Rumble and X (formerly Twitter) have been hosting calls from far-right extremist Stew Peters to kill countless people in the United States. Those exhortations include him saying that we should be “shooting everyone involved” with Catholic Charities; demanding that migrants at the border be shot; telling his audience that “guns are going to have to be used to save our country” against the government; stating that COVID-19 vaccine advocates need “to be put down like Old Yeller” and “only death will stop them”; and saying that former senior public health official Anthony Fauci and Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas must “hang” for their supposed crimes.
Rumble claims in its terms and conditions that “you may not post or transmit any message which is abusive, inciting violence, harassing, harmful, hateful, anti-semitic, racist or threatening.” The platform also claims that it “has a zero tolerance for any violation of Content Policies and/or Conduct outlined in these Terms … If a user is found in violation, the account may be suspended and/or terminated. The determination of suspension or termination is at the sole discretion of Rumble.”
Despite its “zero tolerance” claim, Media Matters found 13 videos currently on Rumble in which Peters calls for violence or murder since the beginning of 2023. That “zero tolerance” language is also relevant because Rumble apparently removed video of Peters calling for murdering charity workers, but did not suspend his account.
Similarly, X claims in its rules that “you may not threaten, incite, glorify, or express desire for violence or harm.” But Media Matters found 6 videos hosted by X of Peters calling for violence or murder. Media Matters previously documented that X hosts posts by Peters, who is verified on the platform, endorsing the killing of LGBTQ advocates; political figures; media figures; and singer Sam Smith. (Those pro-violence posts are still on X.)
Rumble’s role in helping promote calls for violence and murder is notable since the platform has partnered with the Republican National Committee to stream its debates, including on November 8 in Miami. The company has a history of platforming conspiracy theorists, bigotry, antisemitism, and violent rhetoric.
Peters is a white nationalist and antisemitic conspiracy theorist. As of posting, he has more than 540,000 followers on Rumble and 450,000 on X. He gained fame within far-right circles for his work promoting COVID-19 misinformation, including false claims about people having “died suddenly” because of the vaccine.
This year, he has heavily moved into explicit calls for violence. In speeches and on his show, which is streamed on Rumble and X, he says that executions are the only adequate solution for fixing the allegedly sorry state of the country. Peters has dubbed this “extreme accountability.”
In some instances, Peters has stated outright that people should be shot or killed. In other instances, he attempts to couch his language by claiming there would be some sort of trial which would result in hangings and “fry[ing].” (He once claimed: “We don't support vigilantism or mob violence. … We absolutely believe in trials and evidence and due process.”)
But his version of the judicial system is one put on by “ourselves” -- in other words, Stew Peters show trials. As he explained it, he doesn’t trust the U.S. judicial system because it “has been completely infiltrated and overtaken and hijacked.” And, as he stated on October 31, when it comes to administering “extreme accountability,” if the government doesn’t do it, “then we have to do it ourselves.” (In other words, vigilantism.)
Peters’ track record suggests that he will continue to post threatening material on both Rumble and X unless Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski and X leaders Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino suspend his accounts. After he was criticized for calling for the murder of Catholic Charities workers -- rhetoric that reportedly incited threats -- Peters repeatedly doubled down and told the organization to “quit playing the victim.”
The following are nine examples from this year when Rumble and X have streamed Peters calling for violence or killings.
Peters on migrants: “Why isn’t our military down here shooting these people?”
On October 31, Peters said of undocumented migrants: “When you have a military, it’s your military’s sole job to protect the borders of your country. And if somebody threatens to physically invade your country, you shoot them. Why isn’t our military down here shooting these people?”
Peters called for executing Fauci and “doctors, leaders, presidents” who “concocted, produced, sold or mandated these killer shots.”
On his October 31 show, at the start of a segment about people who have allegedly been injured by the COVID-19 vaccine, Peters said: “Amnesty is not in the conversation. We will keep giving them a platform until there is extreme accountability for the people who concocted, produced, sold or mandated these killer shots. Even those who endorsed them or suggested that you get them. Doctors, leaders, presidents. We will keep giving people a platform until Tony Fauci and the rest have been given the death penalty after conviction that they so richly deserve.”
Peters said doctors who provide gender-affirming care should “fry” and be “hanged.”
About five minutes into a segment on his March 15 show, Peters said that “people like Tony Fauci absolutely deserve the death penalty” and said of doctors who do gender-affirming care: