Rumble host and X influencer Stew Peters calls for shooting Catholic Charities workers
Peters also called for the murder of doctors who provide gender-affirming care
Written by Eric Hananoki
Published
Updated
Update (10/31/23): A spokesperson for Catholic Charities USA responded to Peters’ dangerous rhetoric, stating (via Newsweek and Raw Story):
“These comments are deeply disturbing and could endanger Catholic Charities staff members and volunteers, who on a daily basis selflessly serve people in need in every corner of this country. … Sadly, these reprehensible threats against our agencies are an extension of a disturbing trend from a small but vocal group of critics who misrepresent and malign the basic humanitarian care — a warm meal, fresh clothing, a bed to sleep in for a night — that some Catholic Charities agencies provide to migrants after they have been released into the country by federal authorities. As our nation continues to mourn in the wake of yet another mass shooting, we pray for all victims of gun violence and for an end to dangerous, hateful rhetoric.”
Rumble host and X influencer Stew Peters called for the murder of Catholic Charities workers, stating that the best option to stop undocumented immigration is “shooting everyone involved” with the nonprofit. X has been monetizing Peters' account and placed an ad for the Philadelphia Eagles on Peters' post featuring video of him calling for violence.
Peters, who has also hosted numerous Republican officials, additionally called for the murder of doctors who provide gender-affirming care.
Peters is a white nationalist and antisemite who calls for the murders of his perceived enemies. He streams on Rumble, where he has more than 500,000 followers. Peters last month posted a segment calling for the execution of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. He recently praised Rumble after The Guardian reported that the Republican National Committee-backed platform allows him to post extremism, writing: “Rumble held the line and did NOT cave, staying true to their commitment to FREE SPEECH.”
He also has a verified account on X (formerly Twitter) with more than 448,000 followers and uses that account to endorse the killings of politicians and LGBTQ advocates.
Despite Peters’ background, numerous Republican politicians have appeared on his show, including U.S. Reps. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Bob Good (R-VA), Pete Sessions (R-TX), and Andy Biggs (R-AZ); Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers; and U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake. Robert F. Kennedy Jr also appeared on his show before he ran for president. Peters spoke at the ReAwaken America tour in Las Vegas this summer along with Donald Trump Jr., Lara Trump, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Michael Flynn, among others.
On October 28, Peters attacked Catholic Charities USA while speaking at “Stew Peters’ Fall Fest,” which was sponsored by Goldco and others. He posted a stream of the speech on Rumble and X. (Update 11/1/23: Rumble appears to have removed the Peters video and it has claimed to OSV News that the platform “has strict moderation policies banning the incitement of violence,” among other content.)
The nonprofit, which Republicans have recently targeted for helping undocumented immigrants and are attempting to defund, states on its website that its “approach to migration is rooted in the Gospel and Catholic social teaching. … In addition to providing essential services to immigrants and refugees to the U.S., we also advocate for policies that protect family unity and allow newcomers to contribute to and more fully participate in their new communities.”
Peters took the opposition effort even further during his speech by directly calling for people to murder employees of the group.
After claiming that Catholic Charities helps “coach illegals on how to get admitted here,” he said: “We need troops on the border that will shoot people that are trying to invade our country. That'd be a good first step. But you know what a better second step would be? Shooting everyone involved with these fake charities.”
Citation From an October 28, 2023, speech by Stew Peters
STEW PETERS: These people cross into Mexico and coach illegals on how to get admitted here. They pay for their bus tickets to the cities that you and I live in. They get dumped into apartments, all expenses paid. They get taught how to sign up for every single welfare program that our country has to offer. And then they get cuts of taxpayer money, our dollars, for a service. These are these, you know, not-for-profit charities. Catholic Charities is a very good example.
A lot of people say that we need troops on the border who will shoot the people trying to sneak across. I agree. They're invading our country. The military's sole function is to protect its country from a physical invasion and to protect you and I and the people that I love and the people that you love from any harm that might come as a result of her invasion. The only place our military is absent is in that job. No. We need troops on the border that will shoot people that are trying to invade our country.
That'd be a good first step. But you know what a better second step would be? Shooting everyone involved with these fake charities.
Peters later implored his audience to buy a gun and learn how to shoot, warning them: “If they come for your guns, you better be ready to die in a pile of spent shell casings.”
Shortly after talking about buying guns and learning how to use them, Peters also turned his attention to public schools, stating: “I don’t think that we should just bail and go homeschool. No, we freaking fund these public schools. We go there and we fight them and we root them out and we restore our schools to teach what they're supposed to. Hundreds of thousands of kids are attending Christian schools — not fake ones like the ones that we have Pride flags in. Can you believe that?”
He then talked about killing doctors who provide gender-affirming care, stating:
STEW PETERS: We're really lucky because the Bible itself already tells us what the punishment should be. From the gospel of Matthew, quote: “But who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me. It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” That sounds like a great idea. Isn't it?
After Peters’ speech, executive producer and former Republican Senate nominee in Delaware Lauren Witzke said: “It's not a Stew Peters rally unless we're calling for executions. Am I right, folks?”
Peters’ call for the executions of Catholic Charities workers and doctors was also streamed on his X account, which is monetized. We found ads for the Philadelphia Eagles and Motley Fool Stock Advisor, among other companies, on his post. Here's how that Eagles ad appeared:
X has also posted ads for brands on Peters’ other calls for murder.