By Tara Kavaler | Arizona Republic
Rep. Paul Gosar has found a new home on social media where he can continue to push the boundaries of acceptable political discussion.
Established in 2016, Gab is a social networking site that attracts the ultra-right-wing. It serves as an alternative location for people to share unvarnished views, including hate speech, that likely would be removed for violating more mainstream platforms’ terms of service agreements. Gab can act as a new online forum for those who have been barred from participating in the more commonly-used online sites.
The fringe social media network rose to prominence in 2018, after becoming known as the site du jour of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooter in Pittsburgh.
In a Jan. 24 Gab post, Gosar defended extremist Nick Fuentes, whom the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as a white nationalist:
“The phony January 6th Committee’s partisan witch-hunt continues as they have now set their sights on young conservative Christians like Nick Fuentes. This is pure political persecution and it has to stop. @realnickjfuentes”
Fuentes, who the Anti-Defamation League also calls a white supremacist leader and organizer, responded on Gab: “Thank you Congressman!”
Gosar did not respond to The Arizona Republic’s request for comment.
