The Proud Boys are a violent, nationalist street gang that formed in 2016 amid now-President Donald Trump’s election campaign. Though the group was always known for plotting and carrying out attacks on protesters at political rallies, it gained new notoriety after Trump acknowledged them during a presidential debate with Democratic candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday. After Trump’s election, their numbers grew, as did their reputation for violence. McInnis himself (who hadn’t worked at Vice since 2008) was a rising reactionary talk show host on YouTube, spewing his racist and misogynist ideology to millions of viewers, and regularly inciting violence among his gang members. “Fighting solves everything,” he has said.

Source: Huffington Post September 30, 2020 18:45 UTC