Controversial Militia Group and Its Operations
Miscommunication and Disassociation
Years after being accused of creating a nationwide militia, Mack clarified his stance when contacted by The Zero Byte. He stated,
“Many groups contact me weekly to work together, but in order for that to happen they must join our mission and philosophy of nonviolence.”
Lang from the group mentioned that a team member had been in touch with Mack, suggesting a possible miscommunication. Shortly after, Mack’s picture was removed from the group’s website.
Guns at the Core of Napalm Militia
Guns play a central role in the Napalm militia’s activities, even during natural disasters like hurricanes or wildfires. Lang explained,
“Even in a natural disaster, people that are in desperate scenarios may do desperate things. And I believe that open carry and carrying a firearm on your body is a natural right of all men, and it’s not something to be shied away from.”
While non-gun-owners are welcome, they are encouraged and supported towards eventual gun ownership.
Future Plans and Real-World Activities
Although the militia’s activities have been online so far, Napalm plans to conduct real-world events soon. Lang mentioned,
“We will have casual outings at local firing ranges for downrange training, different exercises on what to do if the power goes out, if the internet is shut down, if the water lines are contaminated, [and] wilderness survival training.”
Vetting Process and Private Communication
New members undergo a vetting process via a five-minute video call to prevent law enforcement infiltration. Once vetted, members join private county-level chat groups. Neither The Zero Byte nor researchers could access these private chats. This structure, similar to a clandestine cell, makes it harder for law enforcement to infiltrate extremist groups.
Response to Past Militia Group Issues
Lang stated that the vetting process was partly a response to issues faced by groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys after January 6. He noted,
“They had these public group chats, and people said inflammatory things on there, and so we don’t have those.”
Membership Claims and Skepticism
Lang claims the group has over 20,000 members, but experts are skeptical. Jared Holt, a senior researcher at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, said,
“The best we can tell is that the numbers that the group is claiming are grossly misleading. This is an aspirational project. It doesn’t reflect any sort of organizing infrastructure that’s actively been built. It is being promoted by a group of political hucksters and shock jocks. And I wouldn’t be surprised if would-be joiners of these groups come to learn that there is some kind of membership fee, some sort of financial component involved here.”
Burghart and his colleagues at IREHR reviewed 50 state-level Telegram channels and found just over 14,000 members, but believe the real number is closer to 2,500.
Potential Impact and Concerns
Despite inflated membership numbers and lack of real-world coordination, experts believe groups like Napalm still warrant attention. Holt warned,
“The promotion of this kind of rhetoric and just mobilizing people around this idea could have reverberating effects. It certainly heightens the tension of the political environment. It could certainly drive individuals who are maybe suffering some sort of crisis into thinking about more violent action or taking more extreme measures in their anti-government worldviews. And even if one of these states materializes into something with a dozen people in it, that could still cause a real problem.”
Updated: 6/12/2024, 11:23 am EST: This story now references a Media Matters article on the launch of the militia site.
5 Comments
Aren’t there better ways to pass the time in prison?
Ordinary day in America, I see.
Max O’Connor: Seriously, when are we going to address this madness?
Why is that even allowed?
Armed militia from behind bars? What a joke!