The overwhelming support shown to James O’Keefe after his ouster from Project Veritas shows that, for many, the group’s long history of scams and theatrics is irrelevant when compared to O’Keefe’s celebrity. 

News of O’Keefe’s dismissal from Project Veritas, an organization he co-founded and was the public face of since 2010, came after the board of directors placed him on administrative leave as they weighed internal complaints over O’Keefe’s conduct. Similarly, O’Keefe’s tenure as the head of the outfit had received increasing scrutiny as legal woes mounted over a civil suit and the organization’s acquisition of Ashey Biden’s stolen diary. O’Keefe had even caught the eye of the IRS over “excess benefits” that had been provided to support his starring performance in a production of the musical “Oklahoma!”  

Outside of Project Veritas’ notorious sting videos, O’Keefe helped mold the organization's brand through a number of music videos, comedy sketches, and extravagant conference appearances. 

The theatrical and attention-grabbing format O’Keefe championed for the organization often assisted in amplifying Project Veritas’ campaigns to push misinformation about COVID-19, attack educators over LGBTQ-inclusive schooling, cater to QAnon adherents, and assist in undermining confidence in the 2020 presidential election, along with countless other blunders and harmful crusades.

Now that O’Keefe’s tumultuous run as Project Veritas ringleader has come to an end, right-wing media figures and influencers are rushing to defend him and his methods, with many encouraging their followers to abandon the rest of Project Veritas. Here is some of what is being said of O’Keefe: 

Supporting James O’Keefe

• Former Trump aide and January 6 coup plotter Steve Bannon heralded O’Keefe as a “patriot and a hero” on his podcast after declaring “war” against anyone “that had anything to do with O'Keefe being terminated.” 
• Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk dismissed the claims of professional abuse and financial mismanagement, saying, “So what?” after declaring, “There is no Project Veritas without James O'Keefe, period.”
• Fox News and conservative radio host Mark Levin said he feels “very badly for him” and that O’Keefe is “extremely professional” and “a great patriot.”
• Former Blaze podcaster Elijah Schaffer claimed that due to O’Keefe’s ousting, “a 1/4 million people now hate [Project Veritas],” adding, “I support James full send.”
• Logan Cook, known on Twitter as Carpe Donktum, tweeted: “I stand with @JamesOKeefeIII, watch @Project_Veritas lose 2k followers in 5 minutes... they are now down more than 20k since I made this.”
• Right-wing account Kim Dotcom tweeted that he requested a refund of his donation to Project Veritas, adding, “I believe James will build a new and robust organization that the evildoers of this world will fear even more.”
• Human Events editor Ben Kew tweeted in support of O’Keefe, writing: “I really don't think anyone could have predicted such a fervent backlash, not least O'Keefe himself. The man is a rock star!”
• Anti-vaccine leader Dr. Simone Gold tweeted “What the Project Veritas Board is doing to @JamesOKeefeIII is shameful.” She added, “This sabotage only harms the American people. So send a message—unfollow PV. #StandWithJamesOKeefe.”
• Failed GOP congressional candidate, anti-Muslim extremist, and former Project Veritas employee Laura Loomer tweeted: “I stand with James O’Keefe! And I always will. Shame on all of the frauds, grifters, and backstabbing miscreants who are throwing @jamesokeefeiii under the bus for likes, clicks, fame & fortune. Project Veritas will fail without James O’Keefe! James, you are a hero. I love you!”
• Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones praised O’Keefe, calling him “incredible” and “fearless” and saying, “I’m pissed.” Jones also belted: “We thank God for James O’Keefe. James O’Keefe, here’s to you, my friend. You’re amazing, you didn’t back down, you didn’t compromise. You are the maverick.”   
• On The Charlie Kirk Show, Kash Patel, a former Trump administration official, said, “James has led the effort at Project Veritas to expose so much corruption. Not just from Congress, not just from the executive branch, but in their partnerships with Big Tech, you know, just to name one in recent examples.”
• Right-wing YouTuber Tim Pool said: “James O'Keefe is the founder and CEO of Project Veritas. He's done tremendous work. The idea that Veritas can exist without him is laughable. … Apparently on Twitter they've already lost around 140,000 followers — people are just ditching, saying no way. Several major media figures have come out saying, ‘I'm not going to support Project Veritas.’”

Attacking the board of directors and claiming to abandon support for Project Veritas

• Human Events senior editor Jack Posobiec claimed, “Project Veritas 2.0 brazenly lied about what happened to James and now don’t seem to care they lied to everyone.” 
• Popular right-wing Twitter account Catturd said: “I’m unfollowing Project Veritas and don’t care about them at all anymore. Screw them.” He later added, “Project Veritas is dead to me.”
• Misogynist and conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich derided the board as a “clown show,” adding that removing O’Keefe was a “complete set up.”
• Newsmax host Benny Johnson complained about the board fired O’Keefe “because he took Ubers and threw promotional parties? That’s called running an organization. What a bunch of incompetent suicidal jackasses. I’m getting so sick of this.” 
• Daily Wire host Candace Owens mocked the Project Veritas board’s decision, writing: “I am a donor, and I do not care that James O’Keefe takes black cars. This is all just so laughable. #ProjectVeritas is done.” 
• Far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopolous declared: “Project Veritas must now be assumed an enemy organization.”
• Right-wing radio host Dan Bongino’s show, Bongino Report, posted on Truth Social, “There is no Project Veritas without James O'Keefe.”
• Conspiracy theorist Mark Dice commented on O’Keefe’s ousting: “This is going to get ugly. They have a board of directors because they operate as a non-profit organization, FYI. It will be interesting to see if the board gives themselves a raise now that he's out of the way. RIP Project Veritas.”