National Post (National Edition)
Fears over online calls for storming of inauguration
Trump radicals take to other social media
SAN FRANCISCO • Radical supporters of Donald Trump were Friday calling for a “storming” of president-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on the fringe forums and social networks where this week's attack on the Capitol was orchestrated.
There was confusion over a video released on Thursday in which Trump conceded the election and called for a peaceful transfer of power, with some describing the president as a “traitor” and others arguing the video was doctored and that he was being held against his will.
Trump's tweet in which he promised that “American Patriots” would “not be disrespected” — another sudden change of tone — was seen by many as proof that he did not mean what he said in the video.
Experts said there was less chance of a mob gathering around the inauguration on Jan. 20, but warned of more violence if one did form.
The Coalition for a Safer Web, a non-profit group targeting online extremism, said so-called free speech network Parler, private messaging group Telegram and thedonald.win forum were used to plan the Capitol siege.
It found hundreds of references to guns and violence, citing one Parler post from last week that read: “To all the Patriots descending on Washington DC on #jan6… come armed….”
Posters on thedonald.win wondered about why Trump had not been seen in public since his speech before the storming of the Capitol, with one suggesting they should form a mob and “find him.”
Many of Trump's radical supporters were “encouraged” by videos shared on social media that appeared to show the Capitol police treating protesters with leniency, said Cindy Otis, a former CIA officer and disinformation pundit. Facebook users were discussing whether similar stormings of government buildings would be possible in their cities.
Amid fears of further clashes in the coming weeks, Reddit shut down its forum r/donaldtrump, one of the largest online pro-Trump communities, for violating its policies against violence.
But splits are forming even on the fringes of the internet. The Make America Great Again movement appeared to be divided into those who revelled in Wednesday's bloodshed and others who rejected it. Still others blamed it on Antifa without evidence for a “false flag” operation.
Arguments over calls to arms broke out on Parler — where many Trump supporters have migrated after violating Twitter's policies — with more cautious posters being attacked as left-wingers or “glowies,” a derogatory term for secret service agents whom many Trump supporters believe are infiltrating their messaging channels.
One verified account, apparently belonging to a veteran of the U.S. military, called for violence the night before Biden's inauguration, and was attacked by other supporters of Trump.
“This is all over Twitter. Folks asking the FBI to look into it,” one wrote.
“Dumb–-s like you have set the Maga movement back 10 years. Please back the f– down,” wrote another.
“People were automatically already looking for evidence that the protesters were Antifa, and that narrative came roaring back on these platforms,” said Otis.
“The people they were identifying as Antifa are actually some of the most well known QAnon believers, neo-Nazi leaders and far-Right social media personalities, and they personally have been pushing back angrily in some cases saying, `No, this is me, stop trying to take away credit.' ”
Arieh Kovler, a disinformation specialist who predicted the violence on Jan. 6 after monitoring social media channels in recent months, told The Daily Telegraph there was disappointment and disillusionment among many online radicalized Trump followers over the certification of Biden's election win.
“Trump said come to Washington, D.C., `It's going to be wild,' and people took time off work, travelled for hours across the country to what they thought would be watching him win the election,” Kovler said.
“What I have seen mostly is confusion, disappointment and betrayal … because until now, they were told Trump was going to win or that there may have been some big reveal of hidden votes or evidence in Trump's favour.” Many are now feeling a sense of defeat akin to the morning after Trump's defeat in the November election, he added.
“There are a lot of people out there who have had their world view shattered,” said Kovler. “I wouldn't write off the possibility of one guy with a gun taking matters into his own hands.”