Michael Colborne
@colborne.bsky.social
@bellingcat.com journalist etc focused on the transnational far right. i give trainings. i take pictures of stickers. Signal: michaelcolborne.01
Pinned
The End Goal of Trump’s Cringey, Nonsensical Videos
Trump’s use of the anti-war song “Fortunate Son” in a video of the military raid in Venezuela was no mistake. It’s part of a very deliberate far-right aesthetic.
newrepublic.com
Yeah, so Trump’s use of CCR's anti-war song “Fortunate Son” in his TruthSocial video of the military raid in Venezuela wasn't a mistake — it’s part of a very deliberate far-right approach to aesthetics. A short thinkpiece I did for @newrepublic.com
newrepublic.com/article/2049...
newrepublic.com/article/2049...
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Last week a border patrol agent was filmed pepper-spraying a detained protester at point-blank range. @pacantifa.is identified agent as Tyler Gramlin.
For @us.theguardian.com I asked Gramlin for comment. His response? He sent me a weird far-right "Amelia" meme. "DEFEND YOUR HOMELAND," it said.
For @us.theguardian.com I asked Gramlin for comment. His response? He sent me a weird far-right "Amelia" meme. "DEFEND YOUR HOMELAND," it said.
January 30, 2026 at 4:01 PM
Last week a border patrol agent was filmed pepper-spraying a detained protester at point-blank range. @pacantifa.is identified agent as Tyler Gramlin.
For @us.theguardian.com I asked Gramlin for comment. His response? He sent me a weird far-right "Amelia" meme. "DEFEND YOUR HOMELAND," it said.
For @us.theguardian.com I asked Gramlin for comment. His response? He sent me a weird far-right "Amelia" meme. "DEFEND YOUR HOMELAND," it said.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Pulled some posts because I misread a dateline. The more general point I wanted to make: 4chan’s founder meeting with Epstein around the time where the /pol/ board opened up doesn’t prove much of anything. Moot openly loathed the /pol/ crew and the site’s dominant culture was very different then.
January 31, 2026 at 5:39 AM
Pulled some posts because I misread a dateline. The more general point I wanted to make: 4chan’s founder meeting with Epstein around the time where the /pol/ board opened up doesn’t prove much of anything. Moot openly loathed the /pol/ crew and the site’s dominant culture was very different then.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Jeffrey Epstein sent a link to the white nationalist podcast The Right Stuff, whose core hosts played an active role in the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally. He did so in February 2016. Before TRS made national news, really.
Genuinely bizarre.
Genuinely bizarre.
January 31, 2026 at 4:15 AM
Jeffrey Epstein sent a link to the white nationalist podcast The Right Stuff, whose core hosts played an active role in the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally. He did so in February 2016. Before TRS made national news, really.
Genuinely bizarre.
Genuinely bizarre.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
“/pol/ was created after moot met with jeffrey epstein” is maybe the single most cursed true sentence I have ever had the displeasure of writing
January 31, 2026 at 4:09 AM
“/pol/ was created after moot met with jeffrey epstein” is maybe the single most cursed true sentence I have ever had the displeasure of writing
Reposted by Michael Colborne
My American colleagues and friends dislike it when I liken the course their country is on to what happened in Russia in the early 2000s.
It’s a comparison that’s getting harder and harder to avoid…
It’s a comparison that’s getting harder and harder to avoid…
This just in: "Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy awards," Lemon's attorney Abbe Lowell says.
January 30, 2026 at 1:44 PM
My American colleagues and friends dislike it when I liken the course their country is on to what happened in Russia in the early 2000s.
It’s a comparison that’s getting harder and harder to avoid…
It’s a comparison that’s getting harder and harder to avoid…
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Our Digital Hate and Harms Team has just released a new microsite to document and share information about symbols used by hate groups from around the world. monitoring-glossary.bellingcat.com
Bellingcat Monitoring Glossary
Bellingcat Monitoring Glossary
monitoring-glossary.bellingcat.com
January 30, 2026 at 11:18 AM
Our Digital Hate and Harms Team has just released a new microsite to document and share information about symbols used by hate groups from around the world. monitoring-glossary.bellingcat.com
"“I have only one defence to the allegations: ‘I’m a racist.’ Please include that, that’s all, thanks.”"
balkaninsight.com/2026/01/30/c...
balkaninsight.com/2026/01/30/c...
Canadian Crypto Fugitive Slips Dragnet in Serbia, Surfaces in Bosnia
Case files obtained by BIRN and Canada’s CBC document the globe-trotting lifestyle of a Canadian maths whizz who went to ground in 2021, allegedly with tens of millions of dollars in stolen cryptocurr...
balkaninsight.com
January 30, 2026 at 9:21 AM
"“I have only one defence to the allegations: ‘I’m a racist.’ Please include that, that’s all, thanks.”"
balkaninsight.com/2026/01/30/c...
balkaninsight.com/2026/01/30/c...
Reposted by Michael Colborne
This month, Trump supporters:
- Attacked a Black woman at bar in Pennsylvania while hurling racial slurs + proclaiming, "This is a MAGA town"
- Attacked Ilhan Omar
- Assaulted anti-ICE protesters in Sacramento
- Hospitalized student in Nebraska during walkout when SUV with Trump flag hit her
- Attacked a Black woman at bar in Pennsylvania while hurling racial slurs + proclaiming, "This is a MAGA town"
- Attacked Ilhan Omar
- Assaulted anti-ICE protesters in Sacramento
- Hospitalized student in Nebraska during walkout when SUV with Trump flag hit her
January 30, 2026 at 7:20 AM
This month, Trump supporters:
- Attacked a Black woman at bar in Pennsylvania while hurling racial slurs + proclaiming, "This is a MAGA town"
- Attacked Ilhan Omar
- Assaulted anti-ICE protesters in Sacramento
- Hospitalized student in Nebraska during walkout when SUV with Trump flag hit her
- Attacked a Black woman at bar in Pennsylvania while hurling racial slurs + proclaiming, "This is a MAGA town"
- Attacked Ilhan Omar
- Assaulted anti-ICE protesters in Sacramento
- Hospitalized student in Nebraska during walkout when SUV with Trump flag hit her
Reposted by Michael Colborne
A livestream featuring Nick Fuentes, Andrew Tate, Sneako, and other manosphere influencers praising Hitler shows how misogyny is converging with neo-Nazism in online spaces. As these networks expand, Nazism is normalized, fueling hate and violence against women and other vulnerable communities.
The Streamer “HH” Scandal Represents A Dangerous Convergence Of Misogyny And Nazism
A livestream featuring Nick Fuentes, Andrew Tate, Sneako, and other manosphere influencers praising Hitler illustrates the growing convergence of misogyny and neo-Nazism within mainstream online space...
globalextremism.org
January 29, 2026 at 10:23 PM
A livestream featuring Nick Fuentes, Andrew Tate, Sneako, and other manosphere influencers praising Hitler shows how misogyny is converging with neo-Nazism in online spaces. As these networks expand, Nazism is normalized, fueling hate and violence against women and other vulnerable communities.
"A sworn affidavit by an FBI task force officer also points to the involvement of [two other] neo-Nazis...both have ties to a neo-Nazi group known as the Tennessee Active Club, although neither has been charged at this point"
Neo-Nazis busted as part of plot to create paramilitary team to take out 'high-value targets,' FBI says www.newschannel5.com/news/newscha...
Neo-Nazis busted as part of plot to create paramilitary team to take out 'high-value targets,' FBI says
2 white supremacist linked to a neo-Nazi group in Tenn., now face federal charges, accused of attempting to create a unit capable of taking out "high-value targets," according court documents
www.newschannel5.com
January 29, 2026 at 11:12 AM
"A sworn affidavit by an FBI task force officer also points to the involvement of [two other] neo-Nazis...both have ties to a neo-Nazi group known as the Tennessee Active Club, although neither has been charged at this point"
Reposted by Michael Colborne
The coverage and response from the commentariat and our political leadership to the pipe bomb attack at the Invasion Day rally was so muted, that even I didn’t find out about until the next day. But I know about it now and what it says about us a country, so I’ve written about it here for Crikey.
The muted response to the Perth bombing exposes a pattern of national indifference
A failed bomb attack in Perth on Invasion Day drew little attention from the media and public. It shows Australia has long been selective in its sense of danger.
www.crikey.com.au
January 29, 2026 at 1:10 AM
The coverage and response from the commentariat and our political leadership to the pipe bomb attack at the Invasion Day rally was so muted, that even I didn’t find out about until the next day. But I know about it now and what it says about us a country, so I’ve written about it here for Crikey.
“Because [AI-generated Holocaust images] often refer to real historical persons or circumstances, they promote forms of remembrance based not on learning and reflection but on affect and artificially generated emotion. More than that, such deepfakes increasingly shape perceptions of the past”
«What historians call the ‹perpetrator perspective,› evident in many Nazi photos and films, simply cannot be generated by AI. Instead, these images reveal the prompt behind them: visualizations of generic descriptions.» #GenericPastness www.jpost.com/opinion/arti...
Perception of the Holocaust reshaped by AI-generated images | The Jerusalem Post
For some time now, AI-generated Holocaust images have been flooding social media.
www.jpost.com
January 28, 2026 at 9:30 PM
“Because [AI-generated Holocaust images] often refer to real historical persons or circumstances, they promote forms of remembrance based not on learning and reflection but on affect and artificially generated emotion. More than that, such deepfakes increasingly shape perceptions of the past”
Reposted by Michael Colborne
NEW from @justinrohrlich.bsky.social:
“I’m not surprised this happened,” Ilhan Omar attacker Anthony Kazmierczak’s brother said. “Not at all. Unfortunately, he and my mother are both right-wing extremists.”
"In my mind, he’s a piece of s**t," he added.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
“I’m not surprised this happened,” Ilhan Omar attacker Anthony Kazmierczak’s brother said. “Not at all. Unfortunately, he and my mother are both right-wing extremists.”
"In my mind, he’s a piece of s**t," he added.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Brother calls Ilhan Omar suspect ‘right-wing extremist,’ has hated Somalis for years
Exclusive: ‘In my mind, he’s a piece of s**t,’ Anthony Kazmierczak’s brother told The Independent
www.independent.co.uk
January 28, 2026 at 6:43 PM
NEW from @justinrohrlich.bsky.social:
“I’m not surprised this happened,” Ilhan Omar attacker Anthony Kazmierczak’s brother said. “Not at all. Unfortunately, he and my mother are both right-wing extremists.”
"In my mind, he’s a piece of s**t," he added.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
“I’m not surprised this happened,” Ilhan Omar attacker Anthony Kazmierczak’s brother said. “Not at all. Unfortunately, he and my mother are both right-wing extremists.”
"In my mind, he’s a piece of s**t," he added.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Two neo-Nazis arrested last week are accused of buying machine guns as part of an alleged scheme to launch a paramilitary death squad.
Neo-Nazis arrested on weapons charges planned to strike 'high value targets,' feds say
Two neo-Nazis arrested last week are accused of buying machine guns as part of an alleged scheme to launch a paramilitary death squad.Aiden Cuevas, 20, and Andrew Nary, 23, each face a federal charge of conspiracy to traffic in firearms in the Northern District of Alabama. They were arrested on Jan....
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Two neo-Nazis arrested last week are accused of buying machine guns as part of an alleged scheme to launch a paramilitary death squad.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Grindcore is taken guys
January 28, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Grindcore is taken guys
opened this hoping it was a column about Magrudergrind but alas I was disappointed
Grindcore is the new hustle culture ft.trib.al/Yq5N8YC | opinion
Grindcore is the new hustle culture
In Silicon Valley, long hours have fused with a monastic male wellness aesthetic
ft.trib.al
January 28, 2026 at 5:18 PM
opened this hoping it was a column about Magrudergrind but alas I was disappointed
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Bellingcat has further analysed videos of the shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents. The footage shows an agent wearing a black beanie step behind Pretti. His right arm then appears to recoil at the same time the first shot is heard.
January 28, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Bellingcat has further analysed videos of the shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents. The footage shows an agent wearing a black beanie step behind Pretti. His right arm then appears to recoil at the same time the first shot is heard.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Slovakia’s pro-Trump PM Fico was shaken by a meeting with the US president at Mar-a-Lago in mid-January, telling fellow EU leaders that he appeared to be “out of his mind” and “dangerous”
www.politico.eu/article/dona...
www.politico.eu/article/dona...
European leader spoke of shock at Trump’s state of mind after Mar-a-Lago meeting
The Slovak PM, a Trump ally, told leaders at last week’s EU summit he was concerned about the way the U.S. president spoke to him, European diplomats said.
www.politico.eu
January 28, 2026 at 6:40 AM
Slovakia’s pro-Trump PM Fico was shaken by a meeting with the US president at Mar-a-Lago in mid-January, telling fellow EU leaders that he appeared to be “out of his mind” and “dangerous”
www.politico.eu/article/dona...
www.politico.eu/article/dona...
Reposted by Michael Colborne
I feel like I’m losing my mind. Obviously they were doing something illegal, which is why they were hiding from legal authorities. What is legal can also be immoral and shameful.
To avoid the possibility Holocaust remembrance might lead to empathy for migrants, Trump's antisemitism envoy claims Anne Frank "was in Amsterdam legally."
In reality, Margot Frank received a summons to go to a labor camp on July 5, 1942. After ignoring this call, they were in Amsterdam illegally.
In reality, Margot Frank received a summons to go to a labor camp on July 5, 1942. After ignoring this call, they were in Amsterdam illegally.
January 27, 2026 at 3:30 PM
I feel like I’m losing my mind. Obviously they were doing something illegal, which is why they were hiding from legal authorities. What is legal can also be immoral and shameful.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Pepperball guns, tasers and tear gas are among the weapons recently deployed against protesters in the US. In a new guide, @easybakeovensz.bsky.social details some of the “less-lethal” equipment federal agents have carried during the current immigration raids. www.bellingcat.com/resources/20...
Guide: The ‘Less-Lethal’ Weapons Used by the DHS
Tear gas and PepperBall guns are among the weapons ICE and Border Patrol agents have been seen with at nationwide raids and protests related to immigration.
www.bellingcat.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Pepperball guns, tasers and tear gas are among the weapons recently deployed against protesters in the US. In a new guide, @easybakeovensz.bsky.social details some of the “less-lethal” equipment federal agents have carried during the current immigration raids. www.bellingcat.com/resources/20...
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Yesterday, I was invited to a press conference with the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands to discuss the removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at the American Cemetery in Margraten.
US removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at WWII cemetery in the Netherlands draws backlash
The American Cemetery in the Dutch village of Margraten has become a flashpoint over the removal of displays honoring Black soldiers.
apnews.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Yesterday, I was invited to a press conference with the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands to discuss the removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at the American Cemetery in Margraten.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
🚨 A new Ukip logo compared to a 'Nazi symbol' has been rejected by the electoral watchdog for being 'offensive'
👉 www.thenational.scot/news/2...
👉 www.thenational.scot/news/2...
January 27, 2026 at 9:31 AM
🚨 A new Ukip logo compared to a 'Nazi symbol' has been rejected by the electoral watchdog for being 'offensive'
👉 www.thenational.scot/news/2...
👉 www.thenational.scot/news/2...
wondering if they’ll trade the cobbled-together operator aesthetic for, well, black shirts
🔴 BREAKING - ICE agents to help with security at Winter Olympics in Italy
ICE agents to help with security at Winter Olympics in Italy
Get the latest Breaking News Alerts from France 24 in real time on Facebook and Twitter: @BreakingF24
f24.my
January 27, 2026 at 8:40 AM
wondering if they’ll trade the cobbled-together operator aesthetic for, well, black shirts
is…is that really the takeaway here
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com
Younger generations “have fallen out of love with Harry Potter because they have fallen out of love with the worldview the series represents,” writes Louise Perry. “Which is to say that young people have fallen out of love with liberalism.”
Younger generations “have fallen out of love with Harry Potter because they have fallen out of love with the worldview the series represents,” writes Louise Perry. “Which is to say that young people have fallen out of love with liberalism.”
Opinion | Why Gen Z Doesn’t Love ‘Harry Potter’
The wizarding worldview is naïve.
nyti.ms
January 26, 2026 at 9:49 PM
is…is that really the takeaway here
Reposted by Michael Colborne
“We’re lured to do this, we’re lured to remix, we’re lured to memeify."
How AI slop, right-wing engagement grifters, and crypto come together to harass, smear, and meme the dead into oblivion:
www.404media.co/ai-renee-goo...
How AI slop, right-wing engagement grifters, and crypto come together to harass, smear, and meme the dead into oblivion:
www.404media.co/ai-renee-goo...
How Right Wing Influencers Used AI Slop to Turn Renee Good Into a Meme
A look at “necromemetics” and the meme economy in the aftermath of violence.
www.404media.co
January 26, 2026 at 5:44 PM
“We’re lured to do this, we’re lured to remix, we’re lured to memeify."
How AI slop, right-wing engagement grifters, and crypto come together to harass, smear, and meme the dead into oblivion:
www.404media.co/ai-renee-goo...
How AI slop, right-wing engagement grifters, and crypto come together to harass, smear, and meme the dead into oblivion:
www.404media.co/ai-renee-goo...