A member of the far-right and anti-Semitic group, Proud Boys, was stopped at a rally in Denver, Colorado and questioned about his belief in the group’s ideals.
As the group takes to the streets to protest the results of the 2020 election in favor of President Donald Trump, Raw Story reports the unidentified man shared his ideology and reason for following the group, which is widely believed to be associated with white supremacy, with a level of honesty that's nearly comical.
“Hey, look — honest to God, I’m kinda dumb,” the man said in a video uploaded by digital reporter Vixxy Vyohr.
It's not clear what the reporter asked the man.
“I am kinda the dumb,” the man continues. “I don’t really research much, I kinda just live by the knee-jerk, you know?”
This will be my last clip and I think it's one of the most poignant of the day. The Proud Boy both sums up the reactionary mindset of the average American in 2020 and have what seems to be a moment of genuine reflection while talking to a young protester. #denverprotest
pic.twitter.com/aF1pOTAhCT— Vixxy Vyohr (@AnarchoFoxx) November 22, 2020
Later in the conversation, the man admits that he’s a 43-year-old who feels “stuck in my ways.”
A woman responds offscreen that he’s not stupid and the reporter says that it’s possible for even him to change.
“For what it’s worth, I don’t want this to be the way it is,” the man said at the close of the video.
Earlier this month, the Proud Boys were at the center of controversy in the nation’s capital as police falsely told news outlets that members of the group were stabbed by Black Lives Matter activists at a protest on the day of the election. As Blavity previously reported, officers initially reported that one woman was stabbed and three others were injured, but then they changed that to say one woman and two men were hurt.
The truth was the alleged assailants had no affiliation with the BLM activist group at all. Police later amended their previous statement to say it was the victims who claimed the alleged attackers were part of the Black Lives Matter group, but that police found no evidence to confirm the group’s involvement.
According to NBC4 Washington, police said they are still looking for the three suspects, but the local chapter of Black Lives Matter condemned the police’s original statement and called for a private investigation.
On Saturday, police in Sacramento, California had to disperse a group of Proud Boys and a group of counter-protesters after a Trump rally grew violent.
ABC10 reported that at least one person was arrested on an assault-related charge. Although the organizers of the event haven’t been determined, the Proud Boys had a visible presence at the “Stop the Steal” rally in the state's capital as protestors sounded off about the election being rigged.
As Blavity previously reported, President Trump opted not to denounce white supremacy in a presidential debate earlier this year, emboldening the group and followers of its ideals.
"Proud Boys, stand back and stand by," Trump said following a debate question from Fox News anchor Chris Wallace.
Following the debate, Proud Boys organizer Joe Biggs posted on Twitter that he was "standing by," ready to “deal” with the president’s opponents, Blavity reported.
After Trump shouted out the group on the debate stage, apparel with the Proud Boys logo and "stand back and stand by" appeared on Amazon within hours.
Despite a surge of white supremacist groups who have come forward to support the Trump administration, President-elect Joe Biden managed to defeat Trump in the election this month.
Although Trump continues to appeal the results of the election, judges in Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania rejected his lawsuits last week, which further dampens his chance to block the transition of presidential power, according to CNN.
