Harbinger of possible chaos? Trump supporters are already playing with violent fantasies online
Radical supporters of Donald Trump are preparing for the elections on Telegram. Calls for violence are also on the rise.
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- Radical supporters of Donald Trump are preparing for the elections on Telegram.
- Calls for violence are also on the rise.
In the last few days before the election, supporters of former President Donald Trump are increasingly organizing to become active as election observers in Democratic strongholds and question the electoral system.
Messages and pictures of armed men defending their "rights" are circulating on Telegram in order to gain supporters, as reported by theNew York Times. Some postings call for resistance and armed violence if Trump does not win the election.
"The day is coming when procrastination will no longer be an option," reads a post by the so-called Proud Boys, the far-right group that played a central role in the storming of the Capitol in January 2021. A channel from a group in Ohio continued: "Either join the resistance or accept tyranny."
An analysis by the Times, which examined more than a million messages from around 50 Telegram channels, shows a widespread network that aims to shake the credibility of the election and potentially challenge the result. Many of the channels were created after the 2020 elections and have since gained in reach and organizational talent.
Telegram wants to moderate more strictly
Telegram, the platform with almost one billion users, has become an important tool for right-wing groups. Katherine Keneally, former analyst at the New York Police Department, emphasizes to the newspaper that the activities on Telegram should be taken seriously: "Telegram is often central to the offline organization of such groups."
These channels spread disinformation and show calls for activities such as participating in election committees or reporting alleged voter fraud. According to a statement from Telegram, the company has moderated the content more strictly and is working with the authorities to remove "criminal content".
However, the platform remains an important hub for right-wing groups. The Proud Boys and other extremist groups continue to use Telegram to sow doubt about the electoral system, recruit violent supporters and make plans for election day.
Significantly more calls for violence
In New Hampshire, for example, the report states that a Telegram channel instructed people to personally question local officials about the counting of postal votes. In Georgia, followers of a local Telegram channel were encouraged to attend election board meetings and advocate for limits on absentee voting.
In total, the New York Times has found over 4,000 different posts in the last few days alone calling on people to personally monitor the voting process. Calls for violence have also multiplied, with "several hundred" such messages appearing in the last few days.
Right-wing groups have also spread on social media in New Mexico. Here, people were urged to monitor polling stations with cameras, to file complaints with the police if necessary and to be prepared to "fight like hell". "If you've ever asked yourself, 'What can I do?", then this is your chance."
