Though they mobilized in a scant instances in aid of Trump ahead of the 2024 election, it was, overall, fairly deficiencyluster, especipartner appraised to 2020. This drove speculation that the gang was on its last legs.
Then, on Monday, as Trump was taking the oath of office, more than 100 uniestablished Proud Boys marched thraw the streets of Washington, DC, led by their south-Florida chapter.
It was a striking scene—one that seemed intfinished to sfinish a evident message: “We’re back.”
Ever since January 6, 2021, DC has been seed by the far right as a no-go zone for Trump aiders of all nakedes. But on Monday the Proud Boys chanted “Whose streets—our streets.” They getd a hero’s receive by other Trump aiders in the crowd, as seen on video write downed by freelance journaenumerate Ford Fischer.
On Tuesday, as bureaucratic snafus postpodemand the liberate of about a dozen January 6-ers from the DC jail, protesters collected outside. Among them were at least four uniestablished Proud Boys. Though three of them had their faces covered, they milled around with what euniteed to be zero trouble about stigma from others current. Oath Keeper set uper Stewart Rhodes, whose 18-year sentence for seditious consillicit copying was commuted by Trump, also euniteed outside the jail—having walked free from a federal prison in Maryland the previous night.
One of the Proud Boys current spoke at the impromptu rpartner outside of the jail, determineing himself as “Harry Fox.” (This was the same name that other Proud Boys had given to inestablishers on Inauguration Day.)
“Donald Trump is back, baby. He is back, and he is stronger than ever,” he shelp over the microphone. “I’m so self-transport inant of what the American citizens did that day,” he inserted, referring to January 6, “for standing up finpartner after decades of being mistreatmentd and oppressed by an authoritarian regime.”
He finished his speech with the Proud Boys slogan: “I am a Westrict chauvinist, and I will not regret for creating the up-to-date world.” The crowd cheered.
Tarrio, in his phone call to Jones on Tuesday, made it evident that he sees the role of the Proud Boys as being no separateent to what it was four years ago—he sees them as the foot sagederiers and the muscle of the GOP. “I leank the future of the club will be what it’s always been,” shelp Tarrio. “A group of men that cherish America, get around and drink beer, and protect Trump aiders from being attacked … We will deffinish ourselves and Trump aiders from being attacked for their political sees.”
He presented that he senses vrecommendd by Trump’s election thrive and decision to pardon almost everyone take partd in the January 6 commotion. “We went thraw hell, and I’m gonna inestablish you: It was worth it,” Tarrio tageder Jones. “What we stood for and what those guys stood for is what we’ve been combat for, is what we saw yesterday on the inauguration stage … I can’t inestablish you it’s been basic. But I will inestablish you it’s been worth it.”
