Proud Boys Member Threatens Armed Revolt Outside Giuliani Meeting: 'Not Going to Stand Back and Stand By Anymore'

A member of the Proud Boys threatened an armed revolt during a "Stop the Steal" rally in Phoenix, Arizona on Monday as President Donald Trump continues to push unverified claims of widespread voter fraud in an attempt to reverse his election defeat.

Pro-Trump protests have broken out in numerous states, with demonstrators demanding a recount of votes following President-elect Joe Biden's win. Since the group's founding in 2016, several Proud Boys members have been convicted of violent crimes in their efforts to fight the left and support Trump's conservative agenda. During the first presidential debate in Ohio, the president told the group to "stand back and stand by" when asked by the moderator to condemn white supremacists and militia groups.

The Proud Boys, who viewed Trump's comment as support, celebrated on social media afterward as the president faced intense backlash, with critics accusing him of rhetoric that encourages violence. As Trump's chances of overturning the election continues to diminish, one member on Monday urged the group to "fight back" against the rigged election and Democratic COVID restrictions.

Speaking at the rally in Phoenix, Arizona—taking place outside of where Rudy Giuliani was meeting with GOP lawmakers to cast doubt on Trump's loss in the state—one member told the crowd, "It is the moment that we've got to fight back."

"At the moment, we're free. But the moment they start trying to take our Constitution is the moment the Second Amendment kicks in," he said. "It's the moment where we've got to start telling them, we're not taking it anymore.

"We're not going to 'stand back and stand by' anymore. We're standing up and going after you if you come after us," the man added.

Biden has secured 306 Electoral College votes, but Trump, with 232 Electoral College votes, has refused to concede. Since Election Day, his campaign has repeatedly insisted without evidence that widespread voter fraud caused Trump's loss, filing nearly three dozen lawsuits in swing states seeking to overturn the election results. But the suits have been routinely tossed out of court and a growing number of Republicans have urged him to concede.

The Proud Boys was founded by Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes in 2016. The FBI listed the far-right group as an "extremist group" with ties to white nationalism" two years later. The Southern Poverty Law Center has also labeled them a hate group "known for anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric."

After the death of George Floyd in police custody, the Proud Boys hosted several rallies in Portland, Oregon condemning the Black Lives Matter movement.

Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.