Leader Decentralized Dissolved 2017 Political position Extremism | Founded 2016 Ideology Hard right | |
The Lion Guard (also known as the "Lions of Trump" or the "Lion's Guard Militia") was a paramilitary far-right wing political group that was formed in 2016 in order to provide self-imposed security (outside of private security and professional law enforcement) at the rallies of Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump. At its height, the group had a reported membership of just over five hundred, although it boasted several hundred more followers on Facebook and Twitter.
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Origins and organization
On March 15, 2016, the group was formed after launching an official website with a stated mission to “Provide safety and security to Trump supporters while willing to forcefully protect Donald Trump from people who threaten him."
The group had no clearly defined central leadership, and its website was operated through Domains by Proxy which allows the webmaster to remain anonymous. With no national leadership, the organization was instead based upon semi-autonomous local chapters. The Lion Guard website offered to "put in touch" Trump supporters in order to form Lion Guard chapters and also offered vague outlines as to manner of activities and updated members as to Trump rallies and other events. The group also published blog posts which were mainly anti-left wing and anti-Marxist.
Major activities
Arizona rally
The first major activity of the Lion Guard was to organize a "security patrol" at a Phoenix, Arizona rally for Donald Trump on March 19, 2016. The group claimed that the rally was in danger of being "sabotaged" and urged members to attend the rally and watch for "agitators". The group also claimed that it was "working in connection" with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, a claim which was later denied by county authorities.
New Hampshire rally
In June 2016, the Lion Guard posted several notices about a Trump rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, urging members to attend. In response to criticism that the group was urging conflict and promoting violence, the Lion Guard stated on its website, "We do not endorse instigating fights or brawling with anti-Trump marauders. The Lion Guard seeks to identify and expose plots to attack Mr. Trump, Trump Supporters, and their rallies before they even can happen."
Republican National Convention
The last known major action for the Lion Guard was its urging for members to report to the 2016 Republican National Convention, if possible with weapons due to Ohio's open carry laws and the "danger of insurrection".
Decline
As of summer 2016, the group had been condemned by most mainstream political activist groups as a paramilitary fringe organization and was frequently compared to the Sturmabteilung (SA) of the Nazi Party. Connections of the group to neo-fascism were also made by online media sources, in particular due to the name "Lion Guard" being a reference to a quote by Benito Mussolini which Donald Trump had once posted on Twitter.
As of August 2016, the group's Twitter account and website had become inactive.