Trump hires armed white power militia as security for Minneapolis rally

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/10/10/trump-hires-armed-white-power.html

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This didn’t work out so well when the associated Proud Boys were hired as security detail.

Or when the Oath Keepers appointed themselves as security at other functions.

Hiring people to protect you who really, really want to start fights has a long history of being a really bad idea.

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see also: hiring the Hells Angels to police your concert.
EDIT: Doh, didn’t see your last link until too laaaatteeeeee, sorry!

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I’m just waiting for the fireworks when he stiffs them.

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It was bad enough that this serial deadbeat wouldn’t pony up for the costs of hosting his bund rally, but he always finds a way to make things worse.

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Oh, they’d accept payment from him in the form of handing over their minor daughters to him.

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Trump

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I don’t see anything that says the Trump campaign has hired them, so maybe they are just volunteering their services?

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They are indeed just volunteers:

The Oath Keepers are calling for volunteers to provide Republicans security near the Target Center. Successful applicants will demonstrate “prior service, training, or experience that is relevant to a security mission.”

The group promises these guardians will be “heavily vetted.” They will not accept “anyone who advocates, or belongs to any group that advocates, the overthrow of the U.S. government or that discriminates along racial lines. We also cannot use anyone who is a convicted felon.”

But since conspiracy groups tend not to be filled with the crème de la crème of America—and the call to action is being circulated by sites like Ammoland—none of this feels consoling.

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So the Oath Keepers are calling for volunteers from their ranks, then proceed to exclude the entirety of their ranks?

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cue the “what could possibly go wrong” gif.

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Is there anything juicy behind the Daily Beasts paywall?

Minnesota nice!

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Can BBers un-welcome newbies?

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Number of people killed by right wing extremist white power types this year alone: 100+

Number of people killed by ANTIFA since inception: Still zero (-1 if you count the person who committed suicide by cop)

So which of the two is a credible threat to public order which need to be taken seriously?

Nothing wrong with division. Especially when one is dealing with repugnant corrupt violent bigoted types. I don’t ever want to be in agreement with them.

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According to who? The article makes it sound like the source for that statement is the Oath Keepers’ website. Regardless of whether or not that’s true, why would any sane president welcome a bunch of heavily-armed, conspiracy-fueled anti-government militia members to volunteer “security”? That’s a recipe for violence, especially if ANTIFA is there. Shouldn’t he be hiring actual security to protect everyone, no matter their political views, and discouraging violence from either side?

Why, it’s almost as though you don’t think it’s weird that the president would be on the same side as a bunch of gun-toting white supremacist lunatics, or that it’s out-of-character for him to make absolutely no attempt to de-escalate a volatile situation.

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Bots gonna bot.

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Dividing myself from white supremacist authoritarian fascists is a good thing. It means I’m a moral person.

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This has to be ironic, right? Like I am the first to admit that I frequently call things ironic when they are not… but this is irony?

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