On Saturday, Jan. 28, the Idaho Young Republicans held its 2023 convention during which members would elect a "new executive team leadership."
Among those who ran for a leadership position was white nationalist Vincent James, who sought to become the chairman by launching a surprise coup to take over the organization with a slate of far-right candidates.
James is an unapologetic racist, antisemite, misogynist, conspiracy theorist, and fascist who currently serves as the treasurer of white nationalist Nick Fuentes’ America First organization. He has used his livestream program, broadcast on Fuentes’ “anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-Black, antisemitic” Cozy.TV platform, to promote bullying, openly advocate for throwing gay people off of buildings, and call for women to be stripped of their rights.
James has repeatedly stated that he wants to see this nation ruled by a Christian Taliban that will impose "straight up fascism" and “dominate without mercy."
James used his speech at the Idaho Young Republicans (IYR) convention to rail against abortion, LGBTQ issues, pornography, and drugs, declaring that far-right activists must "take absolute control of the government" and then engage in the "regulation of morality" for the state. James' strategy for gaining "absolute control" involved promising to "quadruple the membership of the IYR" and then "funnel hundreds [of activists] into precinct positions across the state," which could then be used "as springboards" to taking over the government.
Vincent James IYR Chairman nomination speech #idpol #idleg pic.twitter.com/EMLaETfTcL
— Right-Wing Media (@rightwingmedia4) January 30, 2023
Infiltrating the Republican Party at the precinct level in order to shift the GOP to the extreme right is a strategy advocated by the likes of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon and one that is currently being implemented by activists in the far-right America First movement.
On his Monday livestream, James revealed details of his attempted coup, explaining that he and a group of like-minded Idaho activists intended to register for the event at the last minute and then show up en masse to overwhelm the vote and elect James and his entire slate of far-right candidates to leadership positions.
Unfortunately for James, IYR organizers got wind of the plan and were able to thwart his coup by denying credentials to dozens of James' supporters, thereby preventing him and his far-right slate of candidates from seizing control of the organization.
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