Category Archives: Antifa

A Cleveland, Tennessee, man who pushed police barricades on Jan. 6, 2021, throwing a flagpole like a spear in the direction of officers defending the U.S. Capitol, was convicted Wednesday on 10 counts in an 11-count indictment.

Joseph Lino "Jose" Padilla, 42, opted for a bench trial instead of a jury trial, meaning the judge issued the verdict.

U.S. District Judge John D. Bates found Padilla not guilty of using a large metal Trump sign as a battering ram against police but found him guilty as charged on the other 10 counts, including the assault with a flagpole. The conviction related to the flagpole carries the highest potential penalty in sentencing.

Bates set Padilla's sentencing for 2 p.m. Sept. 13. Padilla will remain in custody until his hearing, and each side will submit sentencing memos on Sept. 6, Bates said.

Closing arguments Wednesday morning brought an end to the three-day trial. Padilla took the stand Tuesday in his own defense.

U.S. Assistant Attorneys Doug Brasher and Andrew Haag and Padilla's lawyer, Michael Cronkright, focused mostly on what both sides contend are the most serious of the 11 counts one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon; and obstruction of an official proceeding.

Bates repeatedly asked questions of the lawyers and sought clarity in their arguments before he retired to deliberate on the case just before noon Wednesday. Descriptions of Padilla by each side veered from a raging rioter bent on a government takeover to a patriotic fan of police who was looking to right a wrong, express his First Amendment rights and help rescue a police officer.

Brasher in his closing statement said Padilla's self-portrayal as a patriotic lover of democracy is belied by his actions.

"There's nothing patriotic about violently attacking police officers, officers like Sgt. Jason Cropper, detective Sgt. Owais Akhtar, Capt. (Carneysha) Mendoza, Sgt. Paul Riley and officer (Oscar) Corado," Brasher said of law enforcement officers who testified Monday and Tuesday in Padilla's trial.

Padilla repeatedly broke the laws those officers were attempting to enforce in protecting the Capitol while Congress met inside to certify the Electoral College vote in the 2020 election of Joe Biden as president, Brasher said.

"On Jan. 6, 2021, Jose Padilla didn't back the blue," Brasher told Bates.

Padilla that day ignored physical barriers, police warnings and commands to get back, Brasher said. Instead Padilla attacked police, pushed bike racks against them and pushed a large metal Trump sign toward them like a battering ram and then threw the flagpole.

"Most of all he tried to get past the officers into the Capitol, so he could achieve by force what he could not do by voting," Brasher said.

Bates pressed Brasher for clarity and sufficient evidence that Padilla's 8-second contact with the Trump sign amounted to trying to use it as a battering ram and qualified the sign as a "dangerous weapon."

Attacking or Defending?

Regarding the flagpole, Brasher said Padilla's contention he was attempting to help an officer who had fallen down fails when video evidence showed he apparently ignored rioters at the same moment near the downed officer, including one with a crutch, another with his hands on an officer's gas mask, one with a large wooden stick, another throwing a canister, others with stolen police riot shields and batons, along with many other violent acts.

Brasher said after the flagpole was thrown, Padilla appeared unconcerned about the officer hit by the projectile.

Cronkright in his closing statement to Bates said Padilla had made some unanticipated concessions during the trial, admitting to assaulting an officer, but the metal sign was never used by Padilla as a weapon and the flagpole was thrown because Padilla was trying to protect a police officer who had fallen in the crush at the Capitol doors.

Cronkright said Bates' determination on these issues would play into his decisions on the other counts against Padilla.

There was no way to attach to Padilla's intentions that day to those of other rioters at the Capitol, Cronkright said, and the court would have to make a call on whether Padilla, in the moments he had contact with the Trump sign, was actually pushing it into police or if Padilla was trying to erect it, as he testified.

Padilla testified a man with a megaphone shouted, "Put it up here," which he said was an "awesome" idea.

The flagpole, Cronkright said, was thrown because Padilla was responding to a dangerous situation he believed was taking place. He was focused on the downed officer who was surrounded by rioters, including one in a red hat he testified he thought had picked up an ax handle to assault the officer on the ground.

"Our assertion is that in the case no crime was committed because it is a lawfully justified action," Cronkright told Bates.

In the government's second half of closing statements, Haag and Bates discussed the assault counts and whether they fit standards of a simple assault charge a one-year penalty or assault involving physical contact an offense carrying a potential eight-year term.

According to trial testimony, Padilla in January 2021 was a stay-at-home dad in Cleveland, Tennessee, living with his wife and three sons. The couple have been married for 18 years. Padilla served in the Army National Guard for about 11 years, including time in Iraq as a signal support systems specialist. He was honorably discharged in October 2012, according to testimony. Padilla testified he now has a 100% disability rating for post-traumatic stress disorder but he said it had no effect on his ability to testify.

Padilla was arrested after an anonymous tipster identified him from videos posted online during and after the breach. Those videos became the focus of most of the first two days of the trial.

'Internet Bravado'

Considerable trial testimony also surrounded Padilla's posts on social media after Jan. 6. Padilla dismissed his posts as "rhetoric," "exaggeration" and "internet bravado." Many of the posts were on the site thedonald.win, while others were on Facebook and other platforms, according to testimony.

On Jan. 7, 2021, according to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Padilla posted the following message on his Facebook page:

"There's a lot of memes and posts flying around saying that the people who were fighting last night were all Antifa provocateurs etc. I just want to say that as a first-hand observer of every point of last night, that it was not Antifa. They were Patriots who were trying to Restore the Republic after being attacked by the cops, who struck first. Even those who broke the windows next to the doorway to the Capitol were Patriots trying to find a way to turn the Flanks of the cops."

On Jan. 14, 2021, law enforcement attempted to interview Padilla, who responded, "I do not answer questions," the complaint states.

Between Jan. 7-18, 2021, Padilla posted numerous comments in chats on the website, thedonald.win, including five singled out in the complaint and in trial testimony and presented here without editing:

"After I had my right hand knuckles and ring finger crushed for just talking to an officer I knew was a soldier and reminding him of his duty to refuse unlawful orders, I got pissed, and so did many others. That's when we started pushing."

"I was right there. I have the wounds to prove it. I pushed the rails, I pushed the stairs, and then pushed the doorway. I was beaten unconscious twice, sprayed more times than I care to count, received strikes from batons that should have been lethal (Multiple temple and carotid strikes) except that God was on my side."

"They may have let the first group in for the fear mongering. The rest of us they smashed our hands, tased us and sprayed us for the crime of standing at the railing yelling. Then we got pissed and started to push. Then they ran up the stairs and we followed, and I think God the guys on the left of the building were able to push up the stairs, allowing the capture the second tier and start knocking on the Capitol Building doors."

"Honestly, the guy breaking the windows weren't Antifa. They were Patriots trying to find a new way in so we could flank the cops who were holding the doorway."

"If we could have occupied the Capitol, we could have invoked the right given to us in the 2nd paragraph of the Declaration of Independence....We would have been in the Seat of Power. All we would need to do is declare our grievances with the government and dissolve the legislature, and replace it with Patriots who were there. Then simply re-adopt the Constitution with amendments added to secure future Federal elections."

Padilla has remained in federal custody in Washington since his arrest Feb. 23, 2021, and he pleaded not guilty to charges March 30, 2021.

Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.

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Cleveland, Tennessee, man in Capitol breach trial found guilty on ... - Chattanooga Times Free Press

A trans-identified homeless man accused of recently kidnapping a special needs student in Portland, Oregonhas been released from custody after a judge determined that bail be reduced to zero, per the released booking records.

Matthew Clayton Stark, 42, reportedly approached the special needs student while riding the yellow line MAX train near the Rose Quarter Transit Center in January 2022, according to court documents viewed by KATU.

"That was the biggest mistake you ever made," Stark reportedly told the boy before threatening him with physical violence and stealing his cell phone, KATU reports.

According to the affidavit, Stark walked the boy to a house in North Portland after getting off the train and ordered him to knock on the door and tell someone that "Micha was here to see his son." The homeowner said they were unfamiliar with that name. Stark then walked away from the victim who immediately called the police.

Police were unable to locate Stark until February 2022, when a transit deputy recognized Stark from a flyer and made an arrest, the outlet reports.

Stark was arraigned on charges of kidnapping, coercion, and interfering with public transportation on February 10, 2022, and during an April 25 hearing, the judge reduced Starks bail to zero.

Stark, who self-identifies as a woman named "Tru," was charged with kidnapping, coercion, and interfering with public transportation on February 10, 2022. However, Stark was released from custody on April 25 after a Multnomah County judge reduced his bail to $0.00 following a court hearing.

Stark reportedly worked with Street Roots, a Portland-based newspaper that pays homeless people, and was subsequently profiled by the outlet in 2021. Stark said he is guided by one quote: "Whatever you love, do it in such a way that inspires others to follow behind you boldly." Stark went on to suggest that Portland is a hub of "feminine energy," going on to say: "Im a 40-year-old trans female, and Im happy that way. Its almost a trepidatious feeling to me how comfortable I am with myself. I spent most of my life being uncomfortable, and its an amazing feeling to be my authentic self."

Stark has also made clear that he is a staunch supporter of the trans movement, posting a photo on Facebook of a drawing that equates trans rights with human rights.A second photo that was posted to Facebook suggests that Stark is also an aspiring Antifa member, sketching what appears to be Egyptian-inspired garb, with the words "Antifa cloaks" and "All Angels Passover with Tru's Redline On Board" written around the depiction.Stark's artistic talent doesn't just include sketches and drawings, but also music. A two-minute video features Stark awkwardly looking at and away from the while singing "The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Reading.

Aside from the kidnapping charges, Stark has an extensive criminal record with charges that include possession of amphetamines, trespassing, and "climbing up and down from Blue Star Memorial Tower... swinging around nunchakus," the outlet reports.

Before the judge ordered his release, Stark received a "Very High Risk" category for pretrial monitoring following aClose Street Evaluation Report.

As a condition of release, the judge ordered Stark to attend an outpatient treatment program for substance abuse, but never showed up andan arrest warrant was issued for Stark in October 2022.

According to KATU, Stark reportedly told his counselor that he would"rather be homeless living in a tent" than get treatment for substance abuse.

Authorities were unable to locate Stark until May 2, 2023, and appeared in court on Wednesday.

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Trans-identified homeless male, repeat offender, released without ... - The Post Millennial

New York, New York - Newly leaked videos of Tucker Carlson show the former Fox News host making some questionable comments and espousing white nationalist rhetoric.

Videos shared on Tuesday by Media Matters, a progressive watchdog group, shows Carlson making some questionable comments while off-air.

In the first clip, Carlson is having a conversation with Piers Morgan, and jokes "If we're going to talk about sex, I'd love to hit some of the fine points of technique."

The two continue to crack jokes, with Morgan teasing Carlson for a segment he did on "tanning testicles."

In the second clip, Tucker talks about a guest he had on his show, sharing that he "thought his girlfriend was kind of yummy."

He went on to say that he was "just kidding, in case this is being pulled off the bird," also stating, "Hey, Media Matters for America, go f*** yourself."

The videos come after Carlson was recently fired from Fox News for undisclosed reasons.

Several other clips have been circulating on social media, but the most damning leak was a text exchange reported by the New York Times, in which Tucker shares his thoughts on a video of "Trump supporters" attacking "an Antifa kid."

"It was three against one, at least," he wrote. "Jumping a guy like that is dishonorable, obviously. It's not how white men fight."

"Yet suddenly I found myself rooting for the mob against the man, hoping they'd hit him harder, kill him," he added. "I really wanted them to hurt the kid. I could taste it."

Carlson has blamed "the media" and both major US political parties for his unceremonious exit from Fox News.

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Tucker Carlson thirsts over guest's girlfriend and shares violent fantasies in leaked video and texts - TAG24 NEWS

HARRISONBURG, Va. Gerald Leonard Drake, a Winchester, Virginia man and former Civil War reenactor, pleaded guilty yesterday to mailing threatening letters and planting a pipe bomb at the Cedar Creek Battlefield in Middletown, Virginia during a Civil War reenactment event in 2017. In the mailings sent to victims and two newspapers, Drake purported to be a member of Antifa and threatened harm, including referencing the Unite the Right riots in Charlottesville.

Drake, 63, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of an unregistered explosive device and stalking.

Our highest priority at the Department of Justice is to keep our nation safe. This defendant sought to intimidate and harm innocent people, and further, he tried to sow discontent by falsely claiming that the attempted bombing was politically motivated, United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. I am deeply grateful to the first responders for their work to quickly neutralize the bomb, as well as the special agents of the FBI and the federal prosecutors who for years tirelessly worked this case to identify Mr. Drake and bring him to justice.

The mission of the FBI is to protect the American people. Those who seek to instill fear and cause harm will be investigated and held accountable for their actions. Mr. Drake's plea is representative of the FBI, state and local law enforcement's cooperative efforts to keep our communities safe. We implore anyone who may have information about similar crimes or potential threats to contact law enforcement immediately, said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Division.

According to court documents, Drake belonged to a reenactment unit that participated in the annual reenactment at Cedar Creek Battlefield until he was removed from his unit in 2014. In later years, Drake volunteered with the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation (CCBF), which is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of history related to the Cedar Creek Battlefield and which hosts an annual reenactment attended by merchants, reenactors, and visitors.

On September 23, 2017, a letter was received at the CCBF visitor center addressed to Cedar Creek Battlefield people. The envelope and its letter both bore a printed Antifa symbol depicting a black flag overlayed atop a red flag inside of a circle. The letter claimed the reenactment event clearly celebrates the war to keep African-Americans in chains, and warned the reenactment organizers that if the event was not cancelled, the trouble Antifa would inflict on Cedar Creek Battlefield would make the riots that took place in Charlottesville in August look like a Sunday picnic.

On October 14, 2017, the CCBF hosted the planned 153rd anniversary and reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek. During the afternoon hours, as the reenactment of the battle was coming to an end, an unexploded pipe bomb was discovered in one of the merchant tents. The pipe bomb contained metal nuts, a mercury switch, a battery, ball bearings, black and red wires, powder, and other items.

Deputies from the Frederick County Sheriffs Office responded to the scene to investigate and seize the explosive device, which was later rendered safe by Virginia State Police. Due to its discovery, however, all remaining reenactment activities were cancelled, and individuals were evacuated from the area.

Following this incident, Drake continued writing letters purporting to be sent by Antifa, including letters to the CCBF, its board members, an individual associated with Civil War reenactments, and news publications. During this same time frame, Drake continued to volunteer with the CCBF.

Drake admitted today that he manufactured the pipe bomb using a metal pipe nipple, metal nuts, a 9-volt battery, black and red wires, and a mercury switch. The bomb contained powder, Pryodez, and BBs. Drake admitted to placing the bomb at Cedar Creek Battlefield to instill fear and cause harm to those attending the reenactment.

In addition, Drake admitted today to being the author of the threatening letters sent to members of the CCBF and various news agencies between September 2017 and December 2018. Those letters included threats of violence and sexual assault against members of the CCBF and their family.

At sentencing, Drake faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Virginia State Police, Frederick County Sheriffs Office, and the Middletown Police Department participated in the investigation.

United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katie Burroughs Medearis, Melanie Smith, and Cagle Juhan are prosecuting the case.

Link:

Civil War Reenactor Admits to Planting Bomb at Cedar Creek ... - Department of Justice

WASHINGTON A right-wing extremist who admitted he wielded a police shield and shattered a window at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot called the charges against him "fake" as the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial, which has been underway for more than three months, nears an end.

Dominic Pezzola a Proud Boy from New York who is on trial along with former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, and three other members, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs andZachary Rehl said during cross examination on Thursday that rioters on Jan. 6, 2021, were "acting as trespassing protesters." He also argued that law enforcement officers used excessive force on the mob that day.

Pezzola, who admitted that he lied to the FBI about one of his co-defendants having a firearm during the riot, also called the trial "phony" and "corrupt." He argued that he was speaking metaphorically when he said he was willing to fight for the Proud Boys, comparing his past remarks to how Im fighting this corrupt trial with these fake charges.

Pezzola also admitted that he was wearing a hat that said respect is earned, beatings are free during parts of the riot.

All five defendants rested their case Thursday evening, and prosecutors rested their case on Friday morning.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly began instructing jurors on Friday morning, and told attorneys he thought the best idea was to hold off on closing arguments until Monday. Justice Department prosecutors opposed that plan, saying the jurors were ready to hear closing arguments on Friday afternoon.

During the lengthy trial, Pezzola said that he was just interested in joining a group of like-minded men" when he signed up with the Proud Boys shortly before the insurrection. "I believed everyones freedom is under attack by radical socialists," he said.

Prosecutors had presented a journal entry in which Pezzola wrote about why he wanted to join the far-right organization. If the time comes, Im willing to stand first on the line to protect who I love and what we stand for," read an excerpt from the journal.

Pezzola has acknowledged that he yelled at law enforcement as the mob overran them on the day of the riot. You better decide what side youre on motherf-----s, Pezzola admitted he yelled on Jan. 6. You think Antifas bad? Just wait.

He also used his courtroom testimony to advance a conspiracy theory. Pezzola argued that Ray Epps, a Trump supporter who tried to calm down rioters on Jan. 6, was a government informant.

Asked by prosecutors if he had any first hand knowledge that Epps is a government informant, Pezzola said: Ive seen no evidence that he isnt."

Far-right conspirators have alleged that Epps was working with the federal government and sought to provoke violence during the 2021 attack on the Capitol. Epps, who has said conspiracy theories had a significant impact on his life,toldthe House Jan. 6 committee last year that the crazies started coming out of the woodwork after conservative members of Congress and commentators referred to him by name.

Pezzola, who has cut his hair since the riot, said during the trial that he thought he looked like a "homeless man who went to the Capitol looking for food" that day.

About 1,000 defendants have been arrested in connection with Jan. 6, andhundreds of casesare in the works.

Ryan J. Reilly is a justice reporter for NBC News.

Gary Grumbach contributed.

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Proud Boy who broke Capitol window slams 'fake' charges as trial wraps up - NBC News

Lawyers have asked the NFL to block Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder from suing former team employees who have accused him of wrongdoing as part of the leagues approval of a pending sale of the franchise.Washington Post

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney is strongly hinting hes planning to run for governor in 2025. I think I am young enough to still serve the public and I am seriously considering my next step, and that would be taking a look at the governors race in 2025.Richmond Times-Dispatch

A Walmart store in Chesapeake reopened six months after a mass shooting that left six workers dead. The store now features a memorial for the victims.WHRO

A Virginia Civil War reenactor pleaded guilty to planting a pipe bomb at a Shenandoah Valley battlefield during a reenactment and writing letters falsely suggesting that Antifa had done it.Associated Press

The theft of a political billboard in Frederick County led to a felony charge for a man allegedly caught by a nearby trail camera.Winchester Star

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Richmond mayor Stoney hints at gubernatorial run and more Va ... - Virginia Mercury

Here at FIRE, the protocol for a Matt Walsh speaking event is one with which weve become quite familiar: Monitor the event, watch as hecklers try to shut or shout it down, and respond accordingly. Time after time, as administrators fail to do their jobs in securing controversial events and students fail to understand the bounds of protected expression, FIRE is here to remind both parties of their constitutional obligations.

Rinse and repeat.

On Wednesday, Walsh visited the University of Iowa at the invitation of its Young Americans for Freedom chapter, to screen his documentary, What is a Woman? After the screening, protesters converged on the building where Walsh was set to address students. The protesters shouted at students in line for the event, filled the hallway with marbles for attendees to trip over, blocked one of the only venue exits, and later blocked the road as cars attempted to leave that evening.

Despite protesters efforts, the event proceeded as Walsh spoke to almost 500 attendees.

Earlier this month, word of the attempted shutdown spread across social media. Dont let YAFs hate speech go unfought, encouraged Antifa Hawkeye Action on posters plastered across campus. Its on all of us to make Iowa City unwelcome for bigots. The posters encouraged protesters to bring masks, banners, signs, air horns, noisemakers.

So the question becomes, posited the group on Twitter, how do we cut them off? Student organizers also created a petition to have Iowas YAF chapter suspended altogether.

Of course, FIRE supports the right of student protesters to engage in protected expression including by asking tough questions during a Q&A, organizing a counter-event, or demonstrating outside the event. But flooding a hallway with marbles in an apparent effort to injure attendees, or using air horns to drown out a speaker fosters neither a healthy campus environment nor a culture of free expression.

Instead of attending Walshs lecture and pressing him with difficult, thought-provoking questions, some of the protesters tried to shut down the event altogether in direct contravention of his right to speak and of the students right to listen.

While calls for unprotected expression like event disruptions are not news to us, and though weve recently seen controversial events go much worse, FIRE is disappointed in the universitys leadership for not doing more to ensure the safety of those attending Wednesday nights event.

As FIRE has said for years, and Nico Perrino argued in The Los Angeles Times last week, substantial disruptions dont qualify as free speech. Despite the hecklers veto lacking any constitutional justification as a response to objectionable speech, 62% of college students misunderstand the First Amendment and say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from sharing their ideas is acceptable to some degree.

While Walshs protesters apparently felt justified in their efforts to shut down what they deem hateful rhetoric, one cannot help but wonder if theyd similarly accept that response the next time one of them invites a speaker to campus that YAF members may vehemently oppose.

FIRE continues to monitor these attempted shut-downs and will return to our playbook, reminding universities and students what is and is not protected expression, as often as necessary.

FIRE defends the rights of students and faculty members no matter their views at public and private universities and colleges in the United States. If you are a student or a faculty member facing investigation or punishment for your speech, submit your case to FIRE today. If youre a faculty member at a public college or university, call the Faculty Legal Defense Fund 24-hour hotline at 254-500-FLDF (3533). If youre a college journalist facing censorship or a media law question, call the Student Press Freedom Initiative 24-hour hotline at 717-734-SPFI (7734).

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Protestors lose their marbles literally as Matt Walsh speaks at ... - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education

Modified Apr 21, 2023 05:20 GMT

Andrew Daniel Lesters grandson Klint Ludwig has garnered immense traction on social media following his recent interview with CNN. Despite the latter condemning the 84-year olds actions of shooting Ralph Yarl, netizens could not help but develop interest into Klints satanic beliefs. His now-deleted Twitter account has come to light, which could make people question his credibility.

The shocking encounter occurred on the night of April 12. 16-year-old Ralph Yarl went to pick up his younger brothers from a Northland neighborhood home when he mistakenly rang the doorbell of the wrong address. Andrew Lester proceeded to open fire at the teenager and shot him twice. The youngster is now recovering from his injuries while the suspect has been released on bail.

Speaking about his grandfathers actions, Klint Ludwig seemingly claimed that he was not surprised by his actions as the warning signs were there. He went on to add that Lester holds racist tendencies and beliefs. Ludwig shared that his grandfather was a stock American Christian male who believed in QAnon theories, that included the 2020 presidential election being rigged.

Klint Ludwig went on to reveal that he lost touch with his grandfather after he tried to push back on his theories. The latter reportedly could not handle criticism leading to them falling out.

In his Don Lemon interview, Ludwig opined that his grandfather resorted to shooting at the teenager because he was scared and due to the 24 hour news cycle of fear and paranoia, that comes from right-wing networks. Ludwig shared:

Despite Ludwig extending support towards Yarls family, his actions were not taken well by certain citizens as his Twitter activity came to light.

After making headlines worldwide following his CNN interview, Ludwig proceeded to delete his official Twitter account, where he described himself as a human male. He also noted that he is a trans-rights, antifa and BLM activist. In the most shocking section of his bio, he had written- Hail Satan.

It looks like CNN failed to do a background check on Ludwig before doing the controversial interview.

In a tweet, Ludwig claimed the the LGBTQ community and "anyone with a womb" were under attack. The tweet read:

Twitter user @ChuckRossDC also revealed online that Ludwig was sued by his co-worker for defamation. This comes after he reportedly stuck Antifa, BLM, Hail Satan, and All Cops Are B*stards stickers at work.

According to NBC News, Klint Ludwig is 28 years old. He currently lives in suburban Kansas City and is a former public safety officer.

Following the shooting of Ralph Yarl, Ludwig apologized for his grandfathers actions in an interview. He said:

Andrew Lester now remains free on bail while awaiting his trial. He pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

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Who is Klint Ludwig? Andrew Lester's grandson's Twitter posts go viral in wake of Don Lemon interview - Sportskeeda

The real story

Why has the local newspaper continued to give front page coverage to a local radical attempting to take control of the city away from the voters and put into his hands? The same man who has posted on social media that "This country must burn" and that he is for abolishing the police, is now speaking for a group calling themselves "Unite Siloam." Yes, he has actually posted "Defund the Police" on his previous Facebook page.

Up until a few months ago, his previous Facebook page had a picture showing he is a self-proclaimed "socialist" and "ex-evangelical." He follows Marxists, socialists and people with Antifa. And now he has helped start a group gathering signatures on a petition to remove the two most conservative city board members, David Allen and Lesa Rissler. He is upset that conservatives are in the majority of the city board since Jan. 1, 2023.

Too many big government "tax and spend" liberals have been in the majority running our city, wasting our tax dollars on their pet projects instead of fixing our streets and controlling the flooding problem with drainage control. Pushing through a $10 million round-about at the corner of Washington and East Main, in order to "beautify" an intersection that doesn't even have a stoplight, has been one of their projects they have worked on since 2018. These same liberals have been in favor of the higher utility rates for water, sewer, electric and trash that was started by the former city administrator Patterson. The reason we do not pay higher utility rates every year now is because of Lesa Rissler and David Allen, who made the public aware and encouraged emails and calls demanding the board stop these automatic five-year annual rate increases on every city utility.

The city board of directors doesn't owe anyone an explanation for making a personnel change decision. They are voted in every four years to make those decisions for the best interest of all citizens of Siloam Springs. I know Rissler and Allen have proven for many years their dedication to every citizen of our community, their love for our city and for following their morals and their heart. Please do not be fooled by the rantings of a small group of downtown liberals who are upset that their pet project funding has been brought under control. If you wish to remove your name from the "Unite Siloam" petitions for the recall of Allen and Rissler, you can email the city clerk at [emailprotected] and ask your name be removed from any current or future petitions to recall these board members.

Daryl Myrick

Siloam Springs

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LETTER: The real story - NWAOnline

President Joe Biden is now 80 years old. He will be 82 when he campaigns for the 2024 presidency and a clearly debilitated 86 should he be elected and fill out his second term. He has been in government for over a half-century.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current representative from California is 83.

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the second-ranking Democratic House member behind Pelosi, was House majority leader until early this year. He is 83, and has been an elected official for nearly 60 years.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is 72, with 48 years in elected government.

Democratic luminary and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence Committees, Senator Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., is 89, and ailing after 53 years as an elected official.

James Clyburn, D-S.C., is House minority whip and 82.

These are the official faces of the Democratic Party.

They came into power and maturity three decades ago during the Clinton years of 1993-1999.

Decades ago, they sometimes supported strong national defense, secure borders, gas and oil development, fully funding the police, and a few restrictions on partial-birth abortions.

Not now.

Their role has changed from that of liberals of the Clinton era to serving as the thin power-holding veneer that masks the new real Democratic Party.

The party has been changed beyond recognition by Senators Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the so-called Squad, the Congressional Black Caucus, newly elected senators like the Georgia duo of Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and Antifa and Black Lives Matter.

Yet Biden and company are still familiar American faces.

Their final role is to acculturate the electorate to the new Democratic Party.

Its radicals are breathing down their necks to get out of the way. Yet for a while longer they still need such an ossified veneer of respectability to ease the transition to what is now essentially a socialist-European green party.

This new Democratic Party believes in defunding the police.

It supports the George-Soros-funded state and city district attorneys.

These prosecutors seek either to release violent criminals without bail or reduce their felonies to misdemeanors.

Critical legal and race theories are their creeds. So they argue that crimes have little to do with individual free will.

Criminals are not deterred by tough enforcement of the laws. Instead, crime reflects arbitrary constructs of a racially oppressive hierarchy.

They believe the woke revolution of using race and gender in lieu of a meritocracy should dominate government and corporate boardrooms.

Racial separation in graduations, dorms, and university programs are needed reparations.

Big Tech is their ally. All the better when it partners with government, especially the FBI and CIA, to suppress misinformation and disinformation.

They believe gender is socially constructed. Thus transitioning biological males can and should compete in womens sports.

They want a Green New Deal right now, one that calls for the abolition of natural gas and oil for electricity generation and transportation.

Abortion is seen as a God-given right even as a baby passes through the birth canal.

Climate change is their religion, trumping any concern for the viability of the middle-class suffering from inflation, high interest rates, and recession.

They want semiautomatic rifles to be banned. Concealed handgun permits should be almost impossible to obtain.

The more voters skip Election Day through mail-in balloting and early voting, the better.

There is no longer dark money, only useful correct money.

The more that Silicon Valley and Wall Street grandees quietly reroute hundreds of millions of dollars into hard-Left PACs and nonpartisan causes, the more the donors should expect lucrative crony-capitalist green deals and government concessions.

Much of the ideology of the new Democratic Party arose in academia, like critical race theory and modern monetary theory. The giveaway word is theory a mask for any absurd doctrine that can be dressed up as a sophisticated new idea.

When Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the new Democratic minority leader in the House or Elizabeth Warren in the Senate advocate these positions, the voters recoil. That pushback is understandable, since almost none of these notions poll above 50 percent.

The role of a calcified Biden, Pelosi, Feinstein, Hoyer, or Clyburn is to reassure voters through their notoriety and apparently staid exteriors that they are hardly the sort to embrace revolution, although that is exactly what they do.

Ol Joe Bidens old guard and the new hard Left play a game of mutual advantage.

The new majority of radical Democrats allows the old fogies to bask in the limelight until they drop exempt from counter-revolutionary criticism or inter-party primary challenges or demands to retire.

In return, the codgers reassure the nation that old faces like theirs cannot possibly be polyester revolutionary socialists despite their role in airbrushing and photoshopping the radical catastrophe unfolding before our eyes.

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ABOUT THE WRITER

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(Victor Davis Hanson is a distinguished fellow of the Center for American Greatness. He is a classicist and historian at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and the author of The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won, from Basic Books. You can reach him by e-mailing authorvdh@gmail.com.)

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The useful veneer of the aging Democrat | Government/Opinion - City-sentinel