Filed under: Anti-fascist, Featured, The Grouch
A group of neo-Nazi “Groypers,” based out of Vero Beach, Florida, are running into resistance across Florida college campuses, as they attempt to spread the gospel of white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and the worship of Adolf Hitler, through various stunts promoting the dead in the water presidential campaign of disgraced rapper, Kanye West.
This past week, students at Florida International University (FIU) organized a counter-protest against several white supremacists behind a #YEisRight table, shutting down the neo-Nazis and sending them packing after about an hour, while campus police harassed anti-fascist counter-protesters for playing music. Welcome to DeSantis country!
These events are taking place against a backdrop of both ongoing attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and beyond and a wave of neo-Nazi organizers moving to Florida.
Dalton Clodfelter of Vero Beach, FL
The small group of neo-Nazis who have been targeting college campuses across Florida and beyond is led by failed hip-hop artist “Doctor C,” or Dalton Clodfelter, who currently resides in Vero Beach, Florida, and Canadian Groyper, Tyler Russell. Groypers are followers of Holocaust denier and incel white supremacist livestreamer Nick Fuentes, who currently is “working” for (former) billionaire Kanye West, around his seemingly defunct campaign for President in 2024. Over a dozen Groypers have been arrested for their role in January 6th and several currently face charges ranging from plotting to carry out acts of violence to possession of child pornography. Take that groomers!
White nationalist Christian fascist Dalton Clodfelter declares that he doesn't have "any hate in [his] heart for Nazis" and proclaims that burning "sexually degenerate" books is an example of something "positive that the Nazis brought to the table in Germany in the 30s and 40s." pic.twitter.com/WGtO11c8hp
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) January 19, 2023
A neo-Nazi who lives in the Chicago area, Fuentes gained national attention after dining with Donald Trump and Kanye West. Fuentes first rose to prominence within the Alt-Right as a podcaster alongside fellow neo-Nazi James Allsup in Seattle, WA, and marched in the deadly Unite the Right rally, side by side with Klan members, militia groups, and white supremacist organizations. After the nationwide fallout following the murder of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Fuentes attempted to rebrand himself around “America First” while working with leaders of the neo-Nazi group Identity Evropa (which was later rebranded as the American Identity Movement – when you’re really proud of your race, you rebrand every three months), and neo-Nazi livestreamers like Baked Alaska, a dipshit who went to private school and named himself after a desert, and who is currently serving time for January 6th, which Fuentes also played a key role in organizing.
Dalton Clodfelter, a member of Nick Fuentes antisemitic hate group, says he wants to go to Germany to spit on the graves of holocaust victims. @guyverhofstadt @HolocaustMuseum @AuschwitzMuseum maybe the EU should ban him entry for life? @UnleashedOsint pic.twitter.com/QIe273Rn19
— DS (@LakeDaniel11) February 11, 2023
Despite attempting to paint themselves as suit-and-tie wearing conservatives, rants by Fuentes about wanting to burn women alive at the stake and open Holocaust denial pushed away many of the few Republicans who dared to associate with him. When it became public that Trump had met with Fuentes and Kanye West in November of 2022, the backlash was extensive and Trump backpedaled, as millions recoiled as both Fuentes and West’s open anti-Semitism and Hitler worship took center stage. Various far-Right personalities from Alex Jones to Proud Boy’s founder Gavin McInnes attempted to rehabilitate their image, but the damage was done. While Fuentes had become a household name, he had done so through open praise of Adolf Hitler. We’re gonna need some more rebranding!
America First activist Dalton Clodfelter heaps praise on the authoritarian governments in China, Russia, and North Korea and wants to see that here: "I would love something like China, but like a Christian state. … We need to take inspiration from China and from Russia." https://t.co/5S9XOFWEof pic.twitter.com/895Vrbz5Q7
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) February 8, 2023
A former member of the Proud Boys, Clodfelter is a livestreamer who embraces both a fascist and authoritarian worldview, praises regimes like Russia, North Korea, and China, but argues, like Fuentes, that the United States needs to be ruled by as an authoritarian Christian society that also rejects and suppresses Jews, the LGBTQ+ community, the Left, and subjugates women.
VIDEO: Dalton Clodfelter, white nationalist livestreamer and friend of Nick Fuentes, got into some Holocaust denial on Sunday: "Can we talk about the Holocaust, please? Can we just have a discussion about it and why maybe some of the numbers are inflated? Like just question it." pic.twitter.com/609cNimAH6
— Nick Martin (@nickmartin) May 30, 2022
Like Fuentes, Clodfelter praises Nazi Germany, denies the Holocaust, has appeared as a special guest speaker at Groyper and white nationalist conferences, openly uses slurs and posts photos of himself in blackface, and uses his social media platforms to promote violent white supremacy, misogyny, and anti-Semitism.
Tyler Russell, Canadian Groyper
Joining Dalton on his recent tour of college campuses across Florida has been Canadian Groyper, Tyler Russell. In his early 20s, Russell has worked to build up a Groyper current within the Canadian far-Right. As one article reported:
Russell laid out his vision for a right-wing nationalist Canada First movement, citing Canadian white nationalist Faith Goldy and Nick Fuentes, the young leader of the “Groypers,” a movement and a further re-branding of the neo-Nazi alt-right, as sources of inspiration.
[In Russell’s Discord group,] fascist politicians like Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Oswald Mosley, as well as mass murderers like Dylann Roof and Anders Breivik are hailed as figures of reverence by chat members.
Discussing the discovery of the bodies of 215 Indigenous children who were killed at a residential school in Kamloops on his show, Russell [stated],“Residential schools are actually pretty based. The whole point behind the residential school system was to bring in the Indian and Native kids and assimilate them into European-Canadian culture.”
The Canada First Discord server also serves as an outlet for the violent fantasies of its members, including the mass execution of their critics. Political rivals — antifascists, journalists or even other “right-wing dissidents” — are labelled “future wall facers,” and reminders that their enemies will “get the rope” once Russell becomes Prime Minister fuel the hopes of his supporters.
After a chat member was repudiated for stating his desire to “do whatever it takes to win” by another who feared the message could be interpreted as a call for violence, Russell jumped to his defence.
“No. We will do WHATEVER it takes to win,” said Russell.
Like Dalton, Russell has been a featured speaker at Groyper conferences and was also a key supporter of the far-Right convoy protests across Canada.
Neo-Nazis form #YEisRight Campaign but Face Resistance on College Campuses
Modeled after similar “Change My Mind” stunts by far-Right troll Steve Crowder, Clodfelter and Russell have set out across various college campuses to hold pop-up events in which they troll students by displaying signs about “loving” Hitler and denying the Holocaust and then film the outcome.
REPORT BACK on the Nazis who showed up at Florida International University @FIU today in Miami.
“Groypers” Dalton Clodfelter, Tyler Russell & crew were on site for just over an hour. Brave students were ready + quickly organized a counter protest to chase them out. 1/ pic.twitter.com/FN5r1TUxZK
— Miami Against Fascism 🌴☕️ (@MIAagainstFash) February 10, 2023
So far, the results have been underwhelming, and the neo-Nazis have faced resistance at most of their “events.” So far, this has included:
- January 18th: At Florida Atlantic University, Dalton and three others show up, are protested by students.
- January 26th: Neo-Nazis appear at Florida State University.
- January 27th: Dalton and others write anti-Semitic chalk messages at the University of Alabama.
- February 2nd: Neo-Nazis face protest in Gainesville at the University of Florida. Students use a loudspeaker to drown out the neo-Nazis.
- February 10th: Students and community members organize a counter-protest at Florida International University after the neo-Nazis showed up with a table.
According to a local chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), the counter-protesters held signs and chanted, while also playing copyrighted music over the neo-Nazis’ livestream. The group also reports that campus police made them turn off the music while allowing the neo-Nazis to table unopposed.
YDSA at FIU statement on the neo-Nazis tabling on campus today: https://t.co/Cc1yQyBdwu pic.twitter.com/BmuwsJWnNM
— YDSA at FIU🌹 (@YDSAFIU) February 11, 2023
On Twitter the group wrote:
It is unacceptable that there is a one standard for students and professors and another for the Nazis that invade our campus. We need answers for why FIU police allowed neo-Nazis to table while our counterprotest was interfered with.
More Neo-Nazis Moving to Florida
Tyler Russell (left) and Dalton Clodfelter (right) outside of Clodfelter’s house in Vero Beach, Florida. Photo from local CBS journalist via: @PefleyAlCBS12
Dalton Clodfelter’s recent move to Vero Beach, Florida is only the latest is a string of white supremacist and neo-Nazi organizers moving to Florida. In recent months, Anthime Gionet, better known as “Baked Alaska,” another Groyper close to Nick Fuentes, has also moved to Weeki Wachee, FL, where he lives with fellow neo-Nazi, Shawn Tyler “Loulz” McCreless, who in turn, also works with Clodfelter and Russel.
After the Super Bowl, "Loulz" (Shawn Tyler McCreless) walked around West Palm Beach, Florida ranting about how he wants to kill Black people. He used the N-word.
This Nazi "Groyper" is a friend of #NickFuentes, #BakedAlaska, #DaltonClodfelter, #TylerRussell & #Woozuh. #CozyTV https://t.co/Bpa0dRsxh0 pic.twitter.com/gN0w3fU6Eu
— Kjjjjjjjjh (@kjjjjjjjjh) February 14, 2023
Another neo-Nazi (and Kanye West supporter) who has recently moved to Florida, is the head of the Goyim Defense League, Jon Minadeo, Jr, who left his parents north bay area home (only true Aryan warriors live at mom’s house into their late 30s) after he was doxxed by antifascists. Since relocating, Minadeo has wasted no time continuing to promote anti-Semitism and neo-Nazism.
Neo-Nazis moving to Florida will find an active scene to plug into, from rallies by the National Socialist Movement (NSM) and White Lives Matter, to attacks on drag events by the Proud Boys and various neo-Nazi groups. White supremacists carrying swastika flags have even rallied in support of Ron DeSantis outside of a Turning Point USA event.
Christina Pushaw attending far-Right anti-Black Lives Matter rally in Tbilisi, Georgia
Fascists are flocking to Florida because they see it as a welcoming place under DeSantis. The Miami-Dade Republican party executive-committee includes open members of the Proud Boys who took part in the attempted storming of the US capitol in DC. DeSantis has also aligned himself with a wide variety of far-Right activists, from Qanon conspiracy theorists to Chaya Raichik of LibsofTikTok. Press secretary for DeStanis, Christina Pushaw, herself connected to the far-Right, has also attempted to downplay the threat of neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups in Florida, helping to give them cover. As the GOP doubles down on authoritarian attacks against broader segments of society, it becomes more open to aligning itself with more extreme segments of the far-Right.
Communities working to push white supremacists out of their schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods must organize, understand their enemies, and act to drive these fascists out of our of lives and to ensure our safety and freedom from far-Right violence.