Exclusive documents revealing the growth of the Patriot Front
Leaked documents obtained by USA TODAY reveal the growth and inner workings of Patriot Front, one of the largest white supremacist groups in the United States
On July 4, people wearing symbols of the white supremacist group Patriot Front gathered in parts of the capital for a parade.
The group was spotted at Union Station and Eastern Market Metro Station in Washington, D.C., on Independence Day. Eastern Market Station is one of the closest stations to the Capitol.
Videos posted on social media showed people marching wearing their signature blue shirts, chinos and white face coverings. Some wore hats with the Patriot Front logo on them. The group marched to the beat of drums outside Union Station, the city’s main train station, and held flags that included an upside-down American flag and a Confederate flag, in a video shared on social media by WTOP reporter Mitchell Miller.
A photo from Reuters shows a group riding the subway in Washington, D.C., on the morning of July 4. The newspaper reported that the Patriot Front also posted on social media that they had arrived in Washington.
The Washington Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement to USA TODAY that it followed up on “First Amendment activity that occurred this morning in the Eastern Market District.” “MPD recognizes the right of individuals to peacefully express their views and remains committed to maintaining the public safety and security of Washington, D.C.’s residents and visitors.”
The organization previously marched on Washington during the March for Life on January 23, 2026. The March for Life is an annual anti-abortion demonstration that coincides with the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which was overturned in 2022.
What is Patriot Front?
The Patriot Front is a secret organization founded by Thomas Rousseau in 2017 after the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12, 2017.
At the rally, avowed white supremacist James Fields Jr. rammed a car into his car, killing counter-protester Heather Heyer and injuring several others. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release on hate crime charges.
According to George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, Rousseau and other former members of the neo-Nazi group Vanguard America formed the Patriot Front after the rally “due to irreconcilable differences between factions of Vanguard America regarding its message and future activities.”
Since then, Rousseau has promoted himself and the Patriot Front as “defenders of white America, regularly appears on far-right podcasts, and participated in anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ+ public demonstrations across the country,” the program said.
The Patriot Front portrays itself as simply patriotic and fighting for “traditional” American values. But internal documents obtained by USA TODAY earlier this year suggest the organization is “working to secure a future for white children,” read one letter written by an applicant to the organization.
Patriot Front, already one of the nation’s largest white supremacist groups, has expanded, adding hundreds of members, mostly young people, in 49 states over the past two years, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Contributor: Will Carless, USA TODAY
Mike Snyder is a national trends news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, and X, and email him at: mike snyder & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com.
