Who’s Funding the Rioting Against Trump?
The left and its rising number of "fake news debunking sites," which increasingly serve to claim conservative news and viewpoints are false, are trying to distract people from investigating the paid protesters by citing one or two fake articles about a paid protester as evidence it's not happening.
As the violent post-election riots continue, many observers are becoming aware that much of the rioting is the work of paid protesters who have been instructed to use violence. Retired Army Gen. Michael Flynn, Donald Trump’s national security advisor, told a gathering of Young America’s Foundation the demonstrators are “paid anarchists.”
Both Donald Trump and Senator Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) have publicly criticized the paid rioting. As the word is getting out, Twitter hashtags of #paidprotest and #fakeprotest have been started, identifying the operations.
Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2016
The left has been paying “AstroTurf” activists for years — “astroturf” movements seem to be natural grassroots movements but were actually created and funded by others for propaganda. Project Veritas Action, the organization of conservative undercover videographer James O’Keefe, filmed Democratic operative Scott Foval discussing paying people to engage in violence at Trump campaign events. Several protesters admitted they were paid $16 an hour to demonstrate against Trump.
The Billionaire Funders
Billionaires are funding left-wing groups organizing the protests. A strategy document was uncovered in the hacked and leaked emails of Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager John Podesta. Sent from his think-tank Center for American Progress and shared with MoveOn.org, it asked leftist billionaires George and Jonathan Soros, Peter and Jonathan Lewis, Herb and Marion Sandler, Steve Bing, and John Sperling to fund “grassroots” protest efforts. Jonathan Lewis, who inherited his fortune from his father Peter Lewis, the founder of Progressive Insurance, agreed to fund the protests this year.
Planned Parenthood received $553.7 million dollars in tax dollars last year, so there is an argument that taxpayers are indirectly funding the protesters.
The lefty organizations place ads on Craigslist recruiting activists to agitate in large cities. A typical ads says, “STOP TRUMP — up to $1500/week. Hiring immediately! Call Today Start tomorrow! $15-$18 hourly rate + bonus + overtime up to 77 hours per week!”
One of the groups placing the ads is Community Outreach Group, a Planned Parenthood affiliate. Planned Parenthood received $553.7 million dollars in tax dollars last year, so taxpayers may be indirectly funding the protesters. Left-wing billionaire George Soros and his family are top contributors to Planned Parenthood. Soros himself contributed $1.5 million to the organization this election cycle.
Why don't we have more reporting on paid rioting?
Who pays for it?
How much?
Why?
Through what orgs?
Who are the "workers"?
Who recruits?— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) November 17, 2016
Question for those certain there is no such thing as paid protesting:
Why not just report more on astroturfing then? Size? Funders? Limits? https://t.co/sp0k3HWO0E
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) November 17, 2016
Moveon.org placed an ad on Craigslist in New York hiring anti-Trump activists for $18 an hour. The ad said, “We only want protesters under the age of 30. … We prefer minorities.” The organization is not only funding the demonstrators but creating a fake impression of who they are. Moveon.org is also funded by Soros.
Moveon.org is not only funding the demonstrators but creating a fake impression of who they are.
Another ad is from the Fund for the Public Interest, the largest fundraiser for progressive causes in the United States. Soros funds many of the umbrella organizations underneath it. The Progressive Unity Fund provides the financial backing for Act Now To Stop War & End Racism (ANSWER) Coalition, which started much of the rioting after the election.
What the Left Wants
The left is trying to cover its tracks. Two leftist “fake news debunking sites” are trying to distract people from investigating the paid protesters by citing a fake article about a paid protester as evidence it’s not happening. In fact, the fake article was written by a man who deliberately tried to fool Republicans into sharing incorrect news in order to help Clinton.
However, the organizations behind the rioting clearly indicate they intend to continue the demonstrations. They are planning to demonstrate at Trump’s inauguration January 20.
It is not clear what the lefty organizations seek to achieve with the protests. Trump won the election fairly and it will be extremely difficult to persuade enough electors to change their votes to Clinton. There are rumors that the left wants to generate dislike for Trump in order to start impeachment proceedings after he enters office, but with a Republican-controlled House and Senate that is equally unlikely.
Their goal must be to artificially create the appearance of a mass dislike for Trump, in order to influence others and generally undermine his administration. With the Republican advantage in the Senate so small, the left has to get only three or four senators to start opposing Trump to change the balance of power in the Senate. They may also be preparing for the mid-term elections, where Democrats hope to regain seats in Congress by capitalizing on what they hope will be Trump’s unpopularity.
