Tony Perkins Suggests a ‘Criminal Conspiracy’ Is Behind Civil Unrest in America’s Cities

Tony Perkins, president of the anti-LGBTQ organization Family Research Council, said he believes a “criminal conspiracy” is responsible for civil unrest in the streets of American cities.

On the Aug. 31 edition of “Washington Watch with Tony Perkins,” South Carolina’s Rep. Ralph Norman joined Perkins to discuss civil unrest and riots across the United States. Norman called for a federal investigation into the funding of such protests, arguing that what’s happening in major cities “cannot be by happenstance.” During the interview Norman suggested that piles of bricks and rocks that have been pictured at protest sites suggested evidence of coordination—a claim that has no supporting evidence.

Perkins agreed with Norman, saying that commonalities between protests suggest that participants are being trained and organized, “which would mean that someone is bankrolling it.” Perkins has said on several occasions that he supports the right to peacefully assemble and protest but that he does not support property damage and violence. Perkins said there was a “legitimate reason” to have protests after the police killing of George Floyd, but that the property destruction and turmoil were Marxist tactics designed to destabilize the country, “bring down the Trump administration” and affect the outcome of the 2020 election.

“I would venture to say that there is a criminal conspiracy here, that will we will find if you follow the money trail, that this is not—as the congressman said—it didn’t just happen,” Perkins said. “It wasn’t organic. They saw an opportunity and they seized it.”

Perkins has enjoyed increased access to government officials during the Trump administration. At the top of Monday’s program, he interviewed Chad Wolf, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.