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{{Short description|American political activist (born 1982)}} | |||
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}} | |||
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}} | |||
{{Infobox person | |||
{{Infobox officeholder | |||
|name=Adam Kokesh | |||
| name = Adam Kokesh | |||
|image=Kokesh2013.jpg | |||
| education = ],<br />] | |||
|image_size=250px | |||
| image = Kokesh2013 (cropped2).jpg | |||
|alt= | |||
|caption= |
| caption = Kokesh in 2013 | ||
|birth_name=Adam Charles Kokesh | | birth_name = Adam Charles Kokesh | ||
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1982|2|1}} | | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|2|1}} | ||
|birth_place=], |
| birth_place = <span style="white-space:nowrap">], California, U.S.</span> | ||
| occupation = Activist, author, independent journalist | |||
|home_town=], US | |||
| signature = Adam Kokesh signature.gif | |||
|nationality=American | |||
| residence = ], U.S. | |||
|occupation= | |||
|party=] ( |
| party = ] (2013–present) | ||
| otherparty = ] (before 2013) | |||
|movement=], ] | |||
| spouse = | |||
|religion=None | |||
| partner = | |||
|spouse= | |||
| website = | |||
|website={{Official website|http://www.adamvstheman.com/}} | |||
| allegiance = {{flag|United States}} | |||
|module={{Infobox military person|embed=yes | |||
|branch= |
| branch = {{flag|United States Marine Corps}} | ||
|serviceyears= 1999–2007 | | serviceyears = 1999–2007 | ||
|rank=] | | rank = ] ] | ||
|commands= | | commands = | ||
|unit=]<ref name="AlbJournal">{{cite news|url=http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/05213235784newsstate09-05-10.htm|title=Iraq War Stories: Adam Kokesh|newspaper=]|date=September 5, 2010}}</ref> | | unit = ]<ref name="AlbJournal">{{cite news|url=http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/05213235784newsstate09-05-10.htm|title=Iraq War Stories: Adam Kokesh|newspaper=]|date=September 5, 2010|access-date=May 31, 2011|archive-date=October 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022195151/https://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/05213235784newsstate09-05-10.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
|battles=] | | battles = ] | ||
|awards= | | awards = | ||
|laterwork= | | laterwork = | ||
}} | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''Adam Charles Kokesh''' ({{IPAc-en|'|k|oʊ|k|ɛ|ʃ}}; born February 1, 1982) is an American ] political activist, radio host, and author. He was a candidate in the U.S. ], running on the ] platform of an "orderly dissolution of the ]."<ref name="AlbJournal" /><ref name="media">{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Timothy|title=Adam Kokesh Calls Off Armed March On D.C. In Favor Of 50 State March For "Orderly Dissolution Of The Federal Government"|url=http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/05/29/adam-kokesh-calls-off-armed-march-on-dc-in-favo/194259|access-date=October 27, 2013|newspaper=Media Matters|date=May 29, 2013}}</ref> | |||
'''Adam Charles Kokesh''' (born February 1, 1982) is an American ] ] activist.<ref name=AlbJournal/> Kokesh has called for a "new American revolution" to disband the ].<ref name="Huffington">{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/30/adam-kokesh-revolutionary-army_n_3358963.html|title=Adam Kokesh, Pro-Gun Activist, Calls For 'Revolutionary Army' To Demand Nationwide Secession|publisher=Huffington Post|date=May 30, 2013|accessdate=July 10, 2013}}</ref> Kokesh was a corporal in the ] and is a veteran of the ]. Starting in 2007, he became a member and leading proponent of ]. | |||
Kokesh is a former ] corporal, serving in the ] in 2004. Upon his return from Iraq, he became an ] activist and an advocate for ]. He emerged as a radio talk show host in 2011 when his TV, radio, and web access show ''Adam vs. The Man'' was licensed by ]; this show was cancelled months later due to an ] complaint.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ron Paul booster's show cancelled after FEC complaint|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/0811/Ron_Paul_boosters_show_cancelled_after_FEC_complaint.html|website=]}}</ref> | |||
==Personal background== | |||
Kokesh was born on February 1, 1982, in ], ].<ref name="radar">{{cite news|url=http://radaronline.com/features/2007/06/adam_kokesh_iraq_veterans_against_the_war_cindy_sheehan_1.php|date=June 28, 2007|title=Meet Iraq Veteran Adam Kokesh, the New Mouthpiece of the Anti-War Movement|archiveurl=http://www.holidaydmitri.com/kokesh.html|archivedate=2007|deadurl=yes}}</ref> He is the son of Charles Kokesh, a Santa Fe businessman and former owner of the defunct Santa Fe Horse Park.<ref>{{cite news|author=Sharpe Tom|title=Bank lone bidder for Kokesh's horse park|url=http://www.sfnewmexican.com/Local%20News/Bank-lone-bidder-for-Kokesh-s-horse-park#.UZA7Z7Xvh8E|accessdate=13 May 2013|newspaper=Santa Fe New Mexican|date=Feb. 4, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Iraq veteran marches in Germany protest |author=Bob Quick |newspaper=] |date=May 23, 2007 |page=C.1}}</ref> While Kokesh is Jewish by birth, he is now an outspoken ].<ref>Dave Maass, , ], October l4, 2009.</ref> | |||
==Early life== | |||
Kokesh attended the ] in ],<ref>Matthew Reichbach, , ], July 6, 2009.</ref> and he received a bachelor's degree from ]. Kokesh learned ] for his tenure in Iraq.<ref name=mvfhop/> | |||
Adam Kokesh was born on February 1, 1982, in San Francisco, California, and is of ] and ] heritage.<ref name="radar">{{cite news|url=http://radaronline.com/features/2007/06/adam_kokesh_iraq_veterans_against_the_war_cindy_sheehan_1.php |date=June 28, 2007 |title=Meet Iraq Veteran Adam Kokesh, the New Mouthpiece of the Anti-War Movement |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610085312/http://www.radaronline.com/features/2007/06/adam_kokesh_iraq_veterans_against_the_war_cindy_sheehan_1.php |archive-date=June 10, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was raised in a ] family,<ref name=":17">{{Cite book|title=Details Magazine, April 2015|publisher=Details|year=2015|url=https://archive.org/details/Details_April_2015_USA/page/n101|pages=101–103}}</ref> and is the oldest of five siblings.<ref name=":13">{{cite web|url=http://www.sfreporter.com/news/coverstories/2013/11/19/adam-charles-vs-the-man/|title=Adam & Charles vs. The Man|website=Santa Fe Reporter|date=November 19, 2013 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-09}}</ref> His parents divorced when he was 10, after which Kokesh says he took refuge in ].<ref name=":17" /> | |||
His father, Charles Kokesh, is a businessman, ], and at one time the owner of Santa Fe Horse Park.<ref name=":13" /> | |||
==Marine Corps service== | |||
In 1999, Kokesh enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.<ref name=mvfhop>{{cite news |title=Marine Vet Faces Hearing Over Protest |author=Heather Hollingsworth |work=The Washington Post |agency=Associated Press |date=May 31, 2007 |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/31/AR2007053100249.html}}</ref> In 2004, he was deployed to Iraq and served in Fallujah.<ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-war Iraq vets protest in N.Y.C.; Street theater aims at telling truth, they say |author=Karen Matthews |work=] |agency=Associated Press |date=May 28, 2007 |page=A.04}}</ref> He was a liaison between the U.S. military and Iraqi civilians as a member of the 3rd Civil Affairs Group.<ref name="AlbJournal"/> He also worked a ] while in Iraq.<ref name=muzzle>{{cite news |title=Corps accused of 'muzzle' tactics |author=Stephen Koff| newspaper=] |date=May 31, 2007| url=http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/118060042955150.xml&coll=2| accessdate=May 12, 2013 |archiveurl=http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Sci/sci.military.naval/2007-05/msg02670.html| archivedate=2007| deadurl=yes}}</ref> He brought home a pistol from Iraq in 2004<ref name=mvfhop/> in violation of military rules, as a result of which he was demoted from sergeant to corporal, and shortly thereafter he was honorably discharged from active duty.<ref name=muzzle/> Kokesh received the ] and the ] for his combat in Fallujah.<ref name=face>{{cite news |title=Antiwar to the Corps: Marine Reservist-Protesters Face Discipline |author=David Montgomery |newspaper=] |date=May 31, 2007 |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/30/AR2007053002627.html |page=C.1}}</ref> | |||
As an adolescent, Kokesh had an interest in sports, science and technology, and was encouraged by his parents to read numerous books. When Kokesh was fourteen, he attended Devil Pups junior base camp at ] in ], California.<ref name=":17" /> | |||
===Ready Reserve discharge=== | |||
After his discharge, Kokesh was a member of the ] (IRR) and on March 19, 2007, he participated in an anti-war protest<ref name=muzzle/> and was named in a photo caption of that event in the ''Washington Post''. As a result,<ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-war Marine faces hearing over uniform |newspaper=] |date=June 5, 2007|url=http://www.reformer.com/nation/ci_6062986}}</ref> on March 29, a Marine Major sent him an e-mail to tell him he was being investigated for misconduct by appearing at a political event while wearing his uniform. Kokesh responded, using an expletive in his reply, thereby incurring an additional misconduct charge under the ].<ref name=muzzle/> | |||
He attended ], a boarding school in Pebble Beach, for his first year of high school, until he was kicked out for possession of alcohol.<ref name=":17" /> | |||
In May 2007, a hearing was convened to consider changing Kokesh's ] from "honorable" to "other than honorable".<ref name=muzzle/><ref>{{cite news|title=Marine Corps Wants America's Favorite Marine To Shut Up |newspaper=] |date=May 31, 2007| url=http://wonkette.com/politics/dept%27-of-we-could-be-heroes/marine-corps-wants-americas-favorite-marine-to-shut-up-264911.php| accessdate=May 12, 2013 |archiveurl=http://www.nogw.com/download/_07_kokesh.pdf| archivedate=2007| deadurl=yes}}</ref> The panel recommended Kokesh be given a "general discharge under honorable conditions,"<ref>{{cite news |title=Marines Reduce Penalty For Reservist-Protester |url= |author=David Montgomery |newspaper=] |date=June 5, 2007|page=C.2}}</ref> which is a discharge status below "honorable," and above "other than honorable".<ref>{{cite news |title=US panel punishes anti-war marine |newspaper=BBC News |date=June 5, 2007 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6723521.stm |accessdate=<!--October 10, 2010-->}}</ref> Kokesh's appeal of the decision was denied.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/06/AR2007060602965_pf.html| title=Iraq War Veteran Loses Protest Appeal|agency=Associated Press|date=June 7, 2007|accessdate=May 13, 2013}}</ref> | |||
He later attended the ] in ].<ref name=":19">Matthew Reichbach, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701071913/http://newmexicoindependent.com/31256/adam-kokesh-launches-northern-new-mexico-congressional-campaign |date=July 1, 2011 }}, ], July 6, 2009.</ref><ref name=":17" /> During high school, Kokesh founded the campus radio station. | |||
The national commander of the ] Gary Kurpius supported Kokesh and two others arrested with him at the protest, saying "All they're doing is exercising the same democratic voice we're trying to instill over in Iraq right now." The VFW issued a "blistering statement" with the headline: "VFW to Corps: Don't Stifle Freedom of Speech."<ref name="Montgomery">David Montgomery, , '']'', June 2, 2007.</ref> | |||
Kokesh received a bachelor's degree in psychology from ]. He was the president of the Libertarian Club in college.<ref name=":17" /> He later enrolled in graduate studies in political management at ].<ref name="Montgomery">David Montgomery, , '']'', June 2, 2007.</ref> | |||
==Protest activities== | |||
===2007=== | |||
In February 2007, he became an active participant in the ] (IVAW). On March 19, 2007, to mark the 4th anniversary of the ], Kokesh and 12 other IVAW members participated in an occupation-like mock patrol of Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-war Iraq vets stage mock patrol D.C. residents get taste of occupation |author=David Montgomery |newspaper=] |page=6.A |date=March 21, 2007}}</ref> Kokesh first came to national attention after he was interviewed on CNN and his photograph appeared in various newspapers, including the front page of the '']'' at a protest during ]'s testimony to ] regarding the ]. Kokesh, wearing his marine corps ], held up a sign counting the number of times Gonzalez said "I don't remember" or "I don't recall" (Kokesh claimed Gonzalez used such phrases 74 times).<ref>{{Cite news|title=The AG hearing: A post-mortem |author=Paul Kane |work=The Washington Post |date=April 20, 2007 |url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2007/04/the_ag_hearing_a_post_mortem.html}}</ref> | |||
=== Military service === | |||
] | |||
Kokesh says he was inspired by his grandfather to enlist in the ] ] at the age of seventeen, while still attending high school.<ref name=":17" /> | |||
In April 2007, Kokesh and a number of other activists were arrested for protesting the Iraq war in the ]. Kokesh had performed a ceremony for lost service members using an American flag.<ref>, ], June 4, 2007.</ref> | |||
Following graduation from high school,<ref name=":12">{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/KSULKSColl200607V111N157165/KSUL_KS%20Coll_2006-07_v111_n157-165_djvu.txt|title=Full text of "Kansas State collegian"|website=archive.org|access-date=2019-04-09}}</ref> Kokesh volunteered to go to ], Iraq, with the ]. For his tour in Iraq from February to September 2004, he received a ],<ref name="Szoldra">{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/adam-kokesh-organizes-rifle-march-on-dc-2013-5|title=Activist Is Trying To Get 10,000 People To March On DC With Loaded Rifles|last=Szoldra|first=Paul|date=2013-05-07|website=Business Insider Australia|language=en|access-date=2019-04-10}}</ref> ], and was promoted to the rank of a sergeant. He worked in schools and mosques, observed house raids,<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":17" /> and says he was in a couple of convoys hit by ].<ref name=":17" /> | |||
In June 2007, Kokesh along with IVAW members ] and Nate Lewis were arrested for crossing onto ] during an anti-war protest. A spokesperson for the IVAW said the three had accidentally stepped onto the base while talking to a guard. The trespass charges were dismissed.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=94628 |title=Trespass charges against veteran protesters dropped work=AccessNorthGa.com |date=June 14, 2007 |agency=Associated Press |accessdate=June 3, 2012}}</ref> | |||
After completing his first tour, he became disillusioned with the war.<ref name=":12" /> Kokesh learned Arabic during his tenure in Iraq.<ref name="mvfhop">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/31/AR2007053100249.html|title=Marine Vet Faces Hearing Over Protest|author=Heather Hollingsworth|date=May 31, 2007|newspaper=The Washington Post|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> | |||
Kokesh enrolled in graduate studies in political management at ].<ref name="Montgomery"/> In October 2007, Kokesh, along with six other students, created controversy by putting up mock political posters across the university campus to mock what they called the racist and Islamophobic "Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week" being observed at the campus. The event was organized by a ] student organization, and invited controversial speaker ] on the George Washington University campus.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gwhatchet.com/2007/10/08/anti-muslim-posters-cause-stir-administrative-response/|title=Anti-Muslim posters cause stir, administrative response|newspaper=]|date=October 8, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Roper |first=Eric |url=http://www.gwhatchet.com/2007/10/08/seven-gw-students-admit-to-hanging-controversial-posters/ |title=Seven GW students admit to hanging controversial posters |publisher=Gwhatchet.com |date=2013-05-13 |accessdate=2013-05-23}}</ref> | |||
After Kokesh was honorably discharged in September, he remained a member of the ].<ref name=":1" /> He was scheduled to return to Iraq for a second tour, however Kokesh was demoted to a corporal and discharged from the Marine Corps after he wore his Marine uniform during an anti-war demonstration.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/iraq-vet-who-wore-uniform-to-war-protest-gets-general-discharge|title=Iraq Vet Who Wore Uniform to War Protest Gets General Discharge|date=2015-03-25|website=Associated Press|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-08}}</ref><ref name=":2"/> | |||
===2008=== | |||
On September 2, 2008, Kokesh spoke at ] in ].<ref>David Weigel, , ], December 18, 2009.</ref> | |||
==Activism== | |||
On September 4, 2008, Kokesh interrupted Senator ]'s acceptance speech of the GOP nomination for president at the ] in ], Minnesota. Holding a sign reading "McCain Votes Against Vets" on one side and "You can't win an occupation" on the other,<ref>Indianapolis Star, September 4, 2008</ref> Kokesh yelled, "Ask him why he votes against vets!" Kokesh was detained by local police and released soon after.<ref>The American Prospect, September 4, 2008</ref> | |||
=== Iraq Veterans Against The War === | |||
===2011=== | |||
In February 2007, he became an active participant in the ] (IVAW). On March 19, to mark the 4th anniversary of the ], Kokesh and twelve other IVAW members participated in an occupation-like mock patrol of Washington, D.C.<ref name=":14">{{cite news |title=Anti-war Iraq vets stage mock patrol D.C. residents get a taste of occupation |author=David Montgomery |newspaper=] |page=6.A |date=March 21, 2007}}</ref> | |||
On May 28, 2011, Kokesh and other activists participated in a ]-silent dance at the ] in Washington, D.C. in protest of a recent ruling against dancing in the monument. The activists were arrested.<ref>Sarah Kaufman, , ], May 2011.</ref> A much larger protest on June 4, 2011, organized by Kokesh and ], involved about 200 protesters and 75 dancers. About 10 minutes after the dancing began, police began clearing the monument.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dancers-shimmy-at-the-jefferson-memorial/2011/06/04/AGb284IH_story.html| author=Lori Aratani| title=Dancers shimmy at the Jefferson Memorial|work=The Washington Post| date=June 5, 2011}}</ref> No arrests were made. When asked by a journalist if he had a permit to protest, Kokesh reportedly produced a copy of the ] and said, "Actually I got a permit. It's the same one I swore an oath to when I enlisted in the marine corps. And it says something about '].'"<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/dancing-again-at-jefferson-memorial%3B-no-arrests| author=John Henrehan| title=Dancing Again At Jefferson Memorial; No Arrests| publisher=Fox News| date=June 7, 2011}}{{dead link|date=May 2013}}</ref> | |||
Kokesh first came to national attention after he was interviewed on CNN and ABC, and his photograph appeared in various newspapers, including the front page of the '']'' at a protest during ]'s testimony to ] regarding the ].<ref name=":12" />{{Unreliable source?|date=August 2019}} Kokesh, wearing his Marine Corps ], held up a sign counting the number of times Gonzalez said "I don't remember" or "I don't recall" (Kokesh claimed Gonzalez used such phrases 74 times).<ref name=":16">{{Cite news|title=The AG hearing: A post-mortem |author=Paul Kane |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 20, 2007 |url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2007/04/the_ag_hearing_a_post_mortem.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705143430/http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2007/04/the_ag_hearing_a_post_mortem.html |archive-date=July 5, 2008 }}</ref> | |||
===2012=== | |||
On February 20, 2012, after a "Veterans For Ron Paul" rally, 500 marchers, including veterans, active-duty service, and their families, marched towards the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/veterans-ron-paul-2012-march-white-house-twitter-photo-slideshow-413992|author=Connor A. Sheets|title=Veterans for Ron Paul 2012 March on the White House|publisher=]|date=February 21, 2012}}</ref> There they engaged in ceremonial ] in memory of deceased soldiers and periods of silence for soldiers who died in battle and for those who committed suicide after returning.<ref>Matthew Larotonda, , ], February 20, 2012.</ref> | |||
] | |||
===2013=== | |||
] | |||
In May 2013, Kokesh announced he was planning an armed pro-gun rights march from Virginia to Washington, D.C. on July 4, 2013, to coincide with ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/06/open-carry-march-washington_n_3222511.html |title=Open Carry March In Washington Seeks To Put 'Government On Notice' With Loaded Rifles |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date= |accessdate=2013-05-23}}</ref> | |||
In April 2007, Kokesh and a number of other activists were arrested after protesting the Iraq war in the ]. Kokesh had performed a ceremony for lost service members using an American flag.<ref name=":1">, ], June 4, 2007.</ref> | |||
During the Senate Hart Office Building demonstration, Kokesh was wearing ] (with name tags and emblems removed), which the Marine Corps prohibits reserve troops from wearing during anti-war demonstrations.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0608/p03s03-usmi.html|title=For US military veterans, a free-speech dispute|date=2007-06-08|work=Christian Science Monitor|access-date=2019-04-08|issn=0882-7729}}</ref> After Kokesh was contacted via e-mail with a warning for violating uniform regulations, he responded with a refusal to comply and used an ] in his reply.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":10">{{cite web|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2008/09/iraq-veterans-speak-out-against-war/|title=Zip It, Soldier!|website=Mother Jones|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-09}}</ref> He contends that the warning was an attempt to silence and punish members of the military for exercising their constitutional rights;<ref name=":3">{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ex5eyk/speaking-with-adam-kokesh-before-he-was-detained-by-the-feds|title=Speaking with Adam Kokesh, Before He Was Detained by the Feds|last=Cameron|first=Dell|date=2013-05-23|website=Vice|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-09}}</ref> while the Marine Corps said it was a matter of ordinary discipline and Kokesh was not singled out.<ref name=":2" /> In June, a panel of officers stripped Kokesh of his "honorable discharge" status as a result of his conduct.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":10" /> | |||
On May 18, 2013, Kokesh was arrested in Philadelphia by federal park rangers together with other protesters at the 5th iteration of a marijuana legalization rally known as Smoke Down Prohibition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reason.com/24-7/2013/05/19/adam-kokesh-arrested-at-anti-prohibition |title=Adam Kokesh Arrested at Anti-Prohibition Protest in Philly - Reason 24/7 |publisher=Reason.com |date=2013-05-19 |accessdate=2013-05-23}}</ref> Kokesh and Philadelphia marijuana advocate N.A. Poe{{who?|date=July 2013}} appeared before a judge{{who?|date=July 2013}} on Monday May 20 and were charged with assaulting a federal officer and resisting arrest. Along with his release on May 24, 2013, Kokesh called for a "Final American Revolution" to take place on July 4, 2013 in place of the previously planned armed march on Washington D.C.. This is planned to take place in all 50 state capitols with protests to be only absolved by each governors agreement to initiate an orderly dissolution of the federal government through secession.<ref>http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/05/29/adam-kokesh-calls-off-armed-march-on-dc-in-favo/194259</ref> | |||
Supporters of Kokesh from around the country later staged a protest, holding banners and signs in support of Kokesh, and criticizing ] over the war. Many of the protestors wore red badges bearing the number "3,495", the number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq at the time.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iraq-marine-idUSN0419998620070605|title=Corrected: Marines move to discharge protesting Iraq vet|date=2007-06-05|work=Reuters|access-date=2019-04-09|language=en}}</ref> | |||
On July 4, 2013, Kokesh put on YouTube a video of himself that appeared to show him violating a District of Columbia gun-control law. On July 9, 2013, law enforcement officials (including a SWAT team) executed a search warrant on Kokesh's home. Police allegedly found a gun and hallucinogenic mushrooms and arrested him citing drug charges.<ref name="mushrooms">{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/activist-adam-kokesh-reportedly-arrested-in-herndon/2013/07/10/73dbc8c2-e943-11e2-8f22-de4bd2a2bd39_story.html|title=Adam Kokesh charged with possessing hallucinogenic mushrooms|publisher=Washington Post|date=July 10, 2013|accessdate=July 10, 2013}}</ref> On July 26, 2013, Kokesh was transferred from Fairfax County, Virginia and will be charged in D.C..<ref>http://www.wtop.com/109/3401798/Kokesh-transferred-to-DC-faces-charge-related-to-gun-loading-video</ref> | |||
In June 2007, Kokesh, along with IVAW members ] and Nate Lewis, was arrested for crossing onto ] during an anti-war protest. A spokesperson for the IVAW said the three had accidentally stepped onto the base while talking to a guard. The trespass charges were dismissed.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=94628 |title=Trespass charges against veteran protesters dropped |work=AccessNorthGa.com |date=June 14, 2007 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=June 3, 2012 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714165320/http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=94628 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
==2010 congressional campaign== | |||
In 2010, Kokesh ran unsuccessfully in the primary for the Republican nomination for ] seat.<ref name=shadow>{{cite news |title=Adam Kokesh campaigns in Ron Paul's shadow: Ron Paul's support won't help Kokesh win congressional bid, UNM prof says |author=Heath Haussamen |newspaper=] |date=July 21, 2009 |url=http://newmexicoindependent.com/32289/ron-paul%E2%80%99s-support-won%E2%80%99t-help-kokesh-win-unm-prof-says}}</ref> His campaign donations were mainly from out-of-state,<ref name=shadow/> and he received endorsements from Congressman ]<ref>{{cite news |title=Kokesh to take on Lujan as Republican: Previously undecided, 'Revolutionary Patriot' files under GOP for race |author=Steve Terrell |newspaper=] |date=July 17, 2009}}</ref> and from the ].<ref>, ] website.</ref> Kokesh's opponent in the New Mexico GOP primary was Tom Mullins.<ref>{{cite news |title=3rd Congressional District 'Traditional Republican' vs. Anti-war Veteran |author=Steve Terrell |newspaper=] |date=May 27, 2010 |url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/localnews/3rd-congressional-district--Traditional-Republican--squares-off |page=A.1 |accessdate=May 12, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/3RD+CONGRESSIONAL+DISTRICT%3B+%3B+%27TRADITIONAL+REPUBLICAN%27+VS.+ANTI-WAR...-a0226602599|archivedate=2010|deadurl=yes}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Oilman defeats Kokesh in GOP house race |author=Steve Terrell |newspaper=] |date=June 2, 2010 |url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/LocalNews/3rd-congressional-district-Oilman-defeats-S-F--s-Kokesh-in-GOP- |page=A.5 |accessdate=May 12, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/OILMAN+DEFEATS+KOKESH+IN+GOP+HOUSE+RACE.-a0227908863|archivedate=2010|deadurl=yes}}</ref> Kokesh received 9,011 votes for 29% of the primary vote.<ref></ref> | |||
===Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign=== | |||
On September 2, 2008, Kokesh spoke at ] in ].<ref>David Weigel, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522232322/http://washingtonindependent.com/71424/anti-war-activist-mounts-gop-campaign-for-congress |date=May 22, 2013 }}, ], December 18, 2009.</ref> | |||
=== Thomas Jefferson Memorial silent dance === | |||
On May 28, 2011, Kokesh and other activists participated in a ]-silent dance at the ] in Washington, D.C., in protest of a recent ruling against dancing within the monument. | |||
Kokesh, along with four others including ] of ], were arrested by the ] for demonstrating without a permit. Kokesh was told he was under arrest after dancing a jig. He refused officers orders and was subsequently violently body-slammed onto the marble floor, put in a choke hold, then cuffed. The aggressive nature of the arrests raised concerns about the actions of some of the officers and prompted an internal investigation by the Park Police.<ref>{{cite news|last=Segraves|first=Mark|title=Park Police to probe arrests of dancing protesters|url=http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/05/park-police-to-probe-arrests-of-dancing-protesters-61535.html|access-date=September 1, 2013|newspaper=WJLA News 7|date=May 30, 2011|archive-date=September 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904192806/http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/05/park-police-to-probe-arrests-of-dancing-protesters-61535.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Sarah Kaufman, , ''The Washington Post'', May 2011.</ref> | |||
A much larger protest on June 4 organized by Kokesh and Code Pink involved about 200 protesters and 75 dancers. About 10 minutes after the dancing began, police began clearing the monument.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dancers-shimmy-at-the-jefferson-memorial/2011/06/04/AGb284IH_story.html| author=Lori Aratani| title=Dancers shimmy at the Jefferson Memorial|newspaper=The Washington Post| date=June 5, 2011}}</ref> No arrests were made. When asked by a journalist if he had a permit to protest, Kokesh reportedly produced a copy of the ] and said, "Actually I got a permit. It's the same one I swore an oath to when I enlisted in the Marine Corps. And it says something about '].{{'"}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/17990389/dancing-again-at-jefferson-memorial-no-arrests#axzz2dfiOeNSh |author=John Henrehan |title=Dancing Again At Jefferson Memorial; Adam Kokesh among the protestors |publisher=Fox News5 |date=June 5, 2011 |url-status=dead | |||
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717191134/http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/17990389/dancing-again-at-jefferson-memorial-no-arrests | |||
|archive-date=July 17, 2013}}</ref> | |||
===Veterans for Ron Paul (2012)=== | |||
Kokesh was a spokesperson for "Veterans for Ron Paul", a grassroots group in support of the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/ron-paul-convention-2012-8835710|title=The Ron Paul Revolution Rolls On|last=Pierce|first=Charles P.|date=2012-05-14|website=Esquire|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-09}}</ref> | |||
On February 20, 2012, after a "Veterans for Ron Paul" rally organized by Kokesh, 500 marchers, including veterans, active-duty service, and their families, marched towards the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/veterans-ron-paul-2012-march-white-house-twitter-photo-slideshow-413992|author=Connor A. Sheets|title=Veterans for Ron Paul 2012 March on the White House|newspaper=]|date=February 21, 2012}}</ref> There they engaged in ceremonial ] in memory of deceased soldiers and periods of silence for soldiers who died in battle and for those who committed suicide after returning.<ref>Matthew Larotonda, , ], February 20, 2012.</ref> | |||
=== Cursing ban in Middleborough, Massachusetts === | |||
On June 26, 2012, Kokesh organized a protest against the decision of ], ], to ban cursing in public with punishment of a $20 fine.<ref name=":6">{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/cursing-ban-draws-protesters-massachusetts-town/story?id=16653252|title=Public Swearing Ban Cursed at Protest in Massachusetts Town|date=2012-06-26|website=ABC News|language=en|access-date=2019-04-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/swearing-public-punishable-20-fine-middleborough-massachusetts-article-1.1094028|title=Swearing in public now punishable by $20 fine in Middleborough, Massachusetts|agency=Associated Press|website=nydailynews.com|access-date=2019-04-09}}</ref> Kokesh said efforts to limit citizens' free speech was "more offensive, vulgar and obscene than any curse word."<ref name=":6" /> | |||
In October 2012, the decision was overturned by the state's ] on the grounds that it was ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mass-ag-towns-no-swearing-rule-legally-suspect/|title=Mass. AG: Town's no-swearing rule legally suspect|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=October 9, 2012 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-09}}</ref> | |||
=== Open Carry March on Washington === | |||
In May 2013, Kokesh announced an "Open Carry March on Washington" where thousands of marchers bearing arms would cross from Virginia into Washington, D.C., on ] to protest strict gun laws. He described the event as a ] demonstration to be coordinated with DC law enforcement and that marchers should respond "with ]"<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/activist-adam-kokesh-has-history-of-rabble-rousing-and-self-promotion/2013/05/13/95a0ddcc-b986-11e2-bd07-b6e0e6152528_story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607071201/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-05-13/politics/39226580_1_cedar-crest-blvd-gun-owners-police-chief-cathy-lanier |url-status=live |archive-date=June 7, 2013 |title=Activist Adam Kokesh has history of rabble-rousing and self-promotion | |||
|newspaper=Washington Post |date= May 15, 2013|access-date=August 24, 2013 |first1=David A. |last1=Fahrenthold |first2=Peter |last2=Hermann}}</ref> and peacefully turn back if met with force, and should be prepared to "submit to arrest without resisting."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/06/open-carry-march-washington_n_3222511.html |title=Open Carry March In Washington Seeks To Put 'Government On Notice' With Loaded Rifles |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date= May 6, 2013|access-date=May 23, 2013 |first=Nicholas |last=Wing}}</ref> | |||
On July 4, 2013, Kokesh posted a YouTube video of himself allegedly loading a shotgun in ] in the District of Columbia in open defiance of DC law. Police indicated they believed he may have used a ], though on his return to the plaza on July 8 he insisted data from government ] cameras in Freedom Plaza would show he was there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Open-Carry-March-Activist-Says-Shotgun-Video-Was-Real-214656041.html|title='Open Carry March' Activist Says Shotgun Video Was Real|date=July 8, 2013 |publisher=4 NBC Washington|access-date=August 24, 2013}}</ref> | |||
On the evening of July 9, a ] raided Kokesh's house in ], executing a search warrant for the shotgun and raw footage from the July 4 video. With helicopters providing air support, the ] knocked then kicked in the door and lobbed a ] in the foyer, filling the house with smoke. Police clad in ] stormed in and handcuffed Kokesh and his housemates, who alleged ] during the raid and the ensuing five-hour search, which allegedly turned up the shotgun and ]s. Kokesh was charged with possession of ] drugs and possession of a gun with Schedule I or II drugs, both felonies. Kokesh refused to leave his cell to be arraigned and fingerprinted, but was arraigned by a judge in his cell the next day.<ref name="shrooms">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/activist-adam-kokesh-reportedly-arrested-in-herndon/2013/07/10/73dbc8c2-e943-11e2-8f22-de4bd2a2bd39_story.html|title=Adam Kokesh charged with possessing hallucinogenic mushrooms|last1=Jouvenal|first1=Justin|date=July 10, 2013|access-date=October 30, 2013|newspaper=Washington Post|last2=Patel|first2=Trishula}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://reason.com/blog/2013/07/10/swat-team-raids-home-of-libertarian-acti|title=SWAT Team Raids Home of Libertarian Activist Adam Kokesh, Arrests Him on Drug and Gun Charges|last=Riggs|first=Mike|date=July 10, 2013|newspaper=Reason|access-date=October 30, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20130710/NEWS/130719699/1076/NEWS/Libertarian-activist-arrested-in-Herndon&template=fairfaxTimes|title=Libertarian activist arrested in Herndon|last=MacDonald|first=Gregg|date=July 10, 2013|newspaper=Fairfax Times|access-date=August 30, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130831190041/http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20130710/NEWS/130719699/1076/NEWS/Libertarian-activist-arrested-in-Herndon&template=fairfaxTimes|archive-date=August 31, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
In a jailhouse interview on July 18 Kokesh denied any connection to the drugs found in the raid, implying they were ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/22879607/activist-kokesh-will-run-for-president-to-abolish-us-government#axzz2dTs9Z2tT|title=Activist Adam Kokesh will run for President to abolish U.S. government|last=Henrehan|first=John|date=July 18, 2013|newspaper=My Fox DC|access-date=August 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826204956/http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/22879607/activist-kokesh-will-run-for-president-to-abolish-us-government|archive-date=August 26, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> On the same day, Kokesh announced his plans to run for President of the United States in 2020 on a platform of an orderly dissolution of the U.S. Federal Government.<ref name=":5">{{Citation|last=Gabbee|title=Fox News Interviews Adam Kokesh from Jail|date=July 18, 2013|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD5FMZb-AL0|access-date=November 27, 2016}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}</ref> | |||
On July 26, Kokesh posted bail in Virginia and was immediately rearrested by U.S. Park Police for breaking a D.C. law forbidding bearing arms which carries a penalty of up to five years in jail, in connection with his Freedom Plaza video. Magistrate Judge Lori Parker ordered Kokesh to remain in the ] over the weekend because, she said, he had violated the rules of his release in another case. Specifically, she noted that in June 2013, Kokesh was charged with possession of marijuana after he was arrested on the south side of the White House allegedly smoking a marijuana cigarette. On July 29 D.C. Superior Court Judge Frederick Sullivan, calling Kokesh "a very dangerous man," ordered him to remain in D.C. jail until trial.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wtop.com/109/3401798/Kokesh-transferred-to-DC-faces-charge-related-to-gun-loading-video|title=Activist Adam Kokesh charged with openly carrying shotgun in D.C.|date=July 26, 2013|publisher=WTOP.com|access-date=September 14, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/judge-ordered-gun-activist-to-remain-in-jail/2013/07/29/3f62830e-f84f-11e2-afc1-c850c6ee5af8_story.html?wp_login_redirect=0|title=Judge ordered gun activist to remain in jail|author=Keith L. Alexander|date=July 29, 2013|access-date=September 14, 2013|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> | |||
On November 6, 2013, Kokesh was released from jail after waiving his right to a trial and pleading guilty to the July 4 weapons charges and a marijuana possession charge from the June 8 White House protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/virginia-gun-rights-advocate-adam-kokesh-pleads-guilty-to-gun-charges-released-from-jail/2013/11/06/337f7ff8-4708-11e3-b6f8-3782ff6cb769_story.html|title=Virginia gun rights advocate Adam Kokesh pleads guilty to gun charges, released from jail|last=Alexander|first=Keith L.|date=November 6, 2013|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=November 7, 2013}}</ref><ref name="WJLA">{{cite news|url=http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/11/adam-kokesh-pleads-guilty-to-weapon-drug-charges-96492.html|title=Adam Kokesh pleads guilty to weapon, drug charges|date=November 6, 2013|work=WJLA.com|access-date=November 7, 2013|publisher=Allbritton Communications Company|archive-date=November 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107110705/http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/11/adam-kokesh-pleads-guilty-to-weapon-drug-charges-96492.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> On January 16, 2014, Kokesh was sentenced to two years of probation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/judge-sentences-virginia-gun-rights-advocate-adam-kokesh-to-probation/2014/01/17/debf000e-7f8f-11e3-9556-4a4bf7bcbd84_story.html|title=Judge sentences Virginia gun-rights advocate, Adam Kokesh, to probation|last=Alexander|first=Keith L.|date=January 17, 2014|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=January 17, 2014}}</ref> | |||
On June 12, 2014, Kokesh, after entering an ] in Circuit Court to two felonies related to his possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms while possessing a gun, was convicted of drug and gun charges, which he did not contest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/va-court-convicts-gun-rights-activist-adam-kokesh/2014/06/12/30eb6d3c-f262-11e3-9ebc-2ee6f81ed217_story.html|title=Va. court convicts gun rights activist Adam Kokesh|last=Jouvenal|first=Justin|date=June 12, 2014|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=June 14, 2014}}</ref> In September, Kokesh received a suspended sentence.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/adam-kokesh-gets-no-jail-time-on-drug-gun-convictions/2014/09/05/e9aa0d0a-353e-11e4-8f02-03c644b2d7d0_story.html|title=Adam Kokesh gets no jail time on drug, gun convictions|last=Jouvenal|first=Justin|date=September 5, 2014|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> | |||
===Protest against the war in Syria=== | |||
In April 2017, Kokesh had organized a demonstration in front of the White House as a protest against the Syrian bombing campaign, but before it could start Kokesh was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court on charges related to him disrupting a ] security line in ] in 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Gun-Rights-Activist-Arrested-as-Fugitive-of-Justice-419214824.html|title=Gun Rights Activist Adam Kokesh Arrested as Fugitive of Justice|first=Jackie|last=Bensen|date=April 11, 2017|work=]}}</ref> | |||
== 2010 New Mexico 3rd Congressional District bid == | |||
On October 15, 2009, Kokesh filed with the ] to run for the ] from ] as a ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/226/29992942226/29992942226.pdf|title=FEC FORM 2|last=Kokesh|first=Adam Charles|date=October 15, 2009|work=]|access-date=September 10, 2017}}</ref> | |||
He finished second in the Republican primary with 29 percent of the vote,<ref name=":17" /> losing the nomination to businessman Tom Mullins, who went on to lose the November general election to incumbent ] ]. | |||
== ''FREEDOM!'' == | |||
While in jail after his 2013 arrest stemming from his civil disobedience at ], Kokesh began work on his book ''FREEDOM!''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://acronymjournal.com/2014/07/03/adam-kokeshs-independence-day-call-to-arms-revisited/|title=Adam Kokesh's Independence Day Call To Arms Revisited|last1=Trainor|first1=Dennis Jr.|date=July 4, 2014|website=The Acronym Journal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127215002/https://acronymjournal.com/2014/07/03/adam-kokeshs-independence-day-call-to-arms-revisited/|archive-date=November 27, 2016|url-status=dead|access-date=November 27, 2016}}</ref> | |||
Kokesh got the idea for the book while reading other libertarian tracts during his stay in jail.<ref name=":7">{{cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/article_c424f1e0-143b-11e9-9d1e-f31bd2bd1371.html|title='Freedom!' in New Orleans: How one man's manifesto is landing on more than 200,000 doorsteps|last=REIMANN|first=NICK|website=The Advocate|date=January 10, 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-04-09}}</ref> The book advocates for the use of cryptocurrency and claims the safest populace is a well-armed one. ''FREEDOM!'' was published on ] (July 4) in 2014.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/FREEDOMEbook|title=FREEDOM|last=Adam Kokesh|date=2014}}</ref> | |||
===Book tours=== | |||
In August 2016, Kokesh embarked on the "For the Love of FREEDOM!" tour. The tour, featuring over 60 stops and including all of the 48 contiguous states, served as an exploratory tour for his 2020 Presidential run. Free copies of his book were given away to all in attendance at each event.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://thefreedomline.com/calendar/|title=Calendar – The FREEDOM! Line|newspaper=The FREEDOM! Line|access-date=November 27, 2016|language=en-US|archive-date=November 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127085633/http://thefreedomline.com/calendar/|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
In January 2019, 204,453 copies of ''FREEDOM!'' were mailed for free to residents in many neighbourhoods of ], ].<ref name=":7" /> The distribution cost around US$131,000, which was primarily raised from ]-related companies.<ref name=":7" /> | |||
== 2020 presidential campaign == | |||
{{wikinews|Wikinews interviews 2020 US Libertarian Party presidential candidate Adam Kokesh}} | |||
On July 23, 2013, Kokesh announced his candidacy for U.S. president in 2020 from a jailhouse interview with Fox 5, after he was arrested for the Open Carry incident earlier that month.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=Run/> He stated he was running on the ] idea of an "orderly dissolution of the U.S. Federal Government". He was the first ] ] to announce a presidential bid for the ].<ref name=Run>{{cite web|url=https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2013/07/adam-kokesh-to-run-for-president-in-2020/|title=Adam Kokesh to Run for President in 2020|date=2013-07-23|website=Independent Political Report|author=RedPhillips|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-09}}</ref> | |||
On January 16, 2018, Kokesh reaffirmed his candidacy for president. He was pulled over by Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers twice that day and arrested the second time on marijuana and controlled substance charges.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/wise-county/2018/01/19/hours-after-declaring-candidacy-presidential-hopeful-arrested-wise-county|title=Hours after declaring candidacy, presidential hopeful arrested in Wise County|publisher=Dallas News|last1=Ramirez|first1=Marc|date=January 20, 2018}}</ref> He was bailed out on January 25.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/article196616409.html|title=Adam Kokesh, a little-known presidential candidate, is finally out of a Texas jail|date=January 25, 2018|author=Hanna, Bill|work=Star-Telegram|access-date=January 27, 2018}}</ref> | |||
In April 2020, he announced ], the software developer running ] for the nomination, as his running mate; McAfee also endorsed Kokesh.<ref name="AprilWelch">{{Cite news |last=Welch |first=Matt |date=April 13, 2020 |title=Judge Jim Gray To Seek Libertarian Presidential Nomination |language=en-US |work=Reason |url=https://reason.com/2020/04/13/judge-jim-gray-to-seek-libertarian-presidential-nomination/ |access-date=May 3, 2020}}</ref> | |||
Kokesh was eliminated in the second round of the ], and after initially not endorsing a candidate, eventually endorsed Libertarian nominee ] ] after public backlash. | |||
===Endorsements=== | |||
* Arvin Vohra, endorsed after he was eliminated in primary | |||
* ], former ] ] and ] politician | |||
* ], software developer<ref name="AprilWelch" /> | |||
=== Political positions === | |||
Kokesh views government as the greatest cause of violence in the world today and believes that governmental coercion is just as undesirable as coercion performed by a private citizen. He believes that government should be abolished in order to reduce violence and build a society based on respect.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=FREEDOM!|last=Kokesh|first=Adam|publisher=The FREEDOM! Fund|year=2016|pages=1–2}}</ref> Kokesh has stated he does not hate the people running the U.S. government, however he believes government has invalidated itself by betraying the principles from which it was founded.<ref name=":3" /> | |||
Kokesh ran for President of the United States in 2020 on the platform of an orderly dissolution of the federal government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://adamkokesh.com/|title=FREEDOM! 2020 adamkokesh.com|website=adamkokesh.com|access-date=December 27, 2016}}</ref> Kokesh stated that if elected, he would immediately sign his one-and-only ] to declare the federal government bankrupt and of no authority. He would then resign to become "Custodian of the Federal Government" to oversee the process as a bankruptcy agent.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://71republic.com/2018/04/09/interview-adam-kokesh/|title=#FinallyFreeAmerica – Interview with Adam Kokesh|date=2018-04-09|website=71 Republic|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-08|archive-date=April 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408043338/https://71republic.com/2018/04/09/interview-adam-kokesh/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Every federal agency would then either be liquidated, localized to the state level or ], over the next four years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yaliberty.org/news/adam-kokesh-taxation-is-theft-tour/|title=Adam Kokesh Taxation is Theft Tour at University of Massachusetts Boston YAL|website=Young Americans for Liberty|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-08|archive-date=May 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505074138/https://yaliberty.org/news/adam-kokesh-taxation-is-theft-tour/|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
Kokesh supports a ] foreign policy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailybell.com/exclusive-interviews/anthony-wile-adam-kokesh-progression-to-a-freer-society-is-inevitable/|title=Adam Kokesh: Progression to a Freer Society Is Inevitable|website=www.thedailybell.com – The Daily Be|date=December 18, 2011}}</ref> Kokesh is a prominent anti-war activist.<ref name="Szoldra"/> | |||
==''Adam vs. The Man''== | ==''Adam vs. The Man''== | ||
Kokesh's talk radio program, ''Adam vs. The Man'', was picked up by ] in April 2011. Conservative media watchdog ] criticized Kokesh's appearances on RT, which is a non-profit organization largely funded by the Russian government.<ref> | |||
* James Painter, , (undated), ] at Oxford University. | |||
* {{cite news|url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russia-today-courts-viewers-with-controversy/401888.html|title=RussiaToday Courts Viewers With Controversy|date=March 17, 2010|author=Nikolaus von Twickel|newspaper=]}}. | |||
* {{cite news|url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russia-today-television-misses-launch-date/209898.html|title=RussiaToday Television Misses Launch Date|date=September 16, 2005|author=Stephen Boykewich|newspaper=The Moscow Times}}</ref> The group claimed that RT uses Americans like Kokesh to make propaganda points.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aim.org/aim-column/kgb-tv-to-air-show-hosted-by-anti-war-marine-vet/|title=KGB TV to Air Show Hosted by Anti-war Marine Vet|date=05-04-11|publisher=Accuracy in Media}}</ref> ] writes that Kokesh defended RT's "propaganda" function, saying "We're putting out the truth that no one else wants to say. I mean, if you want to put it in the worst possible abstract, it's the Russian government, which is a competing protection racket against the other governments of the world, going against the United States and calling them on their bullshit."<ref>David Weigel, , ], June 27, 2011.</ref> | |||
=== Radio === | |||
Kokesh has continued his ''Adam vs. The Man'' podcasts and video reports independently on his website and ] channel. On the channel he has filed some critical reports of the "Occupy DC" version of the ].<ref>Lucy Steigerwald, , ], October 7, 2011.</ref> | |||
''Adam vs. The Man'' was a talk show which was available in a variety of formats, such as ], web-access, ] and ]-linked ] channel. Initially airing in 2011 as an evening two-hour broadcast on ] ] in ], ''Adam vs. The Man'' then shifted to a half-hour video news format on RT before fully moving to the internet as an hour-long video podcast. On April 7, 2014, AVTM 4.0 was launched from ], and could be viewed live daily from noon to 2 PM, ]. | |||
===RT America=== | |||
{{Portal|Biography|United States Marine Corps}} | |||
''Adam vs. The Man'' was licensed by the Russian affiliated ] in April 2011. The move was criticized by ]'s columnist ] who referenced his own column entry from 2008 discussing RT's coverage of the ] in which he condemned RT for "preferring to use foreigners, especially Americans, to make ] points"<ref>Cliff Kincaid, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051227014515/http://www.aim.org/aim_column/4184_0_3_0_C |date=December 27, 2005 }}, November 21, 2005</ref><ref>Cliff Kincaid, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108041922/http://www.aim.org/aim-column/russian-tv-sounds-like-soviet-tv/ |date=January 8, 2014 }}, ], August 19, 2008.</ref> before stating that "the American Marine Veteran, Adam Kokesh, seems to fit the bill, having emerged as an anti-war activist who ran as a Republican for Congress and supported Rep. ] (R-TX) for president".<ref>Cliff Kincaid, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110408154335/http://www.aim.org/aim-column/kgb-tv-to-air-show-hosted-by-anti-war-marine-vet/ |date=April 8, 2011 }}, ], April 5, 2011.</ref> '']'' writer ] quoted Kokesh describing RT's model, saying: "Truth is the best propaganda. I love it! I really love the concept of that. It's funny: People say we're hiding shit as a network. No, no—we put the fact that this is propaganda right out front. We're putting out the truth that no one else wants to say. I mean, if you want to put it in the worst possible abstract, it's the Russian government, which is a competing ] against the other governments of the world, going against the United States and calling them on their bullshit."<ref>David Weigel, , '']'', June 27, 2011.</ref> | |||
== See also == | |||
* ] | |||
After only a few months on RT, ''Adam vs. The Man'' was canceled in August by the network to avoid potential legal problems stemming from a ] complaint filed against RT by the group America's Survival, Inc. over the matter of Kokesh endorsing Ron Paul for President (thereby allegedly running afoul of the ]).<ref name=":15">{{cite web | |||
|url=http://deadlinelive.info/2011/08/24/adam-kokeshs-rt-show-adam-vs-the-man-canceled-due-to-fec-complaint/ | |||
|date=August 24, 2011 | |||
|title=Adam Kokesh's RT show 'Adam vs the Man" canceled due to FEC complaint | |||
|author=Jack Blood | |||
|publisher=DeadlineLive.com | |||
|access-date=September 12, 2013 | |||
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701223429/http://deadlinelive.info/2011/08/24/adam-kokeshs-rt-show-adam-vs-the-man-canceled-due-to-fec-complaint/ | |||
|archive-date=July 1, 2013 | |||
|url-status=dead | |||
}} | |||
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920032338/http://www.usasurvival.org/docs/fec-complaint.pdf |date=September 20, 2012 }}</ref> | |||
=== YouTube channel === | |||
Kokesh routinely uploads activism videos to his ] channel, ''Adam vs. The Man''.<ref name=":20">{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/07/adam-kokesh-libertarian-gun-rights-activist-also-enjoys-hallucinogenic-mushrooms/313460/|title=Gun Rights Activist Adam Kokesh Busted for Shrooms|last=Schonfeld|first=Zach|date=2013-07-10|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-10}}</ref><ref name=":17" /> As of July 2019, the YouTube channel had 248,000 subscribers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/AdamKokesh|title=AdamKokesh|website=YouTube|language=en|access-date=27 June 2019}}</ref> Topics include Kokesh's political views, and videos about how to complete a DUI-checkpoint.<ref name=":17" /> | |||
In 2015, the Kokesh renamed the channel to ''Freedom!''<ref name=":17" /> | |||
As of December 30, 2020, Adam Kokesh's YouTube channel is named "Adam Kokesh"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/c/AdamKokesh/channels |title=AdamKokesh |publisher=YouTube |date= |accessdate=2021-12-18}}</ref> | |||
==Film appearances== | |||
Kokesh appears in the role of "A Soldier" in the 2016 film ''The Prey'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blockbusterone.online/the-prey/ |title=Rent The Prey (2018) Online |publisher=Blockbuster Online |access-date=February 1, 2018 }}</ref> and as himself in the documentaries ''The Road to Fallujah'' (2008), ''For Liberty: How the Ron Paul Revolution Watered the Withered Tree of Liberty'' (2009), ''Owned & Operated'' (2012), ''Derrick J's Victimless Crime Spree'' (2012), ''ShadowRing'' (2015), and ''Gray State: The Rise'' (2015). | |||
On January 19, 2013, Kokesh appeared as a future version of himself at an anti-war-debt rally scene in the 2014 sci-fi thriller, '']''. Kokesh wrote the speech he delivered, a tribute to the character of Dr. Martin Vreeland (played by ]), in the background during an action sequence. Most of the speech plays during the movie's end credits and the unedited full speech is on YouTube.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jneilschulman.agorist.com/2013/10/three-new-alongside-night-videos/|title=Three New Alongside Night Videos « J. Neil Schulman|website=jneilschulman.agorist.com}}</ref> | |||
==Electoral history== | |||
{{Election box begin no change | |||
| title = ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.state.nm.us/uploads/files/Election%20Results/StatewidePrim10.pdf|title=Canvass of Returns of Primary Election Held on June 1, 2010 – State of New Mexico|publisher=State of New Mexico|access-date=September 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221134921/http://www.sos.state.nm.us/uploads/files/Election%20Results/StatewidePrim10.pdf|archive-date=February 21, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
}} | |||
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | |||
| candidate = Thomas E. Mullins | |||
| party = Republican Party (United States) | |||
| votes = 23,301 | |||
| percentage = 71.3 | |||
}} | |||
{{Election box candidate with party link no change | |||
| candidate = Adam C. Kokesh | |||
| party = Republican Party (United States) | |||
| votes = 9,372 | |||
| percentage = 28.7 | |||
}} | |||
{{Election box total no change | |||
| votes = 32,673 | |||
| percentage = 100 | |||
}} | |||
{{Election box end}} | |||
==See also== | |||
{{Portal|Biography|Libertarianism}} | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{ |
{{reflist}} | ||
==External links== | == External links == | ||
{{sisterlinks|d=Q4679358|c=Category:Adam Kokesh|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|q=no|s=Author:Adam Charles Kokesh|wikt=no|species=no}} | |||
{{commonscat|Adam Kokesh}} | |||
* {{official}} | |||
* {{Official website|http://www.adamvstheman.com/}} | |||
* {{ |
* {{C-SPAN|1025686}} | ||
* {{ |
* {{IMDb name|3174254}} | ||
{{United States presidential election, 2020}} | |||
{{authority control}} | |||
{{Persondata | |||
|NAME=Kokesh, Adam | |||
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= | |||
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=United States Marine; activist | |||
|DATE OF BIRTH=February 1, 1982 | |||
|PLACE OF BIRTH=San Francisco, California, United States | |||
|DATE OF DEATH= | |||
|PLACE OF DEATH= | |||
}} | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kokesh, Adam}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Kokesh, Adam}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 06:51, 19 December 2024
American political activist (born 1982)
Adam Kokesh | |
---|---|
Kokesh in 2013 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Adam Charles Kokesh (1982-02-01) February 1, 1982 (age 42) San Francisco, California, U.S. |
Political party | Libertarian (2013–present) |
Other political affiliations | Republican (before 2013) |
Residence(s) | Ash Fork, Arizona, U.S. |
Education | Claremont McKenna College, George Washington University |
Occupation | Activist, author, independent journalist |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Marine Corps |
Years of service | 1999–2007 |
Rank | Corporal |
Unit | 3rd Civil Affairs Group |
Battles/wars | Iraq War |
Adam Charles Kokesh (/ˈkoʊkɛʃ/; born February 1, 1982) is an American libertarian political activist, radio host, and author. He was a candidate in the U.S. 2020 Libertarian Party presidential primaries, running on the single-issue platform of an "orderly dissolution of the federal government."
Kokesh is a former U.S. Marine Corps corporal, serving in the Iraq War in 2004. Upon his return from Iraq, he became an anti-war activist and an advocate for Iraq Veterans Against the War. He emerged as a radio talk show host in 2011 when his TV, radio, and web access show Adam vs. The Man was licensed by RT America; this show was cancelled months later due to an FEC complaint.
Early life
Adam Kokesh was born on February 1, 1982, in San Francisco, California, and is of German and Jewish heritage. He was raised in a middle-class family, and is the oldest of five siblings. His parents divorced when he was 10, after which Kokesh says he took refuge in punk rock.
His father, Charles Kokesh, is a businessman, trophy hunter, and at one time the owner of Santa Fe Horse Park.
As an adolescent, Kokesh had an interest in sports, science and technology, and was encouraged by his parents to read numerous books. When Kokesh was fourteen, he attended Devil Pups junior base camp at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, California.
He attended Stevenson School, a boarding school in Pebble Beach, for his first year of high school, until he was kicked out for possession of alcohol.
He later attended the Native American Preparatory School in San Miguel County, New Mexico. During high school, Kokesh founded the campus radio station.
Kokesh received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Claremont McKenna College. He was the president of the Libertarian Club in college. He later enrolled in graduate studies in political management at George Washington University.
Military service
Kokesh says he was inspired by his grandfather to enlist in the United States Marine Corps reserves at the age of seventeen, while still attending high school.
Following graduation from high school, Kokesh volunteered to go to Fallujah, Iraq, with the 3rd Civil Affairs Group. For his tour in Iraq from February to September 2004, he received a Navy Commendation Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, and was promoted to the rank of a sergeant. He worked in schools and mosques, observed house raids, and says he was in a couple of convoys hit by IEDs.
After completing his first tour, he became disillusioned with the war. Kokesh learned Arabic during his tenure in Iraq.
After Kokesh was honorably discharged in September, he remained a member of the Individual Ready Reserve. He was scheduled to return to Iraq for a second tour, however Kokesh was demoted to a corporal and discharged from the Marine Corps after he wore his Marine uniform during an anti-war demonstration.
Activism
Iraq Veterans Against The War
In February 2007, he became an active participant in the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). On March 19, to mark the 4th anniversary of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Kokesh and twelve other IVAW members participated in an occupation-like mock patrol of Washington, D.C.
Kokesh first came to national attention after he was interviewed on CNN and ABC, and his photograph appeared in various newspapers, including the front page of the Los Angeles Times at a protest during Alberto Gonzales's testimony to Congress regarding the dismissal of U.S. attorneys. Kokesh, wearing his Marine Corps Boonie hat, held up a sign counting the number of times Gonzalez said "I don't remember" or "I don't recall" (Kokesh claimed Gonzalez used such phrases 74 times).
In April 2007, Kokesh and a number of other activists were arrested after protesting the Iraq war in the Senate Hart Office Building. Kokesh had performed a ceremony for lost service members using an American flag.
During the Senate Hart Office Building demonstration, Kokesh was wearing combat fatigue pants (with name tags and emblems removed), which the Marine Corps prohibits reserve troops from wearing during anti-war demonstrations. After Kokesh was contacted via e-mail with a warning for violating uniform regulations, he responded with a refusal to comply and used an expletive in his reply. He contends that the warning was an attempt to silence and punish members of the military for exercising their constitutional rights; while the Marine Corps said it was a matter of ordinary discipline and Kokesh was not singled out. In June, a panel of officers stripped Kokesh of his "honorable discharge" status as a result of his conduct.
Supporters of Kokesh from around the country later staged a protest, holding banners and signs in support of Kokesh, and criticizing George W. Bush over the war. Many of the protestors wore red badges bearing the number "3,495", the number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq at the time.
In June 2007, Kokesh, along with IVAW members Liam Madden and Nate Lewis, was arrested for crossing onto Fort Benning during an anti-war protest. A spokesperson for the IVAW said the three had accidentally stepped onto the base while talking to a guard. The trespass charges were dismissed.
Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign
On September 2, 2008, Kokesh spoke at Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Thomas Jefferson Memorial silent dance
On May 28, 2011, Kokesh and other activists participated in a flash mob-silent dance at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C., in protest of a recent ruling against dancing within the monument.
Kokesh, along with four others including Medea Benjamin of Code Pink, were arrested by the U.S. Park Police for demonstrating without a permit. Kokesh was told he was under arrest after dancing a jig. He refused officers orders and was subsequently violently body-slammed onto the marble floor, put in a choke hold, then cuffed. The aggressive nature of the arrests raised concerns about the actions of some of the officers and prompted an internal investigation by the Park Police.
A much larger protest on June 4 organized by Kokesh and Code Pink involved about 200 protesters and 75 dancers. About 10 minutes after the dancing began, police began clearing the monument. No arrests were made. When asked by a journalist if he had a permit to protest, Kokesh reportedly produced a copy of the Constitution and said, "Actually I got a permit. It's the same one I swore an oath to when I enlisted in the Marine Corps. And it says something about 'freedom of assembly.'"
Veterans for Ron Paul (2012)
Kokesh was a spokesperson for "Veterans for Ron Paul", a grassroots group in support of the Ron Paul 2012 presidential campaign.
On February 20, 2012, after a "Veterans for Ron Paul" rally organized by Kokesh, 500 marchers, including veterans, active-duty service, and their families, marched towards the White House. There they engaged in ceremonial flag-folding in memory of deceased soldiers and periods of silence for soldiers who died in battle and for those who committed suicide after returning.
Cursing ban in Middleborough, Massachusetts
On June 26, 2012, Kokesh organized a protest against the decision of Middleborough, Massachusetts, to ban cursing in public with punishment of a $20 fine. Kokesh said efforts to limit citizens' free speech was "more offensive, vulgar and obscene than any curse word."
In October 2012, the decision was overturned by the state's attorney general on the grounds that it was unconstitutional.
Open Carry March on Washington
In May 2013, Kokesh announced an "Open Carry March on Washington" where thousands of marchers bearing arms would cross from Virginia into Washington, D.C., on Independence Day to protest strict gun laws. He described the event as a nonviolent demonstration to be coordinated with DC law enforcement and that marchers should respond "with Satyagraha" and peacefully turn back if met with force, and should be prepared to "submit to arrest without resisting."
On July 4, 2013, Kokesh posted a YouTube video of himself allegedly loading a shotgun in Freedom Plaza in the District of Columbia in open defiance of DC law. Police indicated they believed he may have used a green screen, though on his return to the plaza on July 8 he insisted data from government surveillance cameras in Freedom Plaza would show he was there.
On the evening of July 9, a U.S. Park Police SWAT team raided Kokesh's house in Herndon, Virginia, executing a search warrant for the shotgun and raw footage from the July 4 video. With helicopters providing air support, the police officers knocked then kicked in the door and lobbed a flash grenade in the foyer, filling the house with smoke. Police clad in body armor stormed in and handcuffed Kokesh and his housemates, who alleged mistreatment during the raid and the ensuing five-hour search, which allegedly turned up the shotgun and Psilocybin mushrooms. Kokesh was charged with possession of Schedule I or II drugs and possession of a gun with Schedule I or II drugs, both felonies. Kokesh refused to leave his cell to be arraigned and fingerprinted, but was arraigned by a judge in his cell the next day.
In a jailhouse interview on July 18 Kokesh denied any connection to the drugs found in the raid, implying they were planted. On the same day, Kokesh announced his plans to run for President of the United States in 2020 on a platform of an orderly dissolution of the U.S. Federal Government.
On July 26, Kokesh posted bail in Virginia and was immediately rearrested by U.S. Park Police for breaking a D.C. law forbidding bearing arms which carries a penalty of up to five years in jail, in connection with his Freedom Plaza video. Magistrate Judge Lori Parker ordered Kokesh to remain in the D.C. jail over the weekend because, she said, he had violated the rules of his release in another case. Specifically, she noted that in June 2013, Kokesh was charged with possession of marijuana after he was arrested on the south side of the White House allegedly smoking a marijuana cigarette. On July 29 D.C. Superior Court Judge Frederick Sullivan, calling Kokesh "a very dangerous man," ordered him to remain in D.C. jail until trial.
On November 6, 2013, Kokesh was released from jail after waiving his right to a trial and pleading guilty to the July 4 weapons charges and a marijuana possession charge from the June 8 White House protest. On January 16, 2014, Kokesh was sentenced to two years of probation.
On June 12, 2014, Kokesh, after entering an Alford plea in Circuit Court to two felonies related to his possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms while possessing a gun, was convicted of drug and gun charges, which he did not contest. In September, Kokesh received a suspended sentence.
Protest against the war in Syria
In April 2017, Kokesh had organized a demonstration in front of the White House as a protest against the Syrian bombing campaign, but before it could start Kokesh was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court on charges related to him disrupting a TSA security line in Maryland in 2015.
2010 New Mexico 3rd Congressional District bid
On October 15, 2009, Kokesh filed with the FEC to run for the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico's 3rd congressional district as a Republican.
He finished second in the Republican primary with 29 percent of the vote, losing the nomination to businessman Tom Mullins, who went on to lose the November general election to incumbent Democrat Ben Ray Luján.
FREEDOM!
While in jail after his 2013 arrest stemming from his civil disobedience at Freedom Plaza, Kokesh began work on his book FREEDOM!
Kokesh got the idea for the book while reading other libertarian tracts during his stay in jail. The book advocates for the use of cryptocurrency and claims the safest populace is a well-armed one. FREEDOM! was published on Independence Day (July 4) in 2014.
Book tours
In August 2016, Kokesh embarked on the "For the Love of FREEDOM!" tour. The tour, featuring over 60 stops and including all of the 48 contiguous states, served as an exploratory tour for his 2020 Presidential run. Free copies of his book were given away to all in attendance at each event.
In January 2019, 204,453 copies of FREEDOM! were mailed for free to residents in many neighbourhoods of New Orleans, Louisiana. The distribution cost around US$131,000, which was primarily raised from cryptocurrency-related companies.
2020 presidential campaign
On July 23, 2013, Kokesh announced his candidacy for U.S. president in 2020 from a jailhouse interview with Fox 5, after he was arrested for the Open Carry incident earlier that month. He stated he was running on the single-issue idea of an "orderly dissolution of the U.S. Federal Government". He was the first Libertarian Party candidate to announce a presidential bid for the 2020 election.
On January 16, 2018, Kokesh reaffirmed his candidacy for president. He was pulled over by Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers twice that day and arrested the second time on marijuana and controlled substance charges. He was bailed out on January 25.
In April 2020, he announced John McAfee, the software developer running his own campaign for the nomination, as his running mate; McAfee also endorsed Kokesh.
Kokesh was eliminated in the second round of the 2020 Libertarian National Convention, and after initially not endorsing a candidate, eventually endorsed Libertarian nominee Jo Jorgensen's campaign after public backlash.
Endorsements
- Arvin Vohra, endorsed after he was eliminated in primary
- Cynthia McKinney, former Democratic Representative and Green Party politician
- John McAfee, software developer
Political positions
Kokesh views government as the greatest cause of violence in the world today and believes that governmental coercion is just as undesirable as coercion performed by a private citizen. He believes that government should be abolished in order to reduce violence and build a society based on respect. Kokesh has stated he does not hate the people running the U.S. government, however he believes government has invalidated itself by betraying the principles from which it was founded.
Kokesh ran for President of the United States in 2020 on the platform of an orderly dissolution of the federal government. Kokesh stated that if elected, he would immediately sign his one-and-only executive order to declare the federal government bankrupt and of no authority. He would then resign to become "Custodian of the Federal Government" to oversee the process as a bankruptcy agent. Every federal agency would then either be liquidated, localized to the state level or privatized, over the next four years.
Kokesh supports a non-interventionist foreign policy. Kokesh is a prominent anti-war activist.
Adam vs. The Man
Radio
Adam vs. The Man was a talk show which was available in a variety of formats, such as AM radio, web-access, podcast and Facebook-linked YouTube channel. Initially airing in 2011 as an evening two-hour broadcast on KIVA AM 1550 talk radio in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Adam vs. The Man then shifted to a half-hour video news format on RT before fully moving to the internet as an hour-long video podcast. On April 7, 2014, AVTM 4.0 was launched from Los Angeles, California, and could be viewed live daily from noon to 2 PM, Pacific Time Zone.
RT America
Adam vs. The Man was licensed by the Russian affiliated RT America in April 2011. The move was criticized by Accuracy in Media's columnist Cliff Kincaid who referenced his own column entry from 2008 discussing RT's coverage of the Russia–Georgian War in which he condemned RT for "preferring to use foreigners, especially Americans, to make Russian propaganda points" before stating that "the American Marine Veteran, Adam Kokesh, seems to fit the bill, having emerged as an anti-war activist who ran as a Republican for Congress and supported Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) for president". Slate writer David Weigel quoted Kokesh describing RT's model, saying: "Truth is the best propaganda. I love it! I really love the concept of that. It's funny: People say we're hiding shit as a network. No, no—we put the fact that this is propaganda right out front. We're putting out the truth that no one else wants to say. I mean, if you want to put it in the worst possible abstract, it's the Russian government, which is a competing protection racket against the other governments of the world, going against the United States and calling them on their bullshit."
After only a few months on RT, Adam vs. The Man was canceled in August by the network to avoid potential legal problems stemming from a Federal Election Commission complaint filed against RT by the group America's Survival, Inc. over the matter of Kokesh endorsing Ron Paul for President (thereby allegedly running afoul of the Foreign Agents Registration Act).
YouTube channel
Kokesh routinely uploads activism videos to his YouTube channel, Adam vs. The Man. As of July 2019, the YouTube channel had 248,000 subscribers. Topics include Kokesh's political views, and videos about how to complete a DUI-checkpoint.
In 2015, the Kokesh renamed the channel to Freedom!
As of December 30, 2020, Adam Kokesh's YouTube channel is named "Adam Kokesh"
Film appearances
Kokesh appears in the role of "A Soldier" in the 2016 film The Prey, and as himself in the documentaries The Road to Fallujah (2008), For Liberty: How the Ron Paul Revolution Watered the Withered Tree of Liberty (2009), Owned & Operated (2012), Derrick J's Victimless Crime Spree (2012), ShadowRing (2015), and Gray State: The Rise (2015).
On January 19, 2013, Kokesh appeared as a future version of himself at an anti-war-debt rally scene in the 2014 sci-fi thriller, Alongside Night. Kokesh wrote the speech he delivered, a tribute to the character of Dr. Martin Vreeland (played by Kevin Sorbo), in the background during an action sequence. Most of the speech plays during the movie's end credits and the unedited full speech is on YouTube.
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Thomas E. Mullins | 23,301 | 71.3 | |
Republican | Adam C. Kokesh | 9,372 | 28.7 | |
Total votes | 32,673 | 100 |
See also
References
- ^ "Iraq War Stories: Adam Kokesh". Albuquerque Journal. September 5, 2010. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- Johnson, Timothy (May 29, 2013). "Adam Kokesh Calls Off Armed March On D.C. In Favor Of 50 State March For "Orderly Dissolution Of The Federal Government"". Media Matters. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
- "Ron Paul booster's show cancelled after FEC complaint". Politico.
- "Meet Iraq Veteran Adam Kokesh, the New Mouthpiece of the Anti-War Movement". June 28, 2007. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008.
- ^ Details Magazine, April 2015. Details. 2015. pp. 101–103.
- ^ "Adam & Charles vs. The Man". Santa Fe Reporter. November 19, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- Matthew Reichbach, Adam Kokesh launches northern New Mexico congressional campaign Archived July 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, American Independent News Network, July 6, 2009.
- David Montgomery, "In Clash With Marines, Reservists Gain Ally in VFW", The Washington Post, June 2, 2007.
- ^ "Full text of "Kansas State collegian"". archive.org. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- ^ Szoldra, Paul (May 7, 2013). "Activist Is Trying To Get 10,000 People To March On DC With Loaded Rifles". Business Insider Australia. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- Heather Hollingsworth (May 31, 2007). "Marine Vet Faces Hearing Over Protest". The Washington Post. Associated Press.
- ^ Marine veteran, protester faces discharge, United Press International, June 4, 2007.
- "Iraq Vet Who Wore Uniform to War Protest Gets General Discharge". Associated Press. March 25, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ "For US military veterans, a free-speech dispute". Christian Science Monitor. June 8, 2007. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- David Montgomery (March 21, 2007). "Anti-war Iraq vets stage mock patrol D.C. residents get a taste of occupation". The Journal Gazette. p. 6.A.
- Paul Kane (April 20, 2007). "The AG hearing: A post-mortem". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008.
- ^ "Zip It, Soldier!". Mother Jones. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- ^ Cameron, Dell (May 23, 2013). "Speaking with Adam Kokesh, Before He Was Detained by the Feds". Vice. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- ^ "Corrected: Marines move to discharge protesting Iraq vet". Reuters. June 5, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
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External links
Categories:- 1982 births
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