Pro-Bernie Trolls on Why They Harassed Nevada’s Democratic Chair
Democrats have been in a froth this week in the aftermath of Saturday’s contentious, and at times violent, Nevada state convention. As Rolling Stone reported Tuesday, Bernie Sanders supporters, incensed by the party’s handling of the proceedings — and the fact that Sanders failed to hold on to two pledged delegates he unexpectedly gained at the Clark County convention — clashed with Clinton supporters, who in turn called for the Sanders supporters’ arrest.
Pissed off Sanders supporters, watching the events unfold online from around the country, began circulating the personal contact information for state party chair Roberta Lange. As a result, Lange became the target of a barrage of harassment, including death threats and threats of violence sent via voicemail and text message. On Monday, the party shared many of those messages — notably, and perhaps regrettably, without redacting some of the senders’ phone numbers.
Rolling Stone spoke to several of the men who sent Lange angry, menacing text messages to find out what was going through their heads as they pelted a stranger with epithets and threats, both veiled or explicit, to her and her family’s safety, and to find out if — as some diehard Sanders supporters have suggested — they were actually Clinton campaign operatives out to smear Bernie.
They were not. All of the men we spoke to were genuine Sanders supporters, most with well-documented histories online of feeling the Bern. (Although only their first names are used below and their phone numbers have been redacted, we verified all of their identities.)
None of them were present at the convention; none of them even live in Nevada. They watched from their homes in Texas, Georgia and Utah, and felt the brazen theft they witnessed validated their actions. All of the men we spoke to reject the idea that their words could be interpreted as threats or harassment. And all of them were concerned about the media contorting their words. So, in their words — edited only for length and clarity — here is what they had to say for themselves.
Austin
Hello?
I think you may have the wrong number.
No, I don’t think I do. Is this [redacted phone number]? I’m curious about these texts that you sent — why you sent them.
I can’t say for sure what we’re talking about right now.
They’re texts sent from your number: “Answer the phone bitch.” “You’re fired bitch.” Images of dead animals next to Roberta Lange’s photo.
I’m driving right now. I can’t really hear you.
Really? You’re coming in clear.
Hold on, hold on. Let me turn my volume up. All I have to say is that I have been getting phone calls and text messages and voicemails and tweets and even emails all day long that have been, if not worse, equivalent to anything that anybody may have said on Saturday.