Right-wing influencers react to Trump verdict: This week in extremism

A report this week identifies an Arizona man and his wife as white supremacists. She worked at a local high school and is a member of the Arizona National Guard, which tells USA TODAY it’s investigating. Meanwhile, a Rhode Island man affiliated with a local neo-Nazi group that protests drag shows is charged with possession of child pornography. And far-right influencers react to the historic guilty verdict in former President Donald Trump’s criminal case with fury and determination.

It’s the week in extremism. 

Far-right reacts with fury, determination to Trump’s guilty verdict

In the hours after former President Donald Trump was found guilty of all 34 criminal counts against him on Thursday, far-right-wing accounts on Truth Social, X, Telegram and Gab exploded with outrage.

• Activist Ali Alexander, who is widely credited with launching the “Stop the Steal” movement in the wake of Trump’s loss in 2020, posted on Telegram, “This is worse than the Civil War.”
• A Telegram account for a Proud Boys chapter in Ohio posted a screenshot of a post on X announcing the verdict with a one-word comment: “War.”
• On Gab, Truth Social and X, supporters of the former president posted upside-down American flags, a motif that gained popularity as a symbol for the claims – repeatedly disproved – that the 2020 election was rigged or stolen. (An upside-down American flag also flew above Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s home shortly after the Jan. 6 insurrection.)
• On Thursday afternoon, the fundraising page on Trump’s campaign website also temporarily stopped working, leading to conspiracy theories being posted in far-right online spaces.

Many posts by far-right influencers also expressed support for the former President, and suggested that his felony conviction will help him on Election Day: “Trump just EASILY won the 2024 National election,“ posted far-right Christian Nationalist activist Sean Feucht. 

Report claims Arizona teacher, Army reservist is white supremacist

A piece published this week in the left-leaning investigative news site Left Coast Right Watch identifies an Arizona man and his wife as being active in white supremacist activities. The piece names Ryan Drago, formerly David Ryan Drake, was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2007 for manslaughter after stabbing and killing a man in a racially motivated attack.   

• According to the report and public records, Drago married Ashley Krogstad in 2021. Ashley was recently listed as a saxophone coach at Mountain Ridge High School in the Deer Valley Unified School District. 
• In a statement to USA TODAY, the district said Drago previously worked as a part-time band coach, but has completed her contract and will not be returning next year. “Prior to joining the District, she underwent and passed a background/fingerprint check. During her tenure at MRHS, there were no reports of, or concerns related to, her sharing any sort of ideology with students or staff,” the statement reads. 
• Ashley Drago is also a member of the Arizona Army National Guard. A spokesperson for the national guard told USA TODAY the guard was “made aware of these allegations against the soldier in question and we’re taking immediate steps to look into this — we take these accusations very seriously.” 

Ashley Drago did not respond to a call for comment. Ryan Drago did not respond to an email seeking comment. A call to Ryan Drago’s workplace was not responded to. 

Rhode Island neo-Nazi charged with possessing child pornography

A member of a New England neo-Nazi group that has protested at several drag shows, claiming performers are engaged in “grooming” children, was arrested late last week and charged with possessing child pornography.

• Stephen Farrea, 34, was arrested and charged Friday, according to a release from the Portsmouth Police Department, which launched an investigation into him on April 12. He was released after posting a bond.
• Ferrara was previously arrested in 2022 for failing to identify himself to police officers, who questioned him for distributing recruitment fliers for the neo-Nazi group NSC-131.
• NSC-131, based in New England, has recently taken credit for disrupting drag queen story hours, which protesters have claimed are used by sexual predators to lure children.