What makes you think it was real?
TheDonald’s owner speaks out on why he finally pulled plug on hate-filled site
Washington Post
The Army veteran, a site moderator who owned its domain, watched with growing alarm as racism, threats and QAnon references flourished on the pro-Trump site. His former co-moderators called him a ‘sellout’ who went ‘rogue’ after internal schism.
TheDonald’s owner speaks out on why he finally pulled plug on hate-filled site
The Army veteran, a site moderator who owned its domain, watched with growing alarm as racism, threats and QAnon references flourished on the pro-Trump site. His former co-moderators called him a ‘sellout’ who went ‘rogue’ after internal schism.
Jody Williams knew things had gotten out of hand early last month, when a post on the pro-Trump message board TheDonald included a detailed diagram of how to tie a “hangman’s knot” on a noose.
Williams was a moderator for the board and owner of its Web address, so he removed the noose instructions. But within an hour, he said, another moderator quietly restored it near the top of the site. Three days later, on Jan. 6, a real noose was hung on makeshift gallows on the National Mall, amid a violent siege on the U.S. Capitol.
When Trump started his speech before the Capitol riot, talk on Parler turned to civil war
USA Today
Trump: If Pence 'does the right thing, we win'
President Donald Trump is continuing his pressure-campaign against Vice President Mike Pence, telling thousands of supporters falsely that all Pence has to do to stay in office is send Electoral College votes back to the states to be recertified. (Jan. 6)
And at 1:04 p.m. Trump said: “So I hope Mike has the courage to do what he has to do. And I hope he doesn’t listen to the RINOs and the stupid people that he’s listening to,” using an acronym for “Republicans in Name Only.”
As Trump’s speech ended and his supporters moved toward the Capitol, the conversation online mirrored Trump’s disdain for Pence and other Republicans. But on Parler, the tone was more ominous.
“Pence is a traitor,” one user wrote at 1 p.m. “Patriots need to build gallows and start removing these rhinos like Mitch McConnell Mitt Romney and Royal Blunt to name a few,” wrote another at 1:07 p.m. “Traitor. Hang the bast-ard,” wrote another at 1:58 p.m. Mentions of Mike Pence went from a little more than 30 in the hour before Trump told supporters to “show strength” and said Pence “is going to have to come through for us – to about 90 in the hour afterward.
That rhetoric online matched actions on the ground. A makeshift gallows was erected at the Capitol.
US Capitol riot: How social media helped enable attack by die-hard Trump fans
Straits Times.com
"GOTTA OVERWHELM THOSE BARRICADES AND COPS," another user replied. Others chimed in on the discussion, suggesting that they could enter using side doors for visitors or infiltrate the tunnels beneath the Capitol, which they had researched the street entrances to...
Mr Trump's die-hard supporters publicly floated some of the exact tactics used to storm the Capitol on Wednesday, in comments that frequently included threats to lawmakers and sentiments of self-martyrdom.
"If it came down to it, I wouldn't think twice about dying just so my family and friends can live free," said one The Donald user four days ago.
Another replied that "corrupt politicians" "need to hang for their treason", writing: "Bring the wood, build the gallows outside Congress, be mentally prepared to pull them out and string em up."