Kentucky Politician Clarifies 鈥榃hite Genocide鈥� Comments
Kentucky politician TJ Roberts said he planned to endorse a white nationalist鈥檚 political platform, according to newly obtained text from a 2017 conversation, casting doubt on his explanation for antisemitic remarks聽that Hatewatch reported on April 3.
Roberts claimed in a conversation Hatewatch obtained that Jewish people encourage 鈥渨hite genocide.鈥�聽This is the unfounded conspiracy theory that powerful 鈥� often Jewish 鈥� people endeavor to dilute through immigration white populations in Europe and North America. Roberts declined Hatewatch鈥檚 request for comment. However, Roberts acknowledged the conversation and 听罢丑别 Cincinnati Enquirer that he 鈥渨as not referencing Jewish people鈥� and 鈥渉e was mocking someone online who was making antisemitic comments,鈥� according to the article.
鈥淚 stand by my statement that this conversation is entirely out of context and is being used to convey beliefs that I do not hold now, nor have I ever held,鈥� Roberts said, according to the article.
Following Roberts鈥� response to The Cincinnati Enquirer聽and other outlets, the same source who previously shared the conversation shared further text to provide more context. Hatewatch has provided the source anonymity because they are still involved in libertarian activism.
The conversation started after Roberts deleted an antisemitic post that came from an 鈥渁sk me anything鈥� invitation Roberts posted in the Liberty Hangout Facebook group, according to screenshots the source shared. The source also shared screenshots of contemporaneous conversations they had with others that reference the antisemitic remarks.
The rest of the conversation reveals that Roberts claimed the Liberty Hangout discussed the antisemitic conspiracy theory and pointed its readers to Augustus Sol Invictus, a white nationalist libertarian who spoke at the August 2017 鈥淯nite the Right鈥� rally聽in Charlottesville, Virginia. Roberts also said he would endorse Invictus鈥� platform once it became public.
Roberts did not respond to a request for comment.
The previously reported portion of the conversation featured Roberts using antisemitic online terminology. It ended with Roberts saying, 鈥淚鈥檓 a religious Christian and quite frankly I鈥檓 sick of them promoting white genocide.鈥�
The user then replied: 鈥淣ot sure I鈥檝e ever seen a Jew acknowledge white genocide. You鈥檙e one of the good ones.鈥�
Roberts told The Cincinnati Enquirer聽that he was mocking the antisemitic user.听But the rest of the conversation casts doubt on this explanation.
Roberts then said, 鈥淢oldow is one, too.鈥� Justin Moldow was one of the co-founders of the now-defunct Liberty Hangout.
The user asked: 鈥淒oes he know about white genocide or is he not red pilled [sic] yet?鈥�
鈥淗e knows,鈥� Roberts replied.
鈥淩ed-pilled鈥� is a term used on the internet to mean someone holds views outside the norm. Far-right individuals 聽it to refer to perspectives that favor their own.
Hatewatch was unable to contact Moldow for comment.
Indirect instruction
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if I鈥檝e ever seen Liberty Hangout talk about it. I鈥檓 surprised,鈥� the user responded.
鈥淲e have on Twitter. We just don鈥檛 publish on race鈥� because the topic did not 鈥渞eally resonate well with our audience. They prefer leftists getting called out,鈥� Roberts said.
According to 聽(IGD), a left-wing antifascist outlet, the Liberty Hangout made far right and white nationalist posts on social media from 2017 to 2020. One post was a play on the 鈥�14 Words,鈥� violent white nationalist David Lane鈥檚聽racist slogan.
Liberty Hangout questioned the amount of people murdered by the Nazis in the Holocaust in . The account also claimed that when 鈥渓iberals say they鈥檙e for diversity, what they really mean is that they hate white people.鈥�
The IGD article also claims that leaked internal conversations among Liberty Hangout associates contained antisemitic remarks.
After Roberts claimed Liberty Hangout did not 鈥減ublish on race,鈥� the user replied: 鈥淵ou should teach them. It鈥檚 important.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檇 say we indirectly do. We send them over to Augustus all the time,鈥� Roberts replied. 鈥淭he moment he drops a platform, I鈥檓 writing a formal endorsement piece.鈥�
This was an apparent reference to Invictus. Roberts had already written an endorsement for Invictus鈥� failed 2016 senatorial campaign for the Florida Libertarian Party primary, according to Roberts鈥� biography on the Radical Capitalist, white nationalist Christopher Chase Rachels鈥� defunct site.
鈥淥h good. You鈥檙e doing God鈥檚 work,鈥� the user replied.
Roberts is running for a seat in Kentucky鈥檚 House of Representatives in District 66. He has received support from various local and national politicians.
Following the publication of the first article on Roberts鈥� comments, Hatewatch was unable to find any who had rescinded their endorsements. Rep. Thomas Massie told Hatewatch he would 鈥渄ouble鈥� his support for Roberts.
Massie did not respond to a request for comment on the further text.
Photo illustration of TJ Roberts (right) and Augustus Sol Invictus by 澳彩开奖
