Following the attempted assassination of former President Trump by a Pennsylvania man, Thomas Matthew Crooks, on July 13, 2024, administrators of extreme right Telegram channels were quick to assign blame. Each channel admin went after their preferred targets in order to adapt the event to their worldview and appeal to their followers. Many channels, including those that have previously condemned Trump, overwhelmingly blamed Antifa, the left, and the Democrats for the assassination attempt. As of July 18, the would-be assassin’s motive is unknown.

Extreme right Telegram channels quickly spread disinformation regarding the identity of the shooter, accusing him of being Jewish, Asian American, or—in an effort to escalate the situation toward political violence—a part of Antifa. Numerous channels posted antisemitic content, accusing Jews of being responsible for the assassination attempt. In some cases, channel administrators spread conspiratorial content from far-right sources that subsequently spread on Twitter/X following the shooting. 

Below is an overview of how different types of extreme right Telegram channels responded to the assassination attempt. 

Accelerationist Telegram Channels

Neo-Nazi accelerationist channels pushed narratives designed to support and encourage chaos. One channel administrator expressed the hope that supporters of former President Trump would blame the left and seek violent retribution. A different admin stated that it was necessary following the failed assassination to portray liberals and the left as terrorists in order to increase paranoia and the fear of violence. The individual stated that further inflaming the situation was good for accelerationists and that promoting the idea that liberals are violent would hopefully lead to violence against the left while also helping push people toward the extreme right. A channel affiliated with the neo-Nazi accelerationist group Injekt Division lamented that there was more support for Trump online following the assassination attempt, but that they still believed he was controlled by a Jewish cabal. A different channel administrator was unconcerned with the attempted assassination, stating that they were focused on a race war.

A post shared on an accelerationist Telegram channel. Screenshot taken on July 15.

Active Clubs and Affiliated Channels

A prominent white supremacist Telegram channel affiliated with the Active Club movement that has over 20,000 followers spread disinformation following the attempted assassination, claiming that the shooter was Jewish, a “known Antifa” activist, or part of secret Jewish opposition to the former president. The channel administrator does not support former President Trump, claiming that his time in office only benefited Jews and their allies. Other Active Club channels denigrated federal law enforcement as being quick to crack down on white supremacists but failing to protect the former president.

A false claim blaming a “known Antifa extremist” for the assassination attempt spread by an Active Club-affiliated Telegram channel. This photo was originally spread by far-right Twitter/X accounts after the shooting. The individual pictured is an Italian football fan and is unrelated to the attempted assassin. (Note: extreme right channels often add caveats such as “Keep in mind…” to evade responsibility.) Screenshot taken on July 17.
 

Other Online Neo-Nazi/White Supremacist Groups and Channels

The administrator of a neo-Nazi Telegram channel that focuses on operations security and privacy issues reiterated that Trump was not on their side and is controlled by Jewish interests but stated that their followers should prepare for a Trump electoral victory. A channel affiliated with a Nationalist Social Club (NSC) affiliated group alleged that the assassination attempt was proof that the Democratic Party was seeking to commit acts of violence against the right but that the Republican Party was not truly aware of the situation, urging people to join their group instead.

Christopher Pohlhaus, the leader of Blood Tribe, hoped that Trump supporters would commit acts of violence against liberals as retaliation and took the opportunity to criticize female Secret Service agents. Another Blood Tribe-affiliated channel claimed that the attempted assassin was Jewish, spreading a link from a poorly written clickbait website focused on celebrity gossip. 

The main White Lives Matter channel, with over 20,000 followers, posted an image declaring “white people first” and that any other message was “irrelevant.” A white nationalist survivalist who has been gaining prominence in the online extreme right noted on July 13 that the assassination attempt would be used to restrict civil liberties and advised his nearly 9,000 followers to stock up on firearms and ammunition.

Message from a National Socialist Club affiliated group. Screenshot taken on July 15.

Proud Boys Telegram Channels

The main Proud Boys Telegram warned their followers not to post anything inflammatory or content that would attract law enforcement. This call not to bring attention fits with recent posts from the main channel of the decentralized group, which has sought relative inconspicuousness compared to local chapters. Comparatively, Telegram channels affiliated with regional Proud Boys chapters sought to blame the Democratic party and the left for the assassination attempt without evidence. This attempt to place blame on the group’s classic perceived enemies—Antifa and the left—should be viewed within the context of its history of mobilizing its members against those groups. 

A Telegram channel affiliated with a Pennsylvania Proud Boys chapter claimed that Antifa was responsible for the attempted assassination. A Nevada chapter wrote that that the gunman was a “leftist,” that Democrats were responsible for rhetoric that led to the shooting, and that they (Democrats) wished death on Republicans, invoking fears of eliminationist violence. Multiple other Proud Boys channels similarly placed blame on Democrats and liberals.

A message from a regional Proud Boys Telegram channel. Screenshot taken on July 15.