|
| “ | It’s gonna be a full civil war. That’s why I am going home to get my fuckin’ gun, I’m gonna shoot some fuckin’ retards. | „ |
| ~ Gionet in a social media post days before the Capitol riot. |
Anthime Joseph "Tim" Gionet (born November 16, 1987), more commonly known as Baked Alaska, is an American Alt-Right media personality. Gionet gained attention through his advocacy on behalf of alt-right and white supremacist ideology, and through his promotion of antisemitic conspiracy theories such as the Great Replacement and Jewish control of the media. He has also used the alias Tim Treadstone.
Biography edit
Prior to his 2016 transformation into an alt-right personality, Gionet was initially a rapper and Internet prankster. He later worked as a commentator for BuzzFeed, where he supported libertarian and progressive political positions and marched in support of Black Lives Matter. In 2016, Gionet turned to the politics of Donald Trump and the alt-right in what he described as a rejection of "political correctness". By 2017, Gionet's political views had radicalized; that year, he began to use his social media platform and Internet activism to promote racist ideology and antisemitic conspiracy theories. He also played a prominent role in the 2017 white supremacist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
On social media, Gionet has frequently promoted the Fourteen Words, a white supremacist slogan. He has also hosted an online talk show in which he interviewed far right personalities such as neo-Nazi Richard Spencer. He was permanently banned from Twitter after posting a photoshopped image of Laura Loomer, a Jewish far-right activist, inside a gas chamber.
At the beginning of 2019, Gionet claimed to have abandoned the alt-right and released videos in which he denounced the alt-right and meme culture as sources of terrorism and violence. As part of an attempt to rebrand himself, he gave a series of interviews condemning the alt-right and expressed plans to establish a non-profit organization in order to teach anti-racism to white supremacists. However, in November of the same year, Gionet reverted to his earlier politics, professing far-right ideology and collaborating with the white nationalist Groyper movement. He then began to earn notoriety for his livestreams, in which he would antagonize or harass bystanders, resulting in an assault charge in December 2020.
Originally known as an Extremely Online personality, Baked Alaska was gradually banned from most mainstream social media platforms. In January 2021, Gionet livestreamed the attack on the U.S. Capitol building by a pro-Trump mob, which was found to be a violation of his release. It was later reported that Gionet's footage was used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to identify suspects. Gionet was arrested by the FBI later that month in connection to his activities at the Capitol. As of November 2021, Gionet remained out of custody and had continued livestreaming while facing federal charges.