In Trump’s 2nd Term, Reddit Takes Turn Toward Violent Extremism
In recent weeks, following teh Republican election victory, Reddit has experienced a notable increase in violent political content and extremist rhetoric. This shift has raised alarms, especially as users on the platform advocate for extreme actions, including the assassination of public figures and the overthrow of the government. The situation escalated to the point where the Department of Justice intervened, prompting Reddit to impose a temporary ban on a major subreddit known for such discussions.
The context of these tensions is tied to the upcoming “50501” protests, organized through the subreddit r/50501, which aims to rally against Donald Trump at state capitols across the country on February 5, 2025.While the founders intended for this to be a peaceful demonstration with a commitment to non-violence, the subreddit has recently seen a rise in calls for political violence and radical behavior, with users discussing bringing firearms to the protests.
Furthermore, some individuals on r/50501 have begun promoting doxxing—sharing personal details about elected officials and their families—and even expressing desires for violent actions against perceived enemies. As the discourse evolves, it remains uncertain what the real-world implications of these online interactions might potentially be, even tho instances of violent plots connected to Reddit users have already been documented, highlighting the platform’s potential impact on political violence.
Something has gone terribly wrong.
In the past several weeks following the Republicans’ election win, social media site Reddit has seen an unprecedented surge in violent political content and rhetoric. While calls for violence and doxxing are not in any way new to Reddit, the scale and intensity of its current discourse marks a troubling escalation, especially regarding political extremism.
Redditors are no longer merely engaging in spicy online political debates — they are openly advocating for the assassination of public figures and the overthrow of the federal government.
The situation on the site has grown so severe that it drew the attention of the Department of Justice, which appears to have pressured Reddit to take action. In response, Reddit issued a 3-day temporary ban to one of its largest subreddits — drastically underscoring the gravity of the situation on its platform.
This all comes at a pivotal moment: the eve of 50501, a nationwide protest coordinated via Reddit, set to unfold simultaneously at every state capitol across the country.
What are The 50501 Protests?
Five days after Trump’s inauguration, the subreddit r/50501 was created. Its users rallied together to promote a nationwide event — a protest against Donald Trump on February 5, 2025, set to be held at every capitol in the United States.
It’s important to note that the event organizers intended for 50501 to be a peaceful gathering. Several of its original posts call for nonviolent advocacy, and discouraged violent behavior. In fact, the first rule of the subreddit is a “Commitment to Non-Violence.”
In recent days, however, the discourse surrounding these protests has taken a sharp turn. We’re now seeing Redditors inside r/50501 advocating for political violence and undermining its own organizers, who want the protests to remain peaceful.
When the average Redditor views r/50501, they’ll be met with death threats, doxxing, and violent agitators. The scale of hatred and rule-breaking content indicates that the event’s original organizers have largely lost control of the radicals that have taken root in the community.
‘You have the second amendment, use it.‘
Several users on r/50501 have stated that they plan to bring firearms to their local protests.
This Redditor recommends bringing guns to incite fear and submission in their local police force.
One user suggests that they have “plenty [of firearms] to pass around … and plenty of ammo too.”
Another user cites the Second Amendment and using it to “help resist a tyrannical government.”
Foreign users who aren’t even attending the protests proclaim that the purpose of the Second Amendment is for these kinds of situations and urged attendees to bring their guns along.
‘We need their home addresses. The schools their kids attend.’
Some redditors have taken it a step further, calling for users to dox their representatives and threaten their families.
This Redditor asked for information about elected officials’ children on multiple occasions …
… and then referenced using the Second Amendment to “guarantee a better future.”
A r/50501 user directed fellow users to find the addresses of their Trump-supporting elected officials.
Another user began a thread by doxxing an “infiltrator” …
… which was laughed off by a moderator of r/5051.
‘Cave their skulls in’
Several r/50501 users are calling for the violent destruction of people, property, and organizations that they disagree with.
Overtly violent posts can easily be found on the subreddit.
The usual “internet tough guy” is bound to show up in environments like these.
One user thinks this event could “spark” a greater revolution.
This poster believes the government should be “afraid of [its] people.”
Other Redditors are even willing to die for the cause.
What’s to come?
Reddit’s political impact should not be underestimated. Last week, a Reddit user was arrested at the Capitol with Molotov cocktails. The user reportedly used the site to cement his plans to attack Trump’s appointees, shifting between Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson before ultimately choosing to target Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
This isn’t the first time this has happened either. Another user, Nicholas Roske, was arrested outside of Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home with a handgun, after using Reddit to plan his attack.
Despite the original intentions of r/50501, the subreddit has become infested with agitators. It’s still unknown if these posts will have any real-world consequences, but it is clear that countless individuals are attempting to fan the flames of revolution by exploiting a series of hastily organized protests.
The author runs the popular Twitter account @reddit_lies.
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