Kentucky Politician Claimed Jewish People ‘Promote White Genocide’ in 2017 Private Chat

Roberts' political activism appears to have begun in libertarian circles. From 2016-18, Roberts was a contributor to the Liberty Hangout, a far-right libertarian outlet. Roberts also was involved with a group that invited white nationalist Richard Spencer to a libertarian conference in 2017. 

In 2020, Roberts was part of a lawsuit against Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear for COVID-19 restrictions. A court ordered Beshear to pay over $270,000 for the plaintiffs’ legal fees in April 2023. 

Roberts declined to comment. 

Roberts is now a candidate for Kentucky’s House of Representatives in District 66. Such prominent politicians as Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie and former Texas Rep. Ron Paul have endorsed him. Paul is a longtime icon of right-wing and far-right libertarians. In his endorsement, Massie lauded Roberts for suing Beshear. Hatewatch shared a screenshot of the conversation with Massie. Massie responded by saying this was a "hit piece" and that he "will double [his] support for TJ."  

'One of the good ones'

In 2017, a user, who asked for anonymity due to their continued involvement in libertarian activism, posted something in the Liberty Hangout Facebook group. The user told Hatewatch that Roberts was a moderator and removed the post. 

Shortly thereafter, Roberts sent the user a message: “I’m actually 25% (((them))) and am trying to not get the Zuck again,” according to a screenshot of the conversation the user shared with Hatewatch.

"The Zuck” is a reference social media companies removing offensive content, such as racist or antisemitic posts, and banning groups or users who posted the material. The term refers to Facebook/Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg. Putting words or names inside three parentheses is an antisemitic way of showing that someone is Jewish. 

The user responded: “I did not know that. Are you on (((their))) side?”

“No,” Roberts replied. “I’m a religious Christian and quite frankly I’m sick of them promoting white genocide.”

Roberts has continued to speak about his faith on his website and social media. 

The user replied: “Not sure I’ve ever seen a Jew acknowledge white genocide. You’re one of the good ones.”

“White genocide” is the unfounded antisemitic conspiracy theory that shadowy figures – often Jewish people – use immigration to dilute the population of majority-white countries. The conspiracy theory, also called the “great replacement,” has become a mainstream political talking point. 

Spencer invitation

Roberts was part of the Hoppe Caucus, named for libertarian academic Hans-Herman Hoppe, in 2017. Hoppe is a far-right libertarian. 

Hoppe wrote the foreword to white nationalist Christopher Chase Rachels’ 2018 book White, Right and Libertarian. The now-defunct Radical Capitalist, Rachels’ site, published the book. There was a controversy after Rachels presented the book’s cover mockup to a private Facebook group. The mockup featured helicopters and nooses that reminded viewers of Chilean far-right dictator Augusto Pinochet’s “death flights” that killed political dissidents and racist lynchings in the United States. Hoppe then asked for his foreword to be removed. Still, Hoppe favorably cited Radical Capitalist after the controversy. 

One of the first articles Radical Capitalist published on its website was a racist pseudoscience screed about IQ levels between white and Black people. 

Radical Capitalist also republished one of Roberts’ Liberty Hangout articles about a libertarian student group firing a Hoppe supporter for their far-right libertarian views. 

Roberts was also an editor for The Revolutionary Conservative, white nationalist libertarian Augustus Invictus’ dead website. The website described Roberts as having “started his writing and activism with an endorsement piece for Augustus Invictus’s Senate run through Liberty Hangout,” to which The Revolutionary Conservative linked as a “confederate” site. 

The Hoppe Caucus invited Richard Spencer, the former head of the defunct white nationalist National Policy Institute, to speak at the 2017 International Students for Liberty Conference. They claimed Spencer’s invitation was meant to foster “an important dialogue” and noted that “Hoppe invited him to his own Property and Freedom Society Conference several years ago for that very reason.”

The Hoppe Caucus sat Spencer at a bar In the hotel that hosted the event, saying that was his appearance, according to articles and a video from the time. The video of Spencer at the event shows Roberts shaking Spencer’s hand before sitting down at a table with Spencer and others. 

Organizers eventually kicked Spencer out, according to articles and social media from the time. 

Roberts’ social media at the time was not pro-fascism. Right-wing and far-right libertarians view totalitarian governments as a repulsive outcome. 

However, Roberts’ social media posts did portray fascism as a left-wing ideology. This is an untrue characterization – fascism is a right-wing ideology – that many on the right make. 

Despite far-right libertarians’ distaste for totalitarian governments, they can still hold white nationalist values. Hoppe has argued to maintain a white-male-dominated “natural order,” according to critics of his work. Hoppe has also called immigration to Europe “forced integration.”

Hoppe founded the Property and Freedom Society, which has repeatedly invited white nationalists to speak. Hatewatch reported in 2016 that the group’s “inaugural meeting featured Paul Gottfried, the American white nationalist who founded the H.L. Mencken Club” and “Tom Sunic, another white nationalist and an ex-Croatian diplomat who spends his time speaking at racist gatherings on both sides of the Atlantic.” 

White nationalist Jared Taylor has also spoken at the Property and Freedom Society, the report noted. 

Photo illustration by SPLC