The Proud Boys are rising again as Donald Trump campaigns for reelection

In a move one member is calling the “calm before the storm,” the Proud Boys are reforming and planning to push across the country for former President Donald Trump and his values, Reuters reports.

“Trump is, of course, getting railroaded but we will not be walking into any honey pots over this,” says a Proud Boy from a Telegram group chat discussing Trump being found guilty of 34 felonies.

Related:

Anti-LGBTQ+ hate incidents tripled during Pride month this year

The violence underscores a year that included hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ incidents.

Members of the militant far-right group have been making appearances at many right-wing protests and rallies in recent weeks. Many of these rallies have been to advocate for Trump and his campaign during the 2024 presidential election.

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There have been fewer events tied to the Proud Boys in recent months. However, among those that have taken place, they’ve been largely pro-Trump or anti-immigration. These events often featured members armed and wearing body armor.

Members of the group have been mixing into the broader crowds, often suggesting to many that there are increased risks of political violence coming from the group’s heightened activity.

Time Magazine asked Trump about the likelihood of political violence if he doesn’t win the 2024 presidential election, to which he responded, “And if we don’t win, you know, it depends. It always depends on the fairness of an election.”

“I don’t believe they’ll be able to do the things that they did the last time. I don’t think they’ll be able to get away with it. And if that’s the case, we’re gonna win in record-setting fashion,” he continued.

There is currently no firm estimate of how many Proud Boys are active in the nation. While there are over 150 chapters, the total number of members within each chapter varies. Estimates from individuals like Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes say the group is at around 5,000—less than their reported peak of 8,000—while law enforcement says they have anywhere between 300 and 3,000.

The group has been working to avoid heightened scrutiny from law enforcement, especially following the arrest of their leaders.

While Trump has not explicitly endorsed the Proud Boys, he has been accused of inciting the January 6 insurrection, which the Proud Boys had a strong role in organizing.

Many members of the far-right group believe that Trump endorses their actions and suggest that he has been supporting them through intentionally vague public statements.

Trump, during the 2020 presidential election, infamously said, “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by, but I’ll tell you what, I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left, because this is not a right-wing problem.” 

He later walked back on this, stating publicly, “I condemn the Proud Boys. I don’t know much about the Proud Boys, almost nothing. But I condemn that.”

Trump has promised to pardon January 6 insurrectionists if he is elected, many of whom are members of the Proud Boys.

In May of last year, five Proud Boys leaders were found guilty of sedition for their roles in the insurrection. These include Enrique Tarrio, Dominic Pezzola, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Zachary Rehl.

The Proud Boys have been involved in dozens of instances of political violence since before January 6, many of which have been targeting LGBTQ+ individuals. A particular focus of the Proud Boys has been targeting Drag Queen Story Hours.

According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), 20 percent of all demonstrations involving Proud Boys since 2020 have turned violent, and members of the group are increasingly likely to be armed.
Protests involving the Proud Boys have skyrocketed during Pride Month last year, where they were involved in several protests that had anti-LGBTQ participants of unknown affiliation go violent. One led to multiple people being arrested.

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