – are dispensing a program closely connected to the dangerous QAnon conspiracy theory.

    Apple Podcasts has delisted dangerous conspiracy theory content in the past, including Alex Jones' Infowars. According to ProPublica, Apple Podcasts has declined to comment on why the company continues to list Bannon's show while it seemingly violates its terms of service against "harmful or objectionable content."

    The former Trump adviser started toying around with the conspiracy theory publicly on his show in October 2020, describing QAnon as "the elephant in the room" and claiming it "at least appears directionally to be correct."


    STEVE BANNON (HOST): This is the elephant in the room. The elephant in the room is this QAnon thing that's been out there.

    The elephant in the room is, people say they're crazy, I'm just leaving that -- put a pin in it. But when they look at the facts of this, how are they not, at least an aspect of their argument, at least appears directionally to be correct.

    After QAnon adherents and other Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, Bannon attempted to distance himself from the conspiracy theory by labeling it an "FBI psyop."

    Despite this attempt to distance himself, Bannon has grown increasingly supportive of the conspiracy theory, defending it from scrutiny. On the July 8 edition of his show, for example, Bannon complained that mainstream media "disparages" the conspiracy theory and uses its coverage to "smear" QAnon believers.

    While "Q," the lead figure in the conspiracy theory, is not discussed on Bannon's program, the show's complete detachment from reality, its extremism, and the sheer number of QAnonconnections make War Room appear essentially indistinguishable from other QAnon podcasts.

    Bannon has embraced and touted his podcast guests as trustworthy sources of information on politics, without noting their connections to baseless conspiracy theories.

    Here are some of the people connected to the QAnon conspiracy theory who have appeared on War Room:

    Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, ViacomCBS' PlutoTV, and other outlets are responsible for providing a platform to Bannon and dozens of QAnon supporters and conspiracy theorists to spread their dangerous misinformation and lies about the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines, elections, and more.

    Laura Ingraham, right, interviewing Paul Alexander

    Fox Promotes Disgraced Trump CDC Appointee Who Minimized Covid Crisis

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters

    In the last few months, Fox News' Laura Ingraham has repeatedly hosted Paul Alexander, former science adviser at the Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump and key aide to Trump loyalist and former HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Michael Caputo. While working for Caputo at HHS, Alexander sought to politicize public health guidance from inside the government bureaucracy, seeking to alter reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which reflected poorly on the Trump administration.

    Politicoreported in September 2020 that Alexander "was effective at delaying the famed Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports and watering down guidance" from the CDC. (The reports are a key CDC communications product that provides updates on the state of the pandemic, among other things.) In one email reported by Politico, Alexander wrote, "Infants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc. have zero to little risk….so we use them to develop herd…we want them infected." This strategy is deadly flawed, to say the least.

    The erroneous political hackery of Alexander makes him the ideal guest for Ingraham, Fox's worst COVID-19 misinformer. In fact, Alexander has pushed misinformation during every one of his seven appearances on The Ingraham Angle:

    • On February 23, Alexander claimed Dr. Anthony Fauci "has shifted from becoming a scientists physician and more towards a political physician."
    • On February 25, Alexander claimed that the COVID-19 vaccine is "not entirely effective" and will not prevent "moderate to severe illness or even death." He also suggested that wearing a mask is "actually harmful."
    • During the March 5 edition of The Ingraham Angle, Alexander said that mask mandates are "very ineffective."
    • On March 12, Alexander claimed that kids "don't spread" COVID-19 to parents and teachers.
    • During the April 1 edition of The Ingraham Angle, Alexander purported that vaccinating children is "incredibly dangerous."
    • On April 22, Alexander said the CDC's guidance on mask-wearing "is about driving fear and obedience" and again claimed that masks are "ineffective."
    • On May 4, Alexander appeared on The Ingraham Angle to cast doubt on the efficacy of the vaccine, describing it as "experimental" and "highly untested as to safety."

    As far as medical expertise goes, Alexander and Ingraham are a perfect match: According to The Washington Post, Alexander, who is not a physician, was "an unpaid, part-time health professor" at a Canadian university prior to joining HHS, while Ingraham has a history of pushing misinformation about all aspects of the pandemic -- attacking masks, vaccines, and social distancing, pushing unproven therapeutics, undermining public health experts,platforming quacks, and promoting a so-called "herd immunity" strategy that would lead to millions of unnecessary deaths.

    It's nearly impossible to picture someone with Alexander's disgraceful background of lying to the public about the pandemic appearing anywhere else on cable news, but that hasn't stopped Ingraham from inviting him seven times to spread COVID misinformation on Fox prime time.

    Research contributions from Katherine Abughazaleh

    Bannon Says QAnon Is “FBI Psyop” After Embracing Cult In October 2020

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters

    After fully embracing QAnon, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is now denouncing the conspiracy theory.

    QAnon claims that former President Trump was secretly working to take down a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who make up the "deep state" and Democratic Party. The conspiracy theory has been labeled as a domestic terror threat by the FBI and has been linked to multiplearrestsofQAnon supportersconnected to the January 6 Capitol insurrection.

    Bannon embraced the conspiracy theory in late October while streaming his podcast War Room: Pandemic on YouTube. He went so far as to proclaim that QAnon "at least appears directionally to be correct" and suggested that the baseless theory is "real" and is "the elephant in the room."

    Video fileVideo Player00:0000:48SHARE

    From the October 21, 2020, edition of War Room: Pandemic

    Video fileVideo Player00:0001:13SHARE

    From the October 21, 2020, edition of War Room: Pandemic

    Ever the pro-Trump strategist, Bannon has turned on the conspiracy theory following increased scrutiny of the far right in the wake of the January 6 Capitol insurrection. On January 22, Bannon's newsletter, Populist Press, had its lead story read "'Q ANON' AN FBI PSYOP."

    Populist Press

    CitationFrom the January 22 edition of Populist Press

    The linked article suggested QAnon was a "psychological cyber operation" fabricated by the FBI to "discredit and ultimately derail the supporter base of US President Trump."

    During the January 22 edition of War Room: Pandemic, Bannon and his co-host drilled down on their newfound disdain for the conspiracy, with Bannon calling one of the core QAnon claims that there would be mass arrests of prominent Democrats "nonsense." The co-host responded by labeling QAnon claims as "shortcuts to protecting your republic" and suggesting that QAnon followers are "in the way" of real political change with their "happy talk" and "fantasies."




    From the January 21, 2021, edition of War Room: Pandemic

    Bannon's embarrassing fall into the QAnon rabbit hole came and went as he watched Trump's loyal base of followers wreak havoc at the Capitol and fail to overturn the election results. His sudden turn to dismiss the conspiracy theory only further exposes the hollow political opportunism of his constant stream of misinformation and calls to violence as equally disingenuous and dangerous.

    Steve Bannon

    Bannon Launches ’National Tour’ To Promote Election Conspiracy Theories

    Reprinted with permission from MediaMatters

    Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has kicked off a national speaking tour about the upcoming election titled "The Plot to Steal 2020." It's a thinly veiled attempt to spread conspiracy theories and discredit any efforts to ensure that citizens can vote safely.

    Bannon, who recently pleaded not guilty to federal fraud charges, has stated that the tour will take place in select swing states and via digital streaming platforms. In his most recent appearance, he outlined three main prongs of his conspiracy theory: Democrats will use "lawfare," social media, and street protests to supposedly steal the election from Donald Trump. His vague and incoherent conspiracy theories have also featured heavily in recent episodes of his podcast, War Room: Pandemic. Here's a selection from the September 21 episode:

    Read NowShow less