Clips on social media show activist Jack Posobiec talking about the "end of democracy" at the Conservative Political Action Conference and saying, "We are here to overthrow it completely."
The Context
Posobiec was speaking at the CPAC event, which was a panel session hosted by former White House strategist Steve Bannon.
Newsweek has approached CPAC for comment via an email outside of normal working hours. A direct contact for Posobiec could not be found, but an out of normal hours approach was made to the online publication Human Events via Instagram and an online form.
What We Know
"Welcome to the end of democracy," Posobiec said, also referring to the Capitol riots. "We are here to overthrow it completely. We didn't get all the way there on January 6, but we will endeavor to get rid of it and replace it with this right here."
Posobiec then held up his fist, and added: "All glory is not to government. All glory to God." Some people in the crowd responded with applause.
On the social media site X, formerly Twitter, Posobiec responded to comments reacting to what he said, with some speculating he was being sarcastic.
Posobiec posted a clip of him saying, "no, that's a right-wing conspiracy theory" to a post that said: "They are telling us exactly what they will do. Believe them. Vote against them."
"Maybe he's just being a total idiot," another X user said of the clip. Posobiec responded with kissing emojis.
In another post, Posobiec shared a picture of a digitally altered image showing a person with his photoshopped faced and holding up a placard that read: "You mad, bro?" Posobiec was responding to the X account, Republican Accountability, which posted his comments.
Views
Some users on X showed concern at the comments and one person tweeted at Posobiec that he was "going to jail for treason, that's all you're doing."
Posobiec responded: "Try it, see what happens."
Another X user said: "Proudly been blocked by Posobiec for 5+ years now or so."
While one person said Posobiec was "channeling Reagan's "We begin bombing in five minutes" back in 84." Posobiec responded with a smiling emoji.
The account user was referring to a flippant off-mic remark by President Ronald Reagan at his home Rancho del Cielo, California, in 1984 during the Cold War. The joke came before his weekly live broadcast.
"My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever," he joked. "We begin bombing in five minutes."
The quip soon circulated among the media, causing some embarrassment for Reagan.
One user also said they thought Posobiec's comments were a joke but a "stupid joke to make."
What's Next?
CPAC, held at the at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, calls itself "the largest and most influential gathering of conservatives in the world."
Attendees are expecting former president Donald Trump to speak at the event on the day it wraps up on February 24.
Update 02/23/24, 04:59 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information
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Benjamin Lynch is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is U.S. politics and national affairs and he ... Read more
