ToplinePresident Trump on Wednesday afternoon told reporters he doesn’t know who the Proud Boys are after referring to the right-wing group—controversially telling them to “stand back and stand by”—during the first presidential debate. Longtime Trump advisor Roger Stone developed a relationship with the Proud Boys, declaring himself a “Western chauvinist,” the first level of Proud Boys membership, and participating in the group’s videos. The Proud Boys, including leader Enrique Tarrio, have publicly defended Stone, whose sentence for lying to Congress and witness tampering was commuted by President Trump in July. Former White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee with Enrique Tarrio, the Proud Boys international ... [+] chair, in the lobby of the Trump Hotel D.C. Zach EversonThen-White House counselor Kellyanne Conway in the Trump D.C. hotel with Proud Boy Tyler Ziolkowski ... [+] in June 2019. Zach EversonFurther Reading“Who Are The Proud Boys, The Group Behind The Controversial Portland Rally?” (Forbes)“How the Proud Boys Became Roger Stone’s Personal Army” (The Daily Beast)“Proud Boys standing by at Trump Hotel D.C.: Photos from the archives” (1100 Pennsylvania)

Source: Forbes September 30, 2020 19:30 UTC