Ohio

Will neo-Nazis, other hate groups and extremists show up in Ohio ahead of 2024 election?

Published

4 months ago

September 10, 2024

Will neo-Nazis, other hate groups and extremists show up in Ohio ahead of 2024 election?

Ohio may no longer be the swing state it once was, but experts say it will still be the target of both in-state hate groups and outside agitators as the 2024 presidential election approaches.

Neo-Nazis already appeared about 48 miles west of Columbus to protest in Springfield in August. Given Columbus’ liberal politics in a right-leaning state, central Ohioans should expect to see demonstrations by hate groups locally this fall, said Jeff Tischauser, senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

“Ohio is more or less red, but they still see it as a battleground state,” Tischauser said. “Columbus is a blue city surrounded by red, and it’s an election year.”

Read More: Neo-Nazi group that protested Columbus drag brunch claims to have started an Ohio chapter

The SPLC tracks hate and anti-government groups across the country. Ohio is home to at least 50 such organizations, which the SPLC defines as a group that has beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people.

Investigations into violent extremism nationwide have been on the rise in recent years, FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress in September 2021. Between 2010 and 2021, the number of domestic terrorism cases the FBI handled grew by 357%, from 1,981 to 9,049, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

While the coming weeks will show just how active some of Ohio’s hate groups may be in the run-up to the election, there is at least one new local organization hoping to push back on hatred and fear this election cycle.

Ohioans Against Extremism was born in part out of the fact that hate groups and neo-Nazis started showing up more at events around the state, said Maria Bruno, the nonprofit’s executive director. Bruno, who previously worked for Equality Ohio, said she and others began to notice there was a need to connect people who may be dealing with extremism more frequently in their communities.

“I’ve seen what was once fringe internet trolling become things that people say on the House floor,” Bruno said. “We’ve seen this normalization of this rhetoric in the political atmosphere, but then simultaneously, we’re just dealing with more day-to-day safety threats that arise.”

Is Ohio still a top state for hate?

The nation’s heartland has long been a hotbed for hate groups, Tischauser told The Dispatch.

At the end of 2023, Ohio was home to 50 such groups with varying ideologies scattered across the state.

They include the Nazi Blood Tribe, which launched an Ohio chapter last year, as well as several white nationalist groups, five chapters of the Proud Boys, a few anti-LGBTQ+ groups, and 21 militias or antigovernment organizations.

Multiple factors may attract members of such groups to Columbus this fall, Tischauser said, including having the Ohio Statehouse as a backdrop. Following the 2020 election, statehouses across the country became the focus of protests as some voters questioned the results of the presidential race, Tischauser said.

Along with that, Columbus’ left-leaning leaders and residents offer members of extremist groups the chance to face their enemies, Tischauser said.

“Even though Ohio will probably vote red, Columbus is a blue city, there’s a huge university there and it allows them the opportunity to confront their perceived opponents during a huge crisis,” he said.

Another reason Ohio has become a home to hate groups is due in part to the state’s location, Tischauser said.

Ohio is centrally located, and Tischauser said that means members of hate groups in other states don’t have to drive too far to attend demonstrations in the Buckeye state. Groups such as Patriot Front and Nazi Blood Tribe are both able to get between 20 and 40 members to protests in Ohio, in part because it’s easy to get to and the election will be an additional motivating factor for them to gather, Tischauser said.

Members of the Nazi Blood Tribe protested outside a drag brunch at Land-Grant Brewing Co. in Columbus’ Franklinton neighborhood in the spring of 2023.

“It’s going to provide an opportunity for these types of groups to get attention,” Tischauser said.

What can Ohioans do to combat extremism?

While the nonprofit Bruno leads will continue to raise awareness about extremism as the election approaches, she said it will also try to turn down the temperature on the politics of the moment.

This presidential election cycle has already been upended multiple times, including after an assassination attempt on the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, earlier this summer in Butler County, Pennsylvania. President Joe Biden also dropped his reelection bid in late July, propelling Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the Democratic ticket as the first woman of color to lead a major political party.

“We really want to kind of mobilize voters, and we want to incentivize politicians to keep the decency alive,” Bruno said.

Read More: What is a ‘boogaloo?’ Some protested at the Ohio Statehouse

Bruno hopes the nonprofit she’s leading will help to reconcile a “split between the will of the voters and the conversations we’re having on the ground and … within the Statehouse walls.” If successful, Bruno said such a movement could help voters and their elected leaders see more eye to eye and could also dissuade extremist groups from thinking they have a say in Ohio’s politics.

But Bruno said the organization’s work won’t be done after the election.

Part of its mission, she said, will be to help Ohioans navigate through the “mud fight” that could erupt again if some leaders question the security and results of the presidential election. The difficulty in that will be figuring out how to separate reality from fantasy in what Bruno described as a “really, really saturated political environment.”

“We want to help voters be able to separate what is a rumor from a fake story, or opinion from an actual thing that happened,” Bruno said. “I know that sounds scary and dystopian, but that’s also really just where our political information environment is at the moment.”

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby

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Look: Kirk Herbstreit gets emotional on TV after Ohio State wins national championship

Published

2 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Press Room

Look: Kirk Herbstreit gets emotional on TV after Ohio State wins national championship

Kirk Herbstreit is as professional as it comes when he calls college football games for ESPN.

However, the former Ohio State football quarterback could not control his emotions after the Buckeyes’ 34-23 win over Notre Dame in Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game. In a segment with ESPN Sportscenter’s Scott Van Pelt, Herbstreit got emotional when talking about the national championship for the Buckeyes.

Buy Ohio State CFP championship books, posters, gear

“Don’t start with me, man. I am a little emotional,” Herbstreit said. “I’m just fired up for these guys. When I call these games, I am incredibly objective, and I love all these Ohio State teams, but this team, because of what they went through to get to this point, is just happy. Just happy for them.”

Van Pelt asked fellow commentator Chris Fowler a question to allow Herbstreit to collect himself. Then, he appeared back on screen with a napkin and wiped the tears away from his face.

The Buckeyes were denied a chance to play in the Big Ten Conference championship game after a major upset loss to rival Michigan in the final week of the regular season. However, Ohio State bounced back with four straight wins, including a win over No. 1 Oregon, to win the national championship.

Herbstreit attended Centerville High School in Centerville, Ohio, and played for the Buckeyes from 1989 to 1993. In his senior season, he earned a starting role and led the Buckeyes to the Florida Citrus Bowl. Herbstreit’s father, Jim Herbstreit, was a co-captain on the 1960 Ohio State team and later became an assistant coach.

With Monday’s win, the Buckeyes clinched their first national championship since 2014, the first year of the 4-team CFP. Monday’s championship game concluded the first version of the 12-team CFP.

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Matt Painter Details No. 11 Purdue’s ‘Tough’ Matchup vs. Ohio State

Published

10 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

Matt Painter Details No. 11 Purdue’s ‘Tough’ Matchup vs. Ohio State

After a two-game road trip to the West Coast, No. 11 Purdue has a quick turnaround, hosting Ohio State at Mackey Arena on Tuesday. Boilermakers coach Matt Painter says that, despite the Buckeyes’ record, he expects a really tough game in West Lafayette.

Purdue enters the game on a seven-game winning streak, winning six of those by double digits. Ohio State, on the other hand, has dropped each of its last three games, losing by a combined five points.

While the Buckeyes have had some late-game errors that have cost them, Painter said Jake Diebler and his staff are bring an extremely talented team to Mackey Arena.

“They’re 2-5 in our league and they’re three possessions away from being 5-2. I think you’ve got to keep that in perspective,” Painter said. “The games they’ve lost, the last one (to Indiana) in overtime, and the other ones could have went either way.

“They’re a very good team, Bruce Thornton is very talented, (John) Mobley (Jr.) is a guy you have to be aware of at all times.”

Four Buckeyes enter Tuesday night’s contest averaging double digits. Thornton is the leader, posting 17.4 points per game while shooting 52.6% from the floor and 41.1% from 3-point range.

His physical style of play and ability to knock down shots anywhere on the court could cause some problems for Purdue’s defense.

“He can get to his kill spots. He’s shifty, he’s quick, but he’s also physical,” Painter said. “He can get to the basket, he can make pull-up threes, but he can also get into the paint, jump stop and make that reverse pivot shot where he fades away and knocks that down. He also plays off his shot fake and draws fouls.

“Just a versatile guard. A versatile lead guard who is good at distributing the ball, but also being aggressive and scoring.”

Devin Royal — who missed last week’s game against Indiana — is averaging 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Mobley is scoring 12.5 per game and Micah Parris is adding 10.5 per contest. In other words, Ohio State has a lot of weapons.

Purdue’s defense has been stifling recently, holding each of its last seven opponents to 68 points or less. The Boilermakers are also forcing turnovers at a much higher rate, with opponents giving the ball up 14.6 times per game in the last seven contests.

It’s going to take another strong defensive effort from Purdue to try and quiet an Ohio State offense that has plenty of scorers on the floor.

“Across the board, they have a good team. They have good athleticism on their front line, good size, they have depth,” Painter said. “It’s going to be a tough game.”

KAUFMAN-RENN EARNS NATIONAL HONOR: Purdue junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn was named the Naismith Men’s College Player of the Week after leading the Boilers to wins over Washington and Oregon. CLICK HERE

PURDUE JUMPS IN LATEST AP POLL: After wins over Washington and Oregon to extend its winning streak to seven games, Purdue jumped up six spots to No. 11 in the latest Associated Press poll. CLICK HERE

BRADEN SMITH MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICAN: Purdue guard Braden Smith has been tabbed as a midseason first-team All-American by FOX. He’s averaging 15.1 points, 8.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals. CLICK HERE

PAINTER GETS MAJOR SHOUTOUT: FOX college basketball broadcaster John Fanta is giving Purdue coach Matt Painter incredible praise for the job he’s done with the 2024-25 Boilermakers so far. CLICK HERE

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Why did Chip Kelly leave UCLA for Ohio State? Explaining head coach to assistant move

Published

18 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

Why did Chip Kelly leave UCLA for Ohio State? Explaining head coach to assistant move

Ohio State football and coach Ryan Day made a coaching hire splash in the offseason, when it hired former UCLA coach Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator.

It was an interesting move for Kelly, who decided he’d rather be the offensive coordinator at Ohio State than the head coach at UCLA, a position he held from 2018-23.

Day and Kelly have history, which made the move make sense, as Kelly was Day’s offensive coordinator when Day was New Hampshire’s quarterback from 1998-2001. Day was also the quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers when Kelly was an NFL head coach.

Day’s first coaching job as New Hampshire’s tight ends coach in 2002 was also under Kelly’s offense.

Kelly, who won three Pac-12 championships and led Oregon to the 2011 national championship, is among the most experienced offensive minds in all of college football.

Here’s why Kelly left UCLA for Ohio State ahead of the 2024-25 season:

Why did Chip Kelly leave UCLA for Ohio State?

Kelly explained his decision to move from UCLA head coach to assistant at Ohio State in his first spring with the Buckeyes in March.

Kelly, who hadn’t been an assistant being the offensive coordinator at Oregon in 2008, coached UCLA’s quarterbacks for the Bruins’ LA Bowl matchup with Boise State, after Ryan Gunderson left to be the offensive coordinator at Oregon State.

He said being a position coach reinvigorated his love for football.

“I actually coached the quarterbacks for the bowl game, and I just started to think, like I hadn’t actually coached a position since 2008,” Kelly told reporters in his introductory press conference. “I think my wife remarked, she was like, ‘I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time.’ And, to me, the best part of football is football. And so, you got to do football, and not do some of the things involved with the head coaching deal.”

Kelly then said he started looking into possible opportunities to be an assistant coach again.

“So I started to look into, ‘Is there an opportunity?’” Kelly said. “And it would have had to been the right spot to go somewhere and just coach a position again and be back with that group.”

Kelly has been the head coach at Oregon and UCLA, and also the NFL’s Eagles and 49ers since he last stint as an assistant.

Of course, it would’ve taken one of the top assistant roles in college football to likely lure Kelly away from UCLA, which Ohio State provided. It’s unclear what some of the things with head coaching were that turned Kelly away from the Bruins, however, with the current age of college football in recruiting, name, image and likeness and also leading UCLA into a new conference, it likely took a toll on Kelly’s time.

Kelly said being a head coach in the current era of college football requires being a “CEO.”

“I just want to be happy. And I’m really happy coaching the position,” Kelly said. “Really happy to be at this place. It would have taken a special place for me to leave UCLA, because I love those players and I love that coaching staff, but to be here with Ryan, had a great relationship, I’ve known Ryan since he was a little kid. So, I think a lot of things just fell into place that way.”

Kelly took the job that was previously filled by Bill O’Brien during the offseason, but O’Brien never actually coached the Buckeyes as he turned around and took the head coaching position at Boston College, leaving the opportunity open for Kelly.

“Sometimes I do a lot of things other people don’t do,” Kelly said with a laugh. “I don’t know if that’s right or wrong.”

Chip Kelly contract

According to USA TODAY’s assistant coaches’ salary database, Kelly is the eighth-highest paid assistant in college football, making $2 million this year.

He also can make up to $940,000 in bonuses.

Chip Kelly buyout

Ohio State paid UCLA $1.5 million to hire him as offensive coordinator, according to USA TODAY’s salary database. Ohio State also paid an undetermined amount to reduce the tax impact on Kelly.

Kelly signed a contract extension with the Bruins in 2023, which would’ve paid him $6.1 million in 2024.

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