When journalism also becomes a target: inside the neo-Nazi war freedom of the press

What began as one reporter's investigation into a power grid attack has evolved into a chilling firsthand account of how militant neo-Nazi networks operate in America today. Writing for The Assembly, Jordan Green's harrowing experience documenting extremist groups reveals not just the personal cost of investigative journalism, but also the sophisticated and dangerous evolution of white supremacist movements that should concern us all.

What follows is a summary of his story, which we should all heed.

The investigation that started it all

In December 2022, someone shot up two electrical substations in Moore County, North Carolina. This caused 40,000 customers to go without power for five days. An 87-year-old woman dependent on an oxygen machine died—a death later ruled a homicide. For Green, a reporter covering right-wing extremism, this incident smelled of something more sinister than random vandalism.

The attack occurred amid protests of a drag show, with Proud Boys members in attendance. Green recognized the hallmarks of "militant accelerationism"—a strain of white power violence that promotes terrorism and insurrection as means to establish a white ethno-state.

And this wasn't an isolated incident. The FBI had already disrupted similar plots, including one by former Marines at Camp Lejeune who planned widespread blackouts to spark a race war.

Green's pursuit of the story led him deep into the dark corners of encrypted messaging platforms like Telegram, where he discovered channels celebrating the Moore County attack. One user, "BTC," had forwarded posts describing the sabotage as a "beautiful escalation." Characterizing the incident as sending "a terrifyingly clear message to the LGBTQ+ community."

BTC would later be revealed as Matthew Robert Allison, a leader of the Terrorgram Collective—now designated as a global terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.

The network begins to emerge

Through his investigation, Green began mapping connections between disparate extremist groups. Names like Sean Kauffmann, leader of Tennessee Active Club, and Jarrett William Smith, a former soldier convicted of distributing bomb-making instructions, kept surfacing.

The Blood and Soil Crew (also known as 2-1-19) appeared repeatedly in graffiti and online boasts, claiming responsibility for antisemitic vandalism across multiple states.These weren't isolated actors but part of a sophisticated network.

When Kauffmann organized protests at LGBTQ+ events, he openly stated his goal was "essentially to intimidate" what he called "the antifascists, the child groomers, the homosexuals." The movement's rhetoric consistently dehumanized targets while celebrating violence.

Then journalism becomes the target

Green's reporting quickly made him a target. In August 2023, the Appalachian Archives Telegram channel began doxxing him, publishing his home address, family photos, and personal information. The channel's mission statement was chillingly explicit:

This led to a campaign of escalating intimidation that would forever alter Green's family life. Anonymous tips suggested Kauffmann had ordered younger members to commit a drive-by shooting at Green's home and had attempted to recruit others to kill him.

While no charges have been filed in connection with these allegations, the threats were credible enough that the FBI intervened under "duty to warn" protocols.

The psychological warfare intensified with surveillance and harassment. A fake pizza delivery in January 2024 led to the FBI warning Green that his license plate was being circulated on extremist channels. Agents advised him to "get somewhere safe." Security footage later revealed a black pickup truck staking out his home, its occupant photographing Green from his front door.

The photo-op that changed everything

The harassment campaign came to a head in February 2024. Five men had traveled from multiple states to stage a Nazi salute photo on Green's front lawn. Led by Kauffmann, the group included Smith, David William Fair (founder of Southern Sons Active Club), and Kai Nix, an enlisted soldier at Fort Bragg who operated the doxxing channel.

Enlisted soldiers swear an oath to defend the constitution by the way.

The carefully orchestrated demonstration sent an unmistakable message. Kauffmann's sign read "Freedom of press ≠ freedom of consequence." Another participant wore a shirt referencing Nazi death squads. They then visited the historic marker commemorating the 1979 Greensboro Massacre, where KKK members and neo-Nazis killed five Communist Workers Party members—defendants who successfully claimed self-defense.

The human cost and transnational threat

For Green's family, particularly his 10-year-old daughter, the harassment campaign became a source of ongoing trauma. Hotel stays became routine whenever threats intensified or stories were published.

The psychological toll was brought home when his daughter asked through tears:

The threats weren't limited to online harassment.

Anonymous messages warned that having his family at home created "a big danger for them." They also claimed the senders were "war trained" and knew how to use weapons.

These communications bore signatures linking them to international extremist networks, including AAST, a Russian group connected to child exploitation networks.

Green's investigation revealed that militant accelerationism isn't just an American problem—it's a transnational movement, as evidenced above. The Terrorgram Collective claimed credit for a mass shooting at a gay bar in Slovakia. Italian authorities arrested young men accused of being part of Russian accelerationist networks. American teenagers participated in international channels sharing terrorist manifestos and tactical manuals.

These groups represent more than isolated extremists; they're part of a sustained desensitization program designed to lower inhibitions toward violence. Members exchange racist content and gore videos while goading each other toward increasingly brazen acts of intimidation and violence. The brutality will only increase.

The current threat landscape

According to Jon Lewis, a researcher at George Washington University's Project on Extremism, the domestic terrorism threat has made Americans less safe. He points to troubling parallels between recent presidential communications and mass shooter manifestos, noting that language "would not be out of place in a mass shooter manifesto." This creates a "permissive environment" that could push others toward violence.

While militant accelerationists generally distrust the political process and remain wary of mainstream figures, they now operate in an environment where mainstream media figures endorse white supremacist conspiracy theories and political leaders embrace extremist parties abroad.

With this in mind, Green's story illuminates several critical points about the current extremist landscape:

• Sophisticated organization: These aren't lone wolves but networked actors who coordinate across state and international boundaries, sharing resources and intelligence
• Targeting infrastructure: The Moore County attack demonstrates extremists' recognition that targeting critical infrastructure can amplify their impact while creating widespread fear
• Weaponizing technology: Encrypted messaging platforms and social media enable rapid coordination while providing platforms for harassment and recruitment
• Normalizing violence: The sustained harassment campaign against Green represents a broader strategy to silence critics through intimidation, creating space for extremist activities to flourish unchallenged

This ain't grandpa's KKK.

The stakes for democracy

These networks understand that silencing journalists creates operational space for more serious crimes. By making reporting "dangerous," they hope to operate with impunity. And thus far, it seems to be working. This is a direct assault on democratic institutions. A free press is essential to holding extremist movements accountable.

Green's experience suggests we may be witnessing a preview of things to come.

Understanding this threat requires recognizing that teenage extremists don't spontaneously decide to vandalize synagogues or intimidate drag show attendees. Instead, the networks direct them in various ways.

As part of larger communities, they get ideological foundation, tactical guidance, and psychological reinforcement for escalating violence.

The rapid evolution of militant accelerationism, with new groups constantly emerging along a spectrum from nihilism to national socialism, demands urgent attention from law enforcement, policymakers, and civil society. As Green emphasizes, "It's urgent that we understand the threats to date, simply to have a workable baseline to assess what might unfold tomorrow."

Unfortunately, current investigations focus on petty retribution or imagined problems, not important issuesHis investigation, conducted at tremendous personal cost, provides that baseline. The question now is whether we'll heed the warning.

Despite facing sustained harassment and threats, Green continues his vital work documenting extremist movements and their threat to democratic society.Let us pay attention.

Non in cautus futuri.