On May 13, 2023, approximately 150 members of Patriot Front marched through the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Source: Telegram.
Related Content
Key Points
Members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front believe that their ancestors conquered America and bestowed it to them, and no one else.
Patriot Front defines itself as an organization of “American nationalists,” justifying its hate and intolerance under the guise of preserving America’s identity as a “Pan-European nation.”
Since 2019, Patriot Front has been responsible for the vast majority of white supremacist propaganda distributed in the United States, using fliers, posters, stickers, banners and the internet to spread their hateful ideology.
Patriot Front frequently participates in localized “flash demonstrations,” making them one of the United States’ most visible white supremacist groups.
Although the group claims loyalty to America, Patriot Front’s ultimate goal is to form a new state that advocates for the “descendants of its creators,” namely white men.
Origins
Patriot Front is a Texas-based white supremacist group led by Thomas Ryan Rousseau. The group originally splintered from Vanguard America (VA) in June 2017. Rousseau took over VA by banning the group’s then-leader, Dillon Hopper (aka Dillion Irizarry), from their various online servers and website. On X, then known as Twitter, Hopper referred to this takeover as a “coup.”
(L) Rousseau at the 2017 Unite the Right rally leading Vanguard America, (R) Rousseau in Chicago, Illinois leading a Patriot Front pro-life demonstration in 2022. Source: Telegram.
Just a few weeks after the server takeover, with Hopper conspicuously absent, Rousseau led several dozen individuals associated with Vanguard America to the violent “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Though Rousseau led this contingent, it was actually Hopper who faced scrutiny in the rally’s aftermath. Images from the rally showed James Alex Fields Jr., the man who drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing one woman and injuring dozens, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with VA members and carrying a shield bearing the group’s logo. VA denied that Fields was a member of their group.
In August 2017, with Hopper isolated and locked out of the group’s communication servers, Rousseau seized the moment and formally split from Vanguard America, announcing on their Discord server that it would now be known as Patriot Front. The name change allowed members to distance themselves from Vanguard America, along with any association with James Fields Jr. and the fallout from Unite the Right. In the months following the split, Patriot Front slowly siphoned away former VA members, and today VA is largely defunct.
Ideology and Rhetoric
Starting in 2018, less than a year after splintering from the openly antisemitic and neo-Nazi Vanguard America, Patriot Front transitioned from using explicitly antisemitic and traditional white supremacist language, to the more palatable red, white and blue aesthetic of “Patriot Nationalism.” This branding packages their white supremacist ideology in a way that appeals to a more mainstream conservative audience, using symbols like the American flag and ambiguous “patriotic” rhetoric like “America First,” “United We Stand,” “Better Dead Than Red,” “Reclaim America” and “Not Stolen. Conquered.”
Although Patriot Front claims loyalty to America as a nation and its members present themselves as American “nationalists,” they ultimately seek to form a new state advocating for the “descendants of its creators,” namely white men. According to the group’s website, their mission is a “hard reset on the nation we see today – a return to the traditions and virtues of our forefathers.” They fly the American flag upside down during demonstrations to convey their belief that the nation is in distress because it no longer represents them. They also use the Betsy Ross flag – an early design of the American flag – to represent a time when the U.S. was ruled by white men. Patriot Front’s logo is an image of a fasces (a bundle of sticks with an axe and the original symbol of fascism), encircled by 13 stars, which they consider a symbol of America’s “revolutionary tradition.”
Upside down American flags, Betsy Ross flags and flags with the fasces symbol displayed during a Patriot Front demonstration in Chicago, Illinois - February 2022. Source: Telegram.
Patriot Front often avoids white supremacist rhetoric in their public messaging. However, they will regularly target their perceived enemies with on-the-ground activities. This includes leaving propaganda fliers at Black churches, stickering propaganda at an LGBTQ+ community center and vandalizing statues and murals memorializing Black Americans killed by police. In addition, leaked internal communications from 2022 show that members embrace a range of antisemitic, racist and bigoted beliefs.
Antisemitism
In December 2022, Patriot Front began reincorporating more explicit antisemitic phrases back into their propaganda. The group distributed antisemitic propaganda on at least 431 occasions in 2023, making up 38 percent of the year’s antisemitic propaganda incidents. In most of these incidents, the propaganda included the phrase “No Zionists in government, we serve one Nation.” Given the group’s neo-Nazi roots, there is no question that when Patriot Front mentions “Zionists” in their propaganda, they mean Jews. For example, in November 2021, according to leaked internal documents, one Patriot Front applicant who was marked by the group as “accepted” wrote: “Biggest threat to America right now are the elite/the Zionist [sic] occupying our government. They want world domination and to destroy the white race and create a master/slave relationship between their race and the rest of the world.”
On February 24, 2023, Patriot Front members placed a banner over a billboard in Arcadia, Florida. Source: Telegram.
Anti-LGBTQ+
Patriot Front has engaged in anti-LGBTQ+ activity throughout its history, and has increasingly targeted the LGBTQ+ community over the last few years, fueled by the baseless “groomer” conspiracy theory. Patriot Front members further view the LGBTQ+ community as a threat to “traditional” families and members frequently hold banners and pass out fliers at demonstrations that read: “Strong Families Make Strong Nations.”
In 2021, Patriot Front members stole pro-LGBTQ+ signs and flags and posted at least one video of members burning progress pride flags. In the video, members are shown burning progress pride flags, while one member states, “For those who destroy our nation, we will destroy your symbols and all that you worship, to think that we will lay down and perish, you are gravely mistaken. Burn em.”
Patriot Front organizes anti-LGBTQ+ demonstrations across the nation, many in collaboration with other known white supremacist groups. For example, on August 26, 2023, an estimated 14 individuals associated with Patriot Front, along with the white supremacist Wyoming Active Club and Rocky Mountain Active Club, held an anti-LGBTQ+ protest at Douglas County PrideFest in Castle Rock, Colorado. On April 20, 2024, approximately thirty individuals associated with Patriot Front, along with various Active Clubs and the White Lives Matter network, held an anti-LGBTQ+ demonstration outside a Pride celebration in Livingston, Montana. Members held flags and banners that read: “Reclaim America,” along with “Pride Poisons People” and “Do Not Offer Up Your Child’s Innocence on the Altar of Sacrifice.”
On June 24, 2023, individuals associated with Patriot Front attended an anti-LGBTQ+ demonstration in Sacramento, California. This event was also attended by the white supremacist White Lives Matter and NorCal Active Club. Source: Telegram.
Pro-Life Activism
Patriot Front makes regular appearances at anti-abortion events across the United States. The group has attended various pro-life events, including March for Life rallies in Chicago and Washington, D.C., since 2018. During these events, members will carry Patriot Front banners and flags, as well as hand out promotional material and propaganda.
Patriot Front’s views on abortion are ultimately focused on the protection of white American children, saying they are of pan-European descent. Patriot Front sees abortion as a “plutocratic scheme” by the U.S. government, which seeks to “deprive Americans of their lives because the dead may not revolt.” Patriot Front has written, “those destroying the American family can only have the intent of destroying the American people.” Patriot Front views the “American people” as those of pan-European descent whose ancestors conquered America and bequeathed it to them alone. This relates to the common Patriot Front slogan, “Blood and Soil,” which promotes the idea that people with white blood have a special bond with American soil. To maintain this perceived bond, Patriot Front believes that white children must be protected to ensure the future prosperity of a pan-European United States.
Anti-Immigration
Patriot Front frequently uses anti-immigrant rhetoric in their propaganda and at events, including slogans like, “Protect Our Border” or “Deport Them All.” On April 6, 2024, approximately a dozen Patriot Front members held a demonstration outside the San Ysidro Port of Entry, one of the largest land border crossings in the United States. During the demonstration, one of the members gave a speech, stating, “We are here today to recognize and draw attention to the invasion of this country and the displacement of its true-born inheritors.”
In 2023, ADL recorded at least 229 incidents of Patriot Front propaganda with the phrase “American by Blood.” This slogan reflects their belief that Americans of European ancestry have an exclusive right to live in the U.S. and strongly echoes the following passage from their manifesto: “This unique [pan-European] identity was given to us by our ancestors, and this national spirit remains firmly rooted in our blood…Membership within the American nation is inherited through blood, not ink.”
In March 2024, approximately five individuals associated with Patriot Front held a banner drop over an overpass in Lehi, Utah that read: “Deport Them All.” Source: Telegram.
Tactics
White Supremacist Propaganda
Patriot Front’s most frequent form of activity has been the distribution of banners, fliers, posters and stickers on college campuses and in various communities across the United States. In 2023, for the fifth year in a row, Patriot Front was responsible for the vast majority of white supremacist propaganda, accounting for approximately 60 percent of white supremacist propaganda recorded nationwide. The group distributed propaganda in every state, except Alaska, Delaware and Hawaii, and was most active in Virginia, Massachusetts and Texas.
Patriot Front members are required to engage in on-the-ground activities for the group or risk expulsion. As revealed in their internal communications leaked by Unicorn Riot in January 2022, members are required to submit proof of their weekly “activism,” which is then reviewed by the local regional “Network Director,” who then reports to Rousseau. In December 2021, during a national Patriot Front meeting, Rousseau stated: "Every single one of us places promotional material…. If you do not, please let me know. I need to have a talk with you. You may do it on the weekends or the weekdays or both, with or without locals, but you do it."
Additionally, members are not only expected to post a certain number of fliers and banners per month but must also purchase propaganda materials from the organization directly, such as Patriot Front branded stickers or the stencils used for their banners. Rousseau reportedly posted to an internal server in July 2021 regarding these promotional materials, “If any of the prices seem above market rate, it’s because it also goes towards paying for our servers, our digital accounts and subscriptions, and the food I can afford to eat.”
Flash Demonstrations
In 2023, Patriot Front not only organized the most white supremacist events recorded by ADL that year, but also held the largest public white supremacist demonstrations in the nation. Those events included large marches in Washington D.C., Austin, Texas, and Columbus, Ohio, with approximately 150, 100 and 80 participants respectively. Patriot Front continues to be one of the most visible white supremacist groups operating today, largely due to the group’s use of flash demonstrations.
Flash demonstrations are privately planned and unannounced events that allow groups to promote their beliefs while limiting the risk of individual exposure, negative media coverage, arrests and public backlash. These flash demonstrations are mainly orchestrated for a quick photo and video opportunity that is then turned into online content.
On April 27, 2024, approximately 90 members of Patriot Front marched through downtown Charleston, West Virginia. Source: Telegram.
During flash demonstrations, Patriot Front members generally wear khaki pants and a blue or white polo shirt; many also wear masks. The group intensely focuses on their appearance and “optics,” and they have used attention-grabbing smoke bombs, signal flares and torches.
Patriot Front rents moving trucks to bring members to flash demonstrations in secret. They started doing this in 2019, and on June 11, 2022, 31 members of Patriot Front were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to riot after they were removed from a U-Haul truck near a Pride in the Park event in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. In July 2021, Penske Truck Rental publicly condemned Patriot Front after 150 members used the company’s vans for a demonstration in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Patriot Front puts an emphasis on the Founding Fathers of the United States and “Patriotic Holidays,” often picking historical locations or significant American holidays, like Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, for these flash demonstrations. In an interview conducted by Media2Rise, a white-supremacist production arm of the Rise Above Movement (R.A.M.), Rousseau stated, “In times of tranquility and prosperity, holidays can be times of celebration for what you have, but we aren’t in those times, so these days need to be calls to action.”
Like their propaganda distribution efforts, Patriot Front members are required to attend demonstrations and in-person events or risk dismissal from the organization. In some cases, this means members travel long distances to comply with group requirements. For example, Rousseau required that all members attend a December 2021 flash demonstration in Washington, D.C., announcing, “Attendance is mandatory without a good excuse.” Rousseau later stated, “Remember that activities in the org aren’t a pick-and-choose buffet. You’re in, or you’re out.”
Recent Activity (2023 – 2024): *
*For additional incidents, visit ADL H.E.A.T. Map
April 27, 2024
Charleston, WV
An estimated 90 members of Patriot Front marched through downtown Charleston, including Texas-based leader Thomas Rousseau. Members carried riot shields, Patriot Front flags, and a banner reading: “America is Not for Sale.”
January 20, 2024
New York, NY
Approximately 60 individuals associated with Patriot Front marched in several locations across New York City, including: One World Trade Center, the New York Stock Exchange, and the National Archives. Members held two large banners that read: “No Zionists in Government” and “America is Not for Sale.”
Patriot Front members stand near the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum with a large banner reading: “No Zionists in Government.” Group leader Thomas Rousseau stated the demonstration was to combat “foreign influences” in the U.S. government, making direct reference to the Israel-Hamas War.
January 19, 2024
Washington, D.C.
Approximately 50 members of Patriot Front attended a March for Life anti-abortion rally in Washington, D.C. Members carried a banner reading: “Strong Families Make Strong Nations,” along with Patriot Front flags. Members also passed out Patriot Front fliers to attendees at the event.
October 14, 2023
Columbus, OH
An estimated 80 members of Patriot Front marched through downtown Columbus in honor of Columbus Day and Christopher Columbus, including Texas-based leader, Thomas Rousseau. Members carried riot shields, Patriot Front flags, and chanted, “Hail, Columbia!”
July 8, 2023
Austin, TX
An estimated 100 members of Patriot Front held an Independence Day flash demonstration. Members carried riot shields, a banner reading, “Reclaim America,” and upside-down American flags. Rousseau gave a short speech that focused on anti-immigration sentiments, stating, “The liberties our people fought so long to preserve, are now given freely to foreigners who mock our identity and then claim that they too are American.”
May 13, 2023
Washington, D.C.
An estimated 150 members of Patriot Front marched through the National Mall, carrying riot shields, Patriot Front flags and banners reading “Reclaim America.” Rousseau gave a short speech beside the Washington Monument, stating “The power in this land rests now where it always has, among the people, our people [white Pan-Europeans] - those Americans who built this country and sustained it still, not those who came to reap the benefits of our prosperity, who had no hand in creating it.”