Lion Guard

Lion Guard
Lions of Trump
Leader Decentralized
Founded 2016
Dissolved 2017
Ideology Hard right
Political position Right Wing
Website
http://lionsoftrump.net/

The Lion Guard (also known as the "Lions of Trump" or the "Lion's Guard Militia") was a paramilitary far-right wing political group that was formed in 2016 in order to provide self-imposed security (outside of private security and professional law enforcement) at the rallies of Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump.[1][2] At its height, the group had a reported membership of just over five hundred, although it boasted several hundred more followers on Facebook and Twitter.[3]

Origins and organization

On March 15, 2016, the group was formed after launching an official website with a stated mission to “Provide safety and security to Trump supporters while willing to forcefully protect Donald Trump from people who threaten him." Its name came from a tweet in which Trump quoted Benito Mussolini.[4]

The group had no clearly defined central leadership, and its website was operated through Domains by Proxy which allows the webmaster to remain anonymous. With no national leadership, the organization was instead based upon semi-autonomous local chapters. The Lion Guard website offered to "put in touch" Trump supporters in order to form Lion Guard chapters and also offered vague guidance as to manner of activities and updated members as to Trump rallies and other events. The group also published blog posts which were mainly anti-left wing and anti-Marxist.

Major activities

Arizona rally

The first major activity of the Lion Guard was to organize what the group referred to as a "security patrol" at a Phoenix, Arizona rally for Donald Trump on March 19, 2016. The group claimed that the rally was in danger of being "sabotaged" and urged members to attend the rally and watch for "agitators". The group also claimed that it was "working in connection" with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, a claim which was later denied by county authorities.

New Hampshire rally

In June 2016, the Lion Guard posted several notices about a Trump rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, urging members to attend. In response to criticism that the group was urging conflict and promoting violence, the Lion Guard stated on its website, "We do not endorse instigating fights or brawling with anti-Trump marauders. The Lion Guard seeks to identify and expose plots to attack Mr. Trump, Trump Supporters, and their rallies before they even can happen."[5]

Republican National Convention

The last known major action for the Lion Guard was its urging for members to report to the 2016 Republican National Convention. The group further urged its members to arm themselves, in accordance with Ohio's open carry laws, due to the "danger of insurrection". The Republican National Convention, due to its high profile status, in fact was a guns-free area and there was no evidence that Lion Guard members arrived to attend or disrupt the function.

Decline

As of summer 2016, the group had been condemned by most mainstream political activist groups, such as the NAACP and the Council on American–Islamic Relations, as a paramilitary fringe organization which used fascist imagery similar to the Sturmabteilung (SA) of the Nazi Party.[6] As of August 2016, the group's Twitter account and website had become inactive. The group has posted no further material since that time.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Haralsson, Hrafnkell, "‘Lion’s Guard’ Group Forms to Bust Heads for Trump". Politicus USA, 15 Mar 2016
  2. ↑ Edwards, David, "Trump militia forms to 'forcefully protect' rally goers against 'far-left agitators'", Salon On-Line, 18 March 2016
  3. ↑ McDermott, J. "Trump’s Brownshirts? Militia vows to 'protect' Donald Trump", Arizona Republic, 13 June 2016
  4. ↑ Garofalo, Michael (March 18, 2016). "“Exposing plots to attack Mr. Trump”: The Lion Guard, a pro-Trump group, is tracking protesters online". Salon.
  5. ↑ http://lionsoftrump.net/about/ (Retrieved 25 Oct 2016)
  6. ↑ Carter, B.J. (June 13, 2016). "Fascist And Nazi Messages Used By Lion’s Guard Militia Now Shadowing Donald Trump". Scranton Times-Tribune.
  7. ↑ Iplogger.org, "Website traffic for http://lionsoftrump.net/, retrieved 6 June 2017
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