Groypers handed out illegal hot dogs and hamburgers to Trump voters

MESA, Ariz. — A group of America First groypers, college Republicans and a Christian nationalist pastor handed out hamburgers and hot dogs to voters in Phoenix on Tuesday — but only if they voted for former President Donald Trump.

The picnic occurred approximately 100 yards from the polling station and was likely illegal.

The rally was organized by the far-right group United College Republicans in conjunction with the Arizona Patriot Party. It started right after polls opened at the Mesa Convention Center. Groypers (the name given to themselves by followers of white nationalist Nick Fuentes) helped hand out hot dogs, hamburgers and cold drinks. Grilled by Pastor David McLellan, Christian Nationalist Pastor, Arizona Patriot Party Chaplain and Party Member extremist ideology of the Black Robes regiment.

“We’re giving out hot dogs and hamburgers to people who are doing the right thing by voting for Trump,” McLellan told WIRED.

Isaiah, a self-described groyper who did not give his last name, confirmed that the group was only giving out food to Trump voters, but added: “(The food is) specifically for Trump voters, but we welcome others if they do so. they want to come and change their minds.”

Providing meals to a specific group of people at a polling place is a violation of federal law.

“Not only is it illegal to give money only to voters for one candidate, it cannot be limited to just voters. it must be available to all people in the area, including children and others who are not eligible to vote, to avoid violating federal law prohibiting vote buying,” Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, told WIRED. referring to the same rules that Elon Musk was accused of violating a $1 million ballot measure.

The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, which sets rules for polling place behavior, did not respond to a request for comment.

The group College Republican United was created in 2018 by Rick Thomas, who is also a member of the Arizona Patriot Party. Thomas told WIRED he founded the group out of frustration with the student Republican group that existed at Arizona State University.

“We ended up splitting off and forming our own organization that was very pro-Trump,” Thomas said. “We are Americans first, we are MAGA.”

While not all members of the College Republicans are members of Fuentes’ group, there is significant overlap between them, Isaiah told WIRED.

Thomas described the group as a relatively massive student group, but online evidence suggests otherwise: The book recommendations page on the College Republican United website features two deeply anti-Semitic works: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Henry’s The International Jew: The World’s Greatest Problem Ford.

Another CRU member, Kevin Dekuyper, was recently hired as a deputy to former far-right Sheriff Joe Arpaio,

“There are reasons why the United College Republicans have been condemned by so many GOP organizations,” says Nick Martin, an investigative journalist who closely tracks extremist groups in Arizona and runs an online publication. Informant. “The organization encourages its members to read discredited and debunked books filled with racist pseudoscience and conspiracy theories. Guest speakers have included white nationalists, neo-Nazis, pizza delivery boys, fringe political candidates and, rarely, actual Republicans.”

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