'Buckle up buttercup': Far-right TikTok users threaten violence following Trump indictment
31 March 2023
Some far-right TikTok users are threatening violence in response to the indictment of former President Donald Trump, Media Matters for America reports.
Following the indictment, Media Matters senior researcher Adam Kaplan tweeted, "Some users on the far-right forum TheDonald -- which was connected to the January 6 insurrection -- are threatening violence in response to Trump being indicted."
Kaplan also shared screenshots of messages posted by members of TheDonald, with one saying, "Time for a real insurrection."
Media Matters reports threats from caucuses like TheDonald "mirror" the violent reactions on TikTok.
A TikTok user posted, "It's go time!!! They won't know what hit them all! More is coming. Buckle up, buttercup."
Per Media Matters, the same user posted another video saying, "I smell a civil war in the near future."
Another user, who identifies as a Three Percenter, according to Media Matters, shared "a photo of Trump with red eyes, writing, 'BIG. F**KING. MISTAKE.'"
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Media Matters reports:
Three Percenters (also known as III%ers or 3%ers) is an extremist militia movement whose name originates from the false claim that only 3% of Americans fought in the Revolutionary War. The Anti-Defamation League reports that since the movement's origin in 2008, Three Percenters 'have engaged in significant criminal activity, including terrorist plots and acts.'
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Media Matters for America's full report is available at this link.