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MAGA Influencer's 'Antifa Army' Claim Mocked as Misleading

10/9/2025

27 3 Full Breakdown

Left

Noem's Antifa Claims

MAGA influencer Benny Johnson posted a video of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in Portland, claiming an "army of Antifa" faced her.
Critics mocked the portrayal, noting the crowd was mostly reporters and peaceful demonstrators.
Noem called the protesters uneducated and ill-informed, but acknowledged their peacefulness.
Officials and a federal judge deemed troop deployments unnecessary; the "war zone" framing drew ridicule.

Right

Noem Compares Antifa to ISIS

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem compared Antifa to ISIS at a White House roundtable, calling it a serious threat.
She cited Antifa funding investigations led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and roundtable reports by independent journalists that media coverage is lacking.
President Trump suggested many Antifa members are paid agitators and floated designating Antifa as a foreign terrorist organization.

History

Historical Context

In 2020, President Trump proposed designating Antifa as a terrorist organization amid rising tensions from protests following George Floyd's death. The Department of Homeland Security reported over 100 arrests linked to such groups, while Secretary Chad Wolf faced criticism for downplaying white supremacy threats. This rhetoric echoes historical responses to domestic extremism, reminiscent of the Red Scare in the 1950s.

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Noem's Antifa Claims

MAGA influencer Benny Johnson posted a video of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in Portland, claiming an "army of Antifa" faced her.
Critics mocked the portrayal, noting the crowd was mostly reporters and peaceful demonstrators.
Noem called the protesters uneducated and ill-informed, but acknowledged their peacefulness.
Officials and a federal judge deemed troop deployments unnecessary; the "war zone" framing drew ridicule.

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