Kentucky Politician Clarifies ‘White Genocide’ Comments
Kentucky politician TJ Roberts said he planned to endorse a white nationalist’s political platform, according to newly obtained text from a 2017 conversation, casting doubt on his explanation for antisemitic remarks that Hatewatch reported on April 3.
Roberts claimed in a conversation Hatewatch obtained that Jewish people encourage “white genocide.” This is the unfounded conspiracy theory that powerful – often Jewish – people endeavor to dilute through immigration white populations in Europe and North America. Roberts declined Hatewatch’s request for comment. However, Roberts acknowledged the conversation and told The Cincinnati Enquirer that he “was not referencing Jewish people” and “he was mocking someone online who was making antisemitic comments,” according to the article.
“I stand by my statement that this conversation is entirely out of context and is being used to convey beliefs that I do not hold now, nor have I ever held,” Roberts said, according to the article.
Following Roberts’ response to The Cincinnati Enquirer and other outlets, the same source who previously shared the conversation shared further text to provide more context. Hatewatch has provided the source anonymity because they are still involved in libertarian activism.
The conversation started after Roberts deleted an antisemitic post that came from an “ask me anything” invitation Roberts posted in the Liberty Hangout Facebook group, according to screenshots the source shared. The source also shared screenshots of contemporaneous conversations they had with others that reference the antisemitic remarks.
The rest of the conversation reveals that Roberts claimed the Liberty Hangout discussed the antisemitic conspiracy theory and pointed its readers to Augustus Sol Invictus, a white nationalist libertarian who spoke at the August 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Roberts also said he would endorse Invictus’ platform once it became public.
Roberts did not respond to a request for comment.
The previously reported portion of the conversation featured Roberts using antisemitic online terminology. It ended with Roberts saying, “I’m a religious Christian and quite frankly I’m sick of them promoting white genocide.”
The user then replied: “Not sure I’ve ever seen a Jew acknowledge white genocide. You’re one of the good ones.”
Roberts told The Cincinnati Enquirer that he was mocking the antisemitic user. But the rest of the conversation casts doubt on this explanation.
Roberts then said, “Moldow is one, too.” Justin Moldow was one of the co-founders of the now-defunct Liberty Hangout.
The user asked: “Does he know about white genocide or is he not red pilled [sic] yet?”
“He knows,” Roberts replied.
“Red-pilled” is a term used on the internet to mean someone holds views outside the norm. Far-right individuals commonly use it to refer to perspectives that favor their own.
Hatewatch was unable to contact Moldow for comment.
Indirect instruction
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Liberty Hangout talk about it. I’m surprised,” the user responded.
“We have on Twitter. We just don’t publish on race” because the topic did not “really resonate well with our audience. They prefer leftists getting called out,” Roberts said.
According to It’s Going Down (IGD), a left-wing antifascist outlet, the Liberty Hangout made far right and white nationalist posts on social media from 2017 to 2020. One post was a play on the “14 Words,” violent white nationalist David Lane’s racist slogan.
Liberty Hangout questioned the amount of people murdered by the Nazis in the Holocaust in another post. The account also claimed that when “liberals say they’re for diversity, what they really mean is that they hate white people.”
The IGD article also claims that leaked internal conversations among Liberty Hangout associates contained antisemitic remarks.
After Roberts claimed Liberty Hangout did not “publish on race,” the user replied: “You should teach them. It’s important.”
“I’d say we indirectly do. We send them over to Augustus all the time,” Roberts replied. “The moment he drops a platform, I’m writing a formal endorsement piece.”
This was an apparent reference to Invictus. Roberts had already written an endorsement for Invictus’ failed 2016 senatorial campaign for the Florida Libertarian Party primary, according to Roberts’ biography on the Radical Capitalist, white nationalist Christopher Chase Rachels’ defunct site.
“Oh good. You’re doing God’s work,” the user replied.
Roberts is running for a seat in Kentucky’s House of Representatives in District 66. He has received support from various local and national politicians.
Following the publication of the first article on Roberts’ comments, Hatewatch was unable to find any who had rescinded their endorsements. Rep. Thomas Massie told Hatewatch he would “double” his support for Roberts.
Massie did not respond to a request for comment on the further text.
Photo illustration of TJ Roberts (right) and Augustus Sol Invictus by SPLC
