Trump Associate and White Supremacist Influencer Nick Fuentes Faces Charges of Assault
Charlie Johnson—a notorious white supremacist, antisemite, and self-proclaimed incel who gained notoriety by mobilizing the extreme right around Donald Trump—has been accused of assault for reportedly spraying mace at a 57-year-old woman and shoving her down the stairs of his house in the suburbs of Chicago, as per papers obtained by The Smoking Gun.
The accusation stemmed from an incident that took place on November 10, when a local resident of Johnson’s town paid a visit to his residence. Marla Wilson, a 57-year-old resident of Berwyn, Illinois, discovered Johnson's address following his address being published online—the repercussion of widespread animosity towards the bigot after he posted “Your body, my choice. Forever” on Twitter following Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 Presidential election.
Wilson informed Vice that she only intended to check out the address and observe if he had been subjected to any protests or received any deliveries of diapers or menstrual products, as people online had threatened to do. Upon arrival, another person who appeared to be interested in Johnson’s house encouraged Wilson to press the doorbell and engage with him.
Wilson declared her intention to ask Johnson, “Why do you feel comfortable saying the things you say?”, but he opened the door and swiftly sprayed her with pepper spray before she could confront him. Johnson then allegedly pushed her down the three concrete steps that led to his door. “It was evident he's quite frightened, likely incredibly paranoid,” she told Vice. “I’m just 5 feet 1. He’s not a large man himself, but I’m 57, he’s 26.”
Wilson was filming the incident with her phone at the time, and Johnson can be seen in the footage snatching her phone off the ground, taking it into his home, and stomping on it.
Police arrived and procured statements from both parties.
Based on documents obtained by The Smoking Gun, Johnson told police that he had “posted a political joke online and for the past three days has been receiving online death threats and individuals showing up at his house unexpectedly,” and claimed that he was “concerned for his safety.” He reportedly became uncooperative when asked inquiries about the dispute with Wilson.
Following the incident, which gained widespread attention, Wilson informed police she had received a suspicious sealed envelope in the mail that she was uneasy about opening. When police opened the envelope, they found documents related to Donald Trump, Charlie Johnson, and “other memes.” She also posted on Facebook that she and her husband were subjected to a swatting attempt at their house, a harassment tactic that aims to induce police to respond to a false situation at a given location.
Johnson is scheduled to appear in court for the assault charge on December 19.
In light of the controversy, many are questioning if future technological advancements should include measures to safeguard users from online harassment and real-world threats. Furthermore, the incident has sparked conversations about the role of social media in promoting hate speech and its impact on individuals and society.
