Jack Posobiec

John Michael Posobiec III (/pəˈsoʊbɪk/ pə-SOH-bik; born December 14, 1985)[1] is an American alt-right[2][3][4] political activist and conspiracy theorist[5] who is considered an Internet troll.[6][7][8][9] Posobiec is best known for his pro-Donald Trump comments on Twitter, as well as using white-supremacist and anti-semitic symbols and talking points, including the white genocide conspiracy theory.[10][11][12][13] He has promoted fake news, including the debunked Pizzagate conspiracy theory that high-ranking Democratic Party officials were involved in a child sex ring.[14] As of 2018, he was working as a correspondent for One America News Network, a conservative cable news television channel.[15]

Jack Posobiec
Born
John Michael Posobiec III

(1985-12-14) December 14, 1985
Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma materTemple University (BA)
OccupationPolitical activist, news correspondent
EmployerOne America News Network
Political partyRepublican

Early life and education

Posobiec was born and raised in Norristown, Pennsylvania, to a family of Polish descent.[16] His parents were both Democrats.[7] He attended Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School[7] and then went to college at Temple University.[7] While at Temple, he became the chairman of the Temple University College Republicans and started a chapter of Students for Academic Freedom, an organization run by the David Horowitz Freedom Center.[7] He also participated in a summer internship for U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and volunteered for U.S. Representative Curt Weldon's unsuccessful reelection campaign in 2006.[7] He graduated from Temple in 2006[17] with a double major in political science and broadcast journalism.[18]

Career

After graduation, Posobiec worked for the United States Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, China.[7] He played a minor role in the film The Forbidden Kingdom, which was released in 2008.[16][7] He later worked for WPHT, a conservative talk radio station, and then for the campaign of Steve Johnson in the 2010 Pennsylvania lieutenant gubernatorial election; Johnson lost in the Republican primary.[7]

Posobiec served several tours in the Navy Reserve from 2010 to 2017, reaching the rank of lieutenant junior grade. He was deployed for a while at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, and also worked at the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), where he later worked again as a civilian.[19][16]

During the 2016 election, Posobiec was a special projects director of Citizens for Trump, a pro-Trump organization.

In March 2017, Posobiec resigned from his full-time civilian position at ONI, saying that his support for Trump led to a "toxic work environment". As of August 2017, his security clearance was suspended[19] and was under review.[20]

Posobiec was employed from early April 2017 to May 2017 at Rebel News, as its Washington bureau chief.[21] He left after allegations were made that he had engaged in plagiarism.[7]

As of 2018, Posobiec was working as a correspondent for One America News Network, a conservative cable news television channel.[15]

Political activities

Posobiec describes himself as a "Republican political operative".[22] He said in 2017 that his work was "reality journalism—part investigative, part activist, part commentary",[23][24] and that "I'm willing to break the fourth wall. I'm willing to walk into an anti-Trump march and start chanting anti-Clinton stuff—to make something happen, and then cover what happens."[18] Will Sommer, an editor at The Hill, said in 2017 that Posobiec "make[s] stuff up, relentlessly", and that "there's no one at that level."[25]

Conspiracy theories, falsehoods, and unsubstantiated claims
  • Posobiec was one of the most prominent promoters on social media of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, which falsely claimed that high-ranking officials were involved in a child-sex ring centered at a Washington, D.C. pizzeria.[7] He live-streamed an investigation of the pizzeria and was asked to leave after attempting to broadcast a child's birthday party being held in a back room.[26] Posobiec later said he had always thought the Pizzagate theory was "stupid" and had filmed his visit to debunk it.[7]
  • In December 2016, Posobiec claimed without evidence that Disney had re-written scenes in the Star Wars movie Rogue One to add "Anti Trump scenes calling him a racist", and called for a boycott of the Star Wars franchise. Disney denied the allegations.[27]
  • Posobiec falsely said that former FBI director James Comey, at a United States Senate hearing on May 17, 2017, "said under oath that Trump did not ask him to halt any investigation". The claim was later repeated by conservative personalities and media outlets, including Rush Limbaugh and the InfoWars website.[24]
  • Posobiec promoted the discredited conspiracy theory that Seth Rich had leaked e-mails from the Democratic National Committee to WikiLeaks.[21]
  • Posobiec promoted a hoax that CNN had published and then deleted an article defending Bill Maher's use of a racial slur.[28]
  • In June 2017, shortly after Republican congressman Steve Scalise was shot during a baseball practice, Posobiec falsely tweeted that Loretta Lynch had previously called for "blood in the streets"[29] and that Bernie Sanders had ordered his followers to "take down" Trump.[30]
  • In December 2017, Posobiec, along with Cernovich, The Gateway Pundit, and InfoWars, promoted a false theory that a passenger train derailment near Dupont, Washington, was linked to the Antifa anti-fascism movement.[31]
  • Posobiec has frequently tweeted about the white genocide conspiracy theory.[10][32]
  • In October 2019, after Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a White House national security official and decorated Iraq war veteran, testified in Congress about President Trump requesting that the Ukrainian President investigate his political rival Joe Biden, Posobiec falsely claimed that Vindman had been advising the Ukrainian government on ways to prevent Trump from implementing his foreign policy goals.[33]
  • In June 2020, during the protests against racism and police brutality in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, Posobiec falsely claimed he had "breaking" news that there were pipe bombs planted at the Korean War Memorial in Washington D.C. and that "federal assets [were] in pursuit". There were no pipe bombs nor is there any evidence that any "federal assets" pursued it.[34]

Race relations
  • In September 2016, Posobiec praised Richard Spencer on Twitter as "indispensable". He later deleted walked back the statement, deleting his supporting tweets and calling Spencer a "scumbag".[35]
  • In October 2016, Posobiec posted a tweet that included triple parentheses, an anti-semitic symbol.[11]
  • In May 2017, Posobiec hired neo-Nazi brothers Jeffrey and Edward Clark to help create a documentary about the murder of Seth Rich for Rebel News, a far-right Canada-based website for which Posobiec was working. Jeffrey Clark was arrested by the FBI on gun charges after saying that the Jewish victims of the October 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting "deserved exactly what happened to them and so much worse".[36] Posobiec later said that he had never heard of Jeffrey Clark and had never made a documentary about Seth Rich, even though HuffPost published photographs of Posobiec and the Clarks working together.[37][38]
  • In August 2017, following a "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that led to violent clashes between white nationalists and anti-protesters, Posobiec said that the rally had become "massive propaganda" for the left and that the mainstream media was "fanning the flames of this violence." He said that Trump should have disavowed Black Lives Matter. Posobiec later tweeted that he had consistently disavowed white nationalism and violence.[22] He also tweeted that he was "done with trolling" and that it was "time to do the right thing."
  • He has repeatedly published posts containing the white supremacist code "1488", or the Fourteen Words, and is a supporter of the slogan.[39][12][13]

Support of Donald Trump

During the 2016 election, Posobiec was a special projects director of the political organization Citizens for Trump.[21]

  • Posobiec led a campaign in November 2016 to discredit anti-Trump protesters by planting a sign at a protest reading "Rape Melania".[40][41][42] He later denied his involvement and said he had been questioned about it by the Secret Service.[7]
  • Posobiec was an organizer of the DeploraBall, an event held on January 19, 2017, to celebrate Trump's inauguration.[43]
  • In April and May 2017, Posobiec was a correspondent for The Rebel, a far-right Canada-based website,[21] and was granted press access to the White House in April 2017. According to Philadelphia magazine, during his short time in the White House press pool Posobiec "seems to have been charged in the press briefing room with haranguing legitimate journalists and running out the clock on press conferences with inane softball questions and Dear Leader obsequiousness."
  • On June 16, 2017, Posobiec disrupted a Shakespeare in the Park production of Julius Caesar that depicted the title character as a President Trump-like figure. Posobiec was prompted by Mike Cernovich, another alt-right conspiracy theorist, who had offered a $1,000 prize for anyone who interrupted a performance.[44] Posobiec was escorted from the event along with fellow protester Laura Loomer, who was arrested for disorderly conduct after refusing to leave the stage.

Gun violence
  • On June 4, 2017, Posobiec tweeted, "There's never been a terrorist attack at a Nascar race. Nascar fans are all armed. Draw your own conclusions."[45]
  • Posobiec organized a "Rally Against Political Violence" in Washington, D.C. on June 25, 2017 to condemn the shooting of Scalise. Richard Spencer, another alt-right figure who organized a separate, competing rally at the same time, ridiculed Posobiec's event and called it "pathetic".[46]

Other elections

Other activities
  • In July 2017, Posobiec handed out flyers thanking Democratic senators for "protecting our quality violent porn content", including "ritual Satanic porn videos". The flyers were distributed outside the U.S. Senate at a demonstration in support of net neutrality.[50]
  • In August 2017, Posobiec participated in a small protest of a statue of Vladimir Lenin in Seattle, Washington, to have it removed.[51]
  • In April 2018, Posobiec criticized Google for not having a Doodle for Easter.[52]
  • In January 2018, the dating app Bumble removed Posobiec from its platform, after a user asked the company if it allowed "white nationalists / Nazis"; Bumble said that Posobiec did not follow the company's core values, and that the profile was linked to Posobiec's Facebook account.[53] Posobiec denied ever having a Bumble account and said he would file an identity theft complaint.[54]
  • In June 2020, in Washington, D.C.'s Lincoln Park, Posobiec was shoved and chased for several minutes by a dozen protesters at the Emancipation Memorial, which depicts an African American man kneeling at the feet of President Abraham Lincoln. The protesters called Posobiec, who was filming speakers, a Nazi and forced him from the park. Police arrived in a van and, after trying to quell the fracas, helped Posobiec into the van before driving away. Posobiec tweeted later that he was "totally fine" but "filing an assault report with DC police".[55][56]

Personal life

From 2012 to 2016, Posobiec ran a blog and podcast about Game of Thrones called AngryGoTFan.[16] Posobiec married Tanya Tay in November 2017.[54]

References
  1. Posobiec, Jack. "I ask for but one thing on my birthday tomorrow..." Twitter. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  2. Lewis, Becca; Marwik, Alice (June 13, 2017). "Megyn Kelly fiasco is one more instance of far right outmaneuvering media". Columbia Journalism Review.
  3. Karma Allen (August 15, 2017). "Trump retweets alt-right activist who pushed 'Pizzagate' conspiracy". ABC News.
  4. Cillizza, Chris (August 18, 2017). Donald Trump retweeted an alt-right conspiracy theorist. Here's why. CNN. Retrieved: August 31, 2017.
  6. Election Night from the Trump Hotel. Alex Thomas, Playboy, Nov. 7, 2018
  7. Valania, Jonathan (September 16, 2017). "How Jack Posobiec Became the King of Fake News". Philadelphia.
  8. Esposito, Stefano (August 15, 2017). "After blasting racism, Trump retweets alt-right post on Chicago crime". Chicago Sun-Times.
  9. Nguyen, Tina (March 1, 2018). ""Nonsensical," "Kooky," "Idiotic": The Far Right Seethes Over Trump's Second Amendment Flip-Flop". Vanity Fair.
  10. "Pro-Trump Bloggers Are Trying To Disown The Alt-Right Brand After Charlottesville". HuffPost. August 16, 2017.
  11. Hayden, Michael Edison (January 25, 2018). "White Supremacist, Neo-Nazi Accounts Still Active on Twitter After a So-Called Purge". Newsweek.
  12. "Florida State Rep. Wants Attacking "Political Affiliation" to Be Hate Crime". Miami New Times. 28 September 2017.
  13. Dean Obeidallah (August 15, 2019). "New York Young Republicans Flirt With the Racist Right". The Daily Beast.
  14. Weisman, Jonathan (March 17, 2018). "Anti-Semitism Is Rising. Why Aren't American Jews Speaking Up?". The New York Times.
  15. Sperling, Nicole (July 20, 2018). "Disney Fires Guardians of the Galaxy Director James Gunn". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
  16. Lamoureux, Mack (May 17, 2017). "How This 'Game of Thrones' Blogger Made His Way Into the White House". Vice.com.
  17. Brennan, Kelly (2017-08-15). "President Trump retweets far-right alumnus". The Temple News. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  18. Marantz, Andrew (May 7, 2017). "The Far-Right American Nationalist Who Tweeted #MacronLeaks". The New Yorker.
  19. Kube, Courtney (August 16, 2017). "Right-Winger Jack Posobiec, Retweeted by Trump, Is Navy Intel Officer". NBC News.
  20. Watkins, Eli; Sciutto, Jim (August 16, 2017). "Security clearance under review for right-wing activist Trump retweeted". CNN.
  21. Lytvynenko, Jane (May 29, 2017). "Pro-Trump Media Figure And Conspiracy Theory Peddler Jack Posobiec Is Out At The Rebel". BuzzFeed.
  22. Schmidt, Samantha (August 15, 2017). "Trump retweets right-wing provocateur known for pushing false conspiracy theories". The Washington Post.
  23. "Commentator who amplified Macron hacks given White House press access". May 12, 2017. Retrieved Dec 31, 2019 – via www.reuters.com.
  24. Peters, Jeremy W. (10 June 2017). "A Pro-Trump Conspiracy Theorist, a False Tweet and a Runaway Story" – via NYTimes.com.
  25. Oppenheim, Maya (January 15, 2018). "Donald Trump retweets far-right conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec who took 'rape Melania' sign to rally". The Independent. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  26. Fisher, Marc; Cox, John Woodrow; Hermann3, Peter (December 6, 2016). "Pizzagate: From rumor, to hashtag, to gunfire in D.C." The Washington Post.
  27. Nickalls, Sammy (December 8, 2016). "Now Trump Supporters Are Boycotting Star Wars Based on No Evidence". Esquire.
  28. Evon, Dan (June 5, 2017). "Did CNN Delete an Article Defending Bill Maher's Use of a Racial Slur?". Snopes.com.
  29. Whelan, Aubrey (June 18, 2017). "Tracing right-wing alt-reality on Twitter". Philly.com.
  30. Shalby, Colleen (June 14, 2017). "How fake news starts: Trump supporters tie Bernie Sanders to Alexandria shooting using a fake quote". Los Angeles Times.
  31. Hayden, Michael Edison (December 18, 2017). "Antifa' Falsely Linked to Amtrak Train Derailment by Right-Wing Conspiracy Peddlers". Newsweek.
  32. "Trump Retweets Alt-Right Leader Who Has Praised White Supremacist Richard Spencer". Newsweek. August 15, 2017.
  33. Grynbaum, Michael M.; Alba, Davey (2019-10-29). "After Vindman's Testimony Went Public, Right-Wing Conspiracies Fired Up". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  34. Sommer, Will (2020). "Infamous Pizzagater Jack Posobiec Pushed Hoax About Pipe Bombs Being Planted at Korean War Memorial". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  35. "Trump retweeted an alt-right figurehead who has praised white supremacist Richard Spencer". Newsweek. 2017-08-15. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
  36. Zadrozny, Brandy (November 14, 2018). "The FBI said he called the Pittsburgh shooting 'a dry run.' But he was talking about a different attack". NBC News. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  37. "DC Neo-Nazi Who Said Pittsburgh Victims 'Deserved' It Arrested; Has Deep Ties To 'Alt-Right'". The Huffington Post. November 14, 2018.
  38. Weill, Kelly (November 14, 2018). "Clark Brothers Accused of Planning Race War Followed Alt-Right Heroes". The Daily Beast.
  39. "Replying to @JackPosobiec". Cody Johnston (journalist). 24 July 2018.
  40. Borchers, Callum. "How one deplorable sign at an anti-Trump protest foreshadows the fight over fake news". Washington Post.
  41. "From Alt Right to Alt Lite: Naming the Hate". Anti-Defamation League.
  42. Holpuch, Amanda; Rawlinson, Kevin (15 August 2017). "Trump's erratic early morning Twitter retweets include one calling him fascist" – via The Guardian.
  43. Weiner, Rachel (December 15, 2016). "Clarendon Ballroom gets harassing calls after declining to host Trump backers' 'DeploraBall'". The Washington Post.
  44. Wang, Amy B (June 17, 2017). "Pro-Trump protester arrested after rushing stage at controversial 'Julius Caesar' production in New York". The Washington Post.
  45. Boult, Adam (June 5, 2017). "Would arming the public prevent terror attacks? Pro-gun commentator prompts mass derision". The Telegraph.
  46. Resnick, Gideon (June 25, 2017). "Alt-Right Boss Attacks Trump's 'Repulsive and Creepy' Fanboys". The Daily Beast.
  47. Koff, Stephen (October 2, 2017). "Backing Josh Mandel, controversial figures launch super PAC". The Plain Dealer.
  48. "Roy Moore's accuser's photo and workplace were spread on Twitter by a far-right conspiracist". Newsweek. 2017-11-10. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
  49. Nguyen, Tina (March 13, 2018). ""The G.O.P. Is Full of Morons": Even the Pro-Trump World Gave Up on Rick Saccone". Vanity Fair.
  50. Collins, Ben (12 July 2017). "Alt-Right Claims Net Neutrality Promotes 'Satanic Porn' in Planted Flyers". The Daily Beast.
  51. O'Brien, Kirsten; Cohen, Stephen (August 17, 2017). "Small group calls for removal of Fremont's Lenin statue". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  52. Al-Sibai, Noor (April 2, 2018). "Conservative reporter slams Fox News for using Pizzagate conspiracy theorist to attack Google for 'snubbing' Easter". The Raw Story.
  53. Musaddique, Shafi (January 25, 2018). "Bumble dating app boots white nationalist leader Jack Posobiec in crack down on hate speech". Independent. Independent. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  54. Notopoulos, Katie (January 24, 2018). "Bumble Just Kicked Off A Pro-Trump Media Personality As Part Of Its "Stance Against Hate"". BuzzFeed.
  55. Williams, Clarence; Natanson, Hannah (June 26, 2020). "Arguments break out by statue of Abraham Lincoln in D.C. park". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  56. Mann, Ted (June 26, 2020). "Lincoln Statue Still Stands in Washington, D.C., for Now". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
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