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Scott Presler
Presler in 2023
Born1987 or 1988 (age 36–37)
EducationGeorge Mason University
OccupationPolitical activist
Years active2015–present
Political partyRepublican

Scott Ryan Presler (born 1987 or 1988) is an American conservative activist. Briefly an organizer for the Republican Party of Virginia before the 2016 U.S. elections, Presler came to prominence as coordinator of the "March Against Sharia" events organized by anti-Muslim advocacy group ACT for America.[1][2]

Presler was a participant, and sometimes a speaker or organizer, in the protests promoting the false claim of widespread electoral fraud in the 2020 presidential election in which former vice president Joe Biden was elected over Donald Trump.[3][4][5] He attended the rally in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, when the United States Capitol was attacked by a mob of Trump supporters, although he did not participate in the attack.[6][7][8]

Personal life

Scott Ryan Presler was born in 1987 or 1988.[2][9] The son of a United States Navy captain,[10] Presler was raised in Florida and Fairfax County, Virginia, and had lived in Virginia Beach for around a year by 2016.[11] Presler earned a degree in criminal justice from George Mason University.[11] When interviewed by The Virginian-Pilot in 2016, Presler said that he had come out as gay in June that year, after the Orlando nightclub shooting during which 49 people were killed at a gay nightclub.[11]

Career

2016 United States elections

Presler was employed as a regional field director for the Republican Party of Virginia for around a year in 2015 and 2016.[2] In 2016, Presler knocked on doors and registered voters in support of the Donald Trump presidential campaign.[11] Presler also attended PrideFest, an LGBT festival held in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2016 with Republican Party officials.[11]

Presler co-founded the LGBTQ coalition Gays for Trump,[10][12] and was reported to be its chairman in 2017.[13] During the race, Presler frequently tweeted messages supportive of Trump, using the hashtag "#gaysfortrump", and tweeted messages attacking Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.[11] In a 2017 interview, Presler said his time spent using Twitter was partly an extension of his political organizing work.[14]

Presler was present at the Gays for Trump DeploraBall held in Maryland after the inauguration of Trump as president on January 20, 2017.[13] In March 2017, Presler led the Virginia branch of the nationwide March 4 Trump.[12]

ACT for America (2017–2018)

In a 2017 Washington Post interview, Presler said he was motivated to become a volunteer for anti-Muslim advocacy group ACT for America in 2017 after hearing its founder, Brigitte Gabriel, speak.[2] After volunteering for ACT for America for three months,[2] Presler was employed by the group until the following year, according to his Facebook page.[15] In June 2017, Presler was reported to be coordinator of the nationwide "March Against Sharia" events organized by ACT for America.[1][16] According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization, the marches "attracted various factions of the radical right, including white nationalists, neo-Nazis and antigovernment extremists" that were all "united by anti-Muslim animus."[16]

Presler organized a local offshoot of the March Against Sharia in Portland, Oregon, on June 10, 2017.[9][17] Presler announced the event's cancellation a week earlier, citing Portland mayor Ted Wheeler's request for the General Services Administration (GSA) to not issue a permit for Presler's event to occur at a park across from the Portland City Hall, and Wheeler's call for the GSA to revoke its permit for a Trump rally organized by Joey Gibson, founder of the far-right group Patriot Prayer.[9][17] A march on the same date in Seattle, Washington, was organized by Presler soon after.[18][19]

Prior to the 2017 Virginia gubernatorial election, Republican Party candidate Ed Gillespie requested an endorsement from Presler, as Presler was at that time the vice chairman of the Virginia Beach Young Republicans and a volunteer for Gillespie's campaign.[2] A spokesperson of Gillespie told The Washington Post that he was not aware of Presler's involvement with ACT for America; Gillespie's campaign did not denounce Presler's endorsement.[2]

2020 United States elections and election protests

Before the elections (2019–2020)

Presler in San Francisco in 2020

According to a 2021 report by Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media watchdog, Presler promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory and political movement by using hashtags in dozens of posts on Instagram in 2018 and 2019.[7][3][20] Media Matters for America found Instagram posts by Presler which used the QAnon-related hashtags "QAnon" and "wwg1wga".[21]

In April 2019, Presler held an activism workshop in the town of Kent, Connecticut, for the Connecticut Republican Party in preparation for the 2020 elections.[22][23] A protest of Presler's event was organized by the Kent Democratic Town Committee after it failed to have his event canceled.[23][24] After state house representative Cara Pavalock-D'Amato praised Presler on a social media webpage for the event, the Southern Poverty Law Center invoked the state's Freedom of Information Act to request some of Pavalock-D'Amato's email correspondences.[25]

Presler organized a "neighborhood cleanup" in Baltimore, Maryland, through social media the month after President Trump's tweets in July 2019 which described the congressional district represented by Democratic Party congressman Elijah Cummings as a "rodent infested mess".[15] The event was attended by more than 100 volunteers and resulted in 29 tons of trash cleaned from streets.[26] According to the Los Angeles Daily News, another event in Los Angeles, California, organized by Presler involved dozens of volunteers.[26][27] In December, Presler was advertised as appearing alongside activist Dylan Wheeler at an "immigration forum" in Bettendorf, Iowa, hosted by the Scott County Teenage Republicans which concluded with a speech by white supremacist political commentator Nick Fuentes.[28][29]

In 2020, Presler continued to be involved in events in support of President Trump's re-election campaign in cities such as San Francisco, California,[8][30] and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[31]

Election protests (2020–2021)

During the nationwide protests surrounding the 2020 election, Presler was involved with demonstrations in the capital cities of Pennsylvania and Georgia, both battleground states, and Washington, D.C.[3][4][5] On November 5, 2020, two days after polls had closed but before the election's winner had been decided, Presler led a "Stop the Steal" demonstration at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg attended by around 100 supporters of Trump.[3][32][33] On the first day of the demonstration, Presler told Reuters that the demonstration was in support of "truth and justice" instead of supporting a specific presidential candidate.[32] Presler also told the news agency about his intentions to fundraise for "an audit of the state's vote count".[32] Presler and more than 75 protestors continued demonstrations at the state capitol for a second consecutive day.[34] A week after the victory of the Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden in the election, Presler was involved in a pro-Trump demonstration in downtown Washington, D.C.[4] Presler was a speaker at a "Stop the Steal" rally at the Georgia State Capitol, in Atlanta, later that month held to rally support for Trump and protest the results of the election.[5]

Presler attended the rally in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, that ended with an attack on the United States Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters, although he was not one of the people who entered the Capitol in the attack, according to New York newspapers Times Union and The Post-Star.[6][35][7] According to Mother Jones magazine, Presler was able to get VIP seats for his parents at Trump's speech at The Ellipse that day.[36] Presler published at least two tweets about the rally in the previous week,[37] as well as a video of himself near the Capitol on January 6 in which he described the events that day as the "largest civil rights protest in American history."[36][38]

Continued political activism (2021–present)

Presler was a speaker at the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference held in Orlando, Florida, in February 2021.[39] In May, Presler became the brand ambassador for Rise NY PAC, a political action committee operated by the sister of congressional candidate George Santos following his unsuccessful run for Congress in 2020.[40][41]

Presler was scheduled to appear at a Republican Party voter registration event in the town of Wilton, in Upstate New York, on August 25, 2021.[6] The event was sponsored by the Saratoga County Republican Committee and House Representative and House Republican Conference chair Elise Stefanik.[35][7] Stefanik promoted Presler's appearance on Twitter, describing Presler as an "American Patriot" in a tweet a week earlier, although she was not expected to attend the event.[6] A statement by a dozen Democratic Party officials from the congressional district that Stefanik represents condemned her and the county Republican Party for supporting Presler, and urged for their renunciation of Presler.[35][7] In response, the Republican Party county chairman claimed that Democrats wanted to divert attention from "their own failed policies."[35] Democratic Party operatives also scheduled a counter-rally in nearby Saratoga Springs on the day of the event.[37] Presler ultimately canceled his appearance in Wilton the day before because a staffmember of Rise NY contracted COVID-19.[37][42] Stefanik had deleted her tweet about Presler by that time, and counter-rally organizers announced they would still host their event.[37][42] On two occasions in the following weeks, Presler announced the event would be held again but later canceled the event.[37][43]

Presler speaking with the New York State Young Republicans in 2022

In December 2022, Presler was involved in get-out-the-vote efforts during the runoff election in the U.S. Senate election in Georgia.[44] Later in December, Harmeet Dhillon, a lawyer and Republican National Committee (RNC) committee member, announced her candidacy in the 2023 RNC chairman election, challenging current chair Ronna McDaniel.[45][46] The day of her announcement, Dhillon said on Twitter that "one of my first job offers" would be to Presler if she was elected.[46] During the race, Presler published the email addresses and Twitter account names of RNC committee members on a website called "hireharmeet.com", and Dhillon shared the website's name on Twitter.[45][46]

Prior to the Wisconsin Supreme Court election on April 4, 2023, Presler traveled through Wisconsin and appeared on conservative talk radio shows to promote candidate Daniel Kelly, a former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice.[38][47] In late March, Kelly posted a video on Twitter of himself standing alongside Presler.[38][47] When asked at a press event about Presler's presence at the United States Capitol on the day of the Capitol attack, Kelly said he was "not really familiar with his background", and he thanked Presler for his recent activities in Wisconsin.[38][47][48]

Views

LGBT rights

In a 2016 interview by The Virginian-Pilot, Presler said that, as a gay man, he was not put off by the Republican Party's positions on gay rights.[11] Presler further explained that he was supporting Trump's 2016 presidential campaign over Hillary Clinton partly because of the Second Amendment: "I 100 percent believe in the notion that armed gays don't get bashed. It is our right to feel safe."[11]

Presler said on Twitter that he supported President Trump's 2017 Presidential Memorandum on Military Service by Transgender Individuals, which prohibited open military service and enlistment of transgender Americans, although he did not agree with it.[49][50]

Presler voiced his support for the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, commonly referred to as the "Don't Say Gay" law, signed into law by state governor Ron DeSantis in 2022.[51][52]

Islam

In 2017, while employed by anti-Muslim advocacy group ACT for America, Presler said in an NPR interview that he felt inspired to "fight Muslim extremism" after the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting.[1] Because the shooter allegedly swore allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Presler said he felt the shooting "highlighted a problem of anti-gay bigotry in orthodox Islam".[1] Presler also told The Washington Post that he disagreed with the Southern Poverty Law Center's claims that ACT for America is an extremist group and the "largest grass-roots anti-Muslim group in America", insisting that ACT for America intends to help girls and women affected by sharia law.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Gjelten, Tom (June 10, 2017). "'March Against Sharia' Planned Across The U.S." NPR. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Portnoy, Jenna (June 9, 2017). "Ed Gillespie declines to denounce endorsement from anti-Muslim activist". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Prose, J. D. (February 3, 2023). "Pa. GOP groups holding events with organizer of 'Stop the Steal' rallies in 2020". PennLive. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Clashes Between Protest Groups Break Out After Thousands Rally for Trump in DC". NBC4 Washington. November 14, 2020. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Yamanouchi, Kelly (November 21, 2020). "Trump supporters gather for Atlanta protests". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d Gavin, Robert (August 20, 2021). "Stefanik touts appearance of ex-strategist for group called anti-Muslim". Times Union. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e Goot, Michael (August 23, 2021). "Stefanik under fire for holding event with anti-Muslim conspiracy theorist". The Post-Star. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Breland, Ali (November 7, 2020). "Meet the right-wing trolls behind "Stop The Steal"". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c Crombie, Noelle (May 31, 2017). "Anti-Muslim march organizers cancel June 10 event in Portland, citing mayor's comments". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Zullo, Robert (January 15, 2017). "Jubilation, dread divide locals, nation before inauguration". Richmond Times-Dispatch. pp. A1, A6. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Wilson, Patrick (July 15, 2016). "He's gay, but this Virginia Beach man is outspoken in his support for Donald Trump and the GOP". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Levine, Jon (March 5, 2017). "They're Here, They're Queer and They're For Trump: Gays for Trump Rally Around the Country". Mediaite. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Sherman, William (January 24, 2017). "Amid anti-Trump protests, one LGBTQ group celebrated". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
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  21. ^ Hananoki, Eric (August 23, 2021). "Updated: Rep. Elise Stefanik is partnering with QAnon conspiracy theorist Scott Presler". Media Matters for America. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  22. ^ Munson, Emilie (February 18, 2019). "Virginian linked to hate group will hold "activism" seminar in New Milford". Connecticut Post. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  23. ^ a b O'Neill, Tara (April 5, 2019). "Protest announced ahead of Scott Presler event in Kent". The News-Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  24. ^ Friedmann, Meghan; O'Neill, Tara (April 6, 2019). "Kent residents protest controversial speaker". The News-Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
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  26. ^ a b Pitts, Elizabeth (November 10, 2019). "Cleanup activist, Trump supporter rallies groups to get out and vote". West Hawaii Today. pp. 1A, 7A. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ Plachta, Ariella (February 7, 2020). "Councilman David Ryu explores safe parking site at former Sherman Oaks homeless encampment". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  28. ^ Ambrose, Graham (December 6, 2019). "Schilling staff invited Fuentes". Quad-City Times. pp. A1, A6. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Loewy, Tom (December 6, 2019). "Bettendorf neighbors speak out against 'hate propaganda' that appeared the morning after a controversial forum". The Dispatch–Argus. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  30. ^ Mark, Julian (February 2, 2020). "Pro-Trump rally sparks clash at Women's Building in SF's Mission". Mission Local. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  31. ^ Routh, Julian (March 7, 2020). "Trump supporters announce two events in the Pittsburgh area next week". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  32. ^ a b c Dwyer, Mimi; Borter, Gabriella (November 5, 2020). "Protests heat up as counting drags on in cliffhanger U.S. election". Phoenix: Reuters. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  33. ^ "Protesters crying foul over counts stir safety concerns". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Post-Gazette wire services. November 7, 2020. p. WA-6. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ Gleiter, Dan (November 6, 2020). "Second 'Stop the Steal' rally once again calls for fair vote count in battleground state Pa". PennLive. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  35. ^ a b c d Liberatore, Wendy (August 23, 2021). "Saratoga Springs vigil to counter Presler's GOP voter registration drive". Times Union. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  36. ^ a b Mencimer, Stephanie (January 6, 2023). "The rise and fall of Stop the Steal's favorite conference". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  37. ^ a b c d e Liberatore, Wendy (August 24, 2021). "Lightning-rod Trump supporter Scott Presler's rally canceled in Wilton". Times Union. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  38. ^ a b c d Bauer, Scott (March 23, 2023). "Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate OK with Jan. 6 participant". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  39. ^ Steakin, Will; Cathey, Libby (February 24, 2021). "CPAC to put 2020 election claims center stage just weeks after Capitol attack". ABC News. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  40. ^ Eidler, Scott; LaRocco, Paul; Ferrette, Candice (February 4, 2023). "How George Santos benefited from sister's Rise NY PAC". Newsday. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  41. ^ "PAC run by George Santos' sister spent heavily on salaries, fees for Santos associates, records show". Newsday. February 4, 2023. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  42. ^ a b Goot, Michael (August 25, 2021). "GOP has second thoughts". The Post-Star. pp. A1, A4. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ Liberatore, Wendy (August 31, 2021). "Scott Presler appearance canceled for third time". Times Union. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  44. ^ Layne, Nathan (December 6, 2022). "Senate candidates make last pitch in Georgia midterm election runoff". Cumming, Georgia: Reuters. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  45. ^ a b Hounshell, Blake (December 13, 2022). "Inside the Battle for Control of the Republican National Committee". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  46. ^ a b c Daniels, Eugene; Bade, Rachael; Lizza, Ryan (January 26, 2023). "POLITICO Playbook: Why this debt ceiling showdown is different". Politico. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  47. ^ a b c Hess, Corrinne (March 23, 2023). "Supreme Court candidate Daniel Kelly says he's not bothered by association with 'stop the steal' activist, Jan. 6 participant Scott Presler". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  48. ^ Astor, Maggie (April 6, 2023). "5 Lessons for Democrats From Victories in Wisconsin and Chicago". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  49. ^ "Trump: Transgender people 'can't serve' in US military". BBC News. July 26, 2017. Archived from the original on July 26, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  50. ^ Kight, Stef W. (July 26, 2017). "How LGBTQ Trump supporters reacted to his military transgender ban". Axios. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  51. ^ Reed, Erin (July 3, 2023). "Gay & Trans Republicans shocked DeSantis now targeting them". Los Angeles Blade. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  52. ^ "'Don't Say Gay' bill signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis". Associated Press. March 28, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
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