Who is Thomas Bartram?

Thomas Graham Bartram is a Houston resident who recently appeared on the news for waving weapons around in El Paso after Trump’s visit in response to the mass shooting that took place last week. He was detained by police outside a Community Center and released without arrest or citation. He can be seen posing next to his truck which is covered in pro-Trump, InfoWars, and other far right wing bumper stickers. One can’t help but be reminded of Cesar Sayoc’s white van. While police execute black and brown people for holding any number of random objects when stopped, they continue to be able to detain white men with large rifles unharmed, even in the midst of mass shooting sprees. Not even a week after El Paso saw a young man gun down dozens of innocent people and post his racist Alt-Right manifesto, this other young white man very visibly associated with wingnut Alt-Right groups shows up with weapons, wearing rubber gloves, and is sent on his way with a wag of the finger at a related event. Unbeknownst to the public, this is not even the first time Bartram has been detained and released by police officers for flagrancy with weapons. Many believe his actions and politics mirror that of the beginnings of mass shooters and violent white supremacists, and that action should be taken before he injures or kills people, not after.

Bartram, 21, is part of the “InfoArmy,” the pathetic following of conspiracy-peddling white supremacist Alex Jones and his dollar store replica Owen Shroyer. Jones is currently embroiled in a legal battle over his part in urging his base to harass the families of the Sandy Hook victims, including his defense sending a cache of child porn to the families lawyers. Bartram frequents the InfoWars forums, openly posting about his organizing and propagandizing activities around Houston. His crew have done multiple “banner drops” with white supremacist slogans such as “Itz OK 2 B white” while brandishing guns, and have taped dozens of InfoWars fliers around the Houston area. After one banner drop where they were confronted by a concerned citizen, Bartram and crew were interviewed by Shroyer on InfoWars’ official channels. Just as 8chan was recently shut down for it’s part in radicalizing the El Paso shooter, a case could be made for InfoWars radicalizing and even officially endorsing violent extremism as well. While goofy, conspiracy-driven groups like InfoWars and more mild “Alt-Light” groups like the Proud Boys may seem like less of a problem than explicitly fascist and Neo-Nazi groups, they must still be understood as a very serious threat. Organizations like InfoWars may not openly advocate for genocide or ethno-states, but they certainly attract people who are interested in those things as well as dangerous wingnut conspiracy theorists who believe mass shootings are their last option.

Bartram, who goes by @texas_T online, doxxed himself, posting his name, date of birth, and phone number. His twitter is filled with deranged racism, homophobia, and nationalist rants.

On Bartram’s bitchute page, we discover videos of him having been detained by police in the past for brazenly waving guns around on public streets. Police detained him, joked with him, and then let him go. Not that cops will ever challenge white supremacist ideology, Bartram facing consequences may have prevented the citizens of El Paso from yet another danger to their safety. Bartram also posts videos showing off one of his guns, as well as the hundreds of dollars worth of InfoWars snake oil he consumes daily.

Daddy’s Money

Thomas was home schooled and his background fits the stereotype of a privileged white boy who was radicalized online by right wing conspiracies. His family is very wealthy and seemingly right wing, supporting his cosplay lifestyle. His father, Mark Albert Bartram, born February 6th, 1960, has worked at companies such as BP, IBM, and as the Vice President of Koch Industries. He is currently an “Executive Partner” with Gartner Executive Programs. The Trump-plastered truck Thomas drives around was bought by and registered to his father, who is clearly enabling his son’s participation in the Alt-Right scene.

Yesterday Thomas posted that he’ll be on his way to Portland, Oregon for an August 17th “End Antifa” Rally, we can guess who is paying for his travels. We hope any of our comrades who may encounter this person stay safe and are aware of his history.