More texts from right after the 2020 election show Proud Boys steadily ramping up toward Jan. 6.
The pro-Trump, ‘Stop the Steal’ marches held in Washington, D.C. in November and December, were motivational for Proud Boys, McCullough said.
Jurors saw one text Nordean sent after the pro-Trump rally on Nov. 14. He had just spoke to Henry Tarrio and celebrated having “whipped commie ass.”
In another text, Nordean gushed: Proud Boys killed it in DC today. Antifa and BLM got tossed all over the place. We need to all come together and run these scumbags out of our cities and anyone supporting them. POYB.”
That acronym is shorthand for “proud of you, boy” and prosecutors say jurors will hear this quite a bit as the trial proceeds.
More:
That same night, a group of Proud Boys participated in an act of vandalism, McCullough says before showing video of a burning a BLM banner.
Tarrio set fire to the banner.
McCullough says Tarrio was enraged when he learned that a warrant was out for his arrest, deepening the group’s existing animosity towards police.
Right around New Years, Tarrio sent a message to fellow members of the extremist group.
“Let’s bring this new year in with one word in mind: revolt.”
Then he sent another message: “New Years Revolution”
Biggs sent similar messages on Jan. 2, as well.