Who are Trump's 'Proud Boys'? Far-right groups become active as MAGA leader ups poll rigging rhetoric

As the US heads toward Election Day, former president Donald Trump has ramped up claims that he can only lose through “massive voter fraud” and heightened his use of violent rhetoric against Democrats and other “enemies.” This echoes his past statements that spurred action from far-right groups like the Proud Boys, who played a huge role in the January 6 Capitol attack as a “Donald Trump's army” after Trump called on them to “stand back and stand by” in a 2020 debate.

Some leaders of the Proud Boys were later convicted of seditious conspiracy, including former chairman Enrique Tarrio, who is now serving a 22-year sentence.

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Donald Trump's ‘Pride Boys’ are still active

Despite these convictions, the Proud Boys remain active, with several chapters mobilizing in support of Trump ahead of the upcoming election. At least 30 of the group’s Telegram channels have posted pro-Trump content since October, according to an analysis by Advance Democracy, a nonprofit research organization.

The Columbus, Ohio chapter has claimed that some of its members have been registered as poll watchers and poll workers, asserting that “the task is simply too important to trust to regular normies.” The post reads further, “so it was an all-hands-on-deck effort.”

Another Ohio Proud Boys group also posted that they are “watching polls everywhere.” While another account wrote, “Locked, loaded, and ready for treasonous voter fraud.”

While the Proud Boys’ current messages don’t explicitly call for interference, some have shared an image of a masked, armed man with the caption, “FREE MEN DO NOT OBEY PUBLIC SERVANTS.”

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Who are these ‘Pride Boys’?

Members in the group’s signature gold-collared black polos were also seen in a designated section at a Trump rally on Sunday. Founded in 2016, the group gained national attention for its involvement in violent clashes at protests and its support of Trump. The Proud Boys describe themselves as “Western chauvinists,” but they are known for spreading conspiracy theories, including election fraud claims, and for rallying around anti-LGBTQ, anti-immigration, and anti-“woke” issues.

Federal authorities have taken steps to counter misinformation from foreign sources but face limits in handling misinformation from domestic political entities.

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The ex-POTUS, who was indicted for allegedly attempting to overturn his 2020 loss, has a history of inflammatory language, recently telling former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that House Jan. 6 committee Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney might rethink her positions if she had “guns trained on her face” and expressing indifference toward a hypothetical shooter targeting “fake news.”

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