Stewart Rhodes Relaunched the Oath Keepers. Even Old Oath Keepers Don’t Care

Stewart Rhodes announced past week that helium is relaunching the Oath Keepers, his anti-government militia which virtually disappeared aft dozens of its members—including Rhodes—were arrested for their roles successful the January 6 onslaught connected the Capitol.

Rhodes, speaking to the Gateway Pundit this week, says that helium sees the relaunched radical arsenic playing a relation successful combating what helium labeled an “insurrection by the left” connected the streets of US cities. “Right now, nether national statutes, president Trump tin telephone america up arsenic the militia if helium sees it necessary, particularly for 3 purposes: to repel invasions, to suppress insurrections, and to execute the laws of the union,” Rhodes said.

But successful the days since Rhodes announced their return, experts, erstwhile members, and online chatter suggest determination is small to nary involvement successful restarting what was, astatine 1 point, 1 of the largest militias successful America with a leaked database listing 38,000 expected members successful 2021. This hasn’t stopped Rhodes from asking imaginable caller members and supporters to nonstop wealth successful enactment of the cause.

But adjacent erstwhile Oath Keepers are uninterested. Janet Arroyo, who ran an Oath Keepers section successful Chino Valley, Arizona, with her hubby Jim Arroyo anterior to the January 6, 2021 onslaught connected the Capitol, says they person not heard from Rhodes successful six years and had nary plans to rejoin his group.

“He hasn't reached retired during his incarceration, nor since being released,” says Arroyo. “No hard feelings, but we are doing what we bash and don't walk a batch of clip wondering what he's up to. The dumb DC stunt has frightened a batch of large patriots into hiding. My conjecture is helium won't beryllium successful.”

Another erstwhile Oath Keeper, Jessica Watkins, an service seasoned who was sentenced to 8 and a fractional years successful situation for her relation successful the Capitol attack, says she hadn’t adjacent heard astir the relaunch erstwhile WIRED contacted her this week. “I person not heard of a relaunch, but astir J6ers I cognize are trying to rebuild their lives,” says Watkins, who added that adjacent if she wanted to rejoin, she would beryllium incapable to bash truthful arsenic she had her condemnation commuted alternatively than being pardoned. “Felons are not allowed to beryllium successful the Oath Keepers oregon enactment with them.”

Kelly Meggs, who headed up the Florida section of the Oath Keepers and was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his portion successful the onslaught connected the Capitol, says helium won’t beryllium joining the relaunched Oath Keepers, arsenic helium is acrophobic astir being targeted again erstwhile Democrats instrumentality to power. “I americium much disquieted astir the future,” says Meggs. “I deliberation 4 and 5 years from now, 8 years from now, 12 years from now, whenever it is, anyone that is simply a subordinate of these organizations stands astatine hazard of what I went through.”