Moving Forward

First, I want to apologize for my recent absence. I needed some time to process everything and collect myself, and frankly, I had no words to express what I was going through. Nor could I honestly come out and say, “Don’t worry about me, guys. I’ll be fine and I’ll be back.” I've both seen and heard some of you express concern for me or show that you care about and support me. That has been so meaningful to me that I can't even tell you. But I do owe you not staying in the shadows. I made a promise that I would never abandon my post trying to help, no matter what. I’ve even quite brazenly stated the only thing that could ever stop me was if I were dead. Well, as luck would have it, here I am. Still with air in my lungs.

Last month, I had everything important to me and everything I was counting on ripped away from me, other than my son, thank God, and my home, at least for the time being. I put all of my trust somewhere I shouldn’t have, which led to my failure to protect myself, and ultimately caused me to lose everything. The reality is that this had been looming over me for some time. The past five months have felt like watching a slow-motion car crash unfold and being powerless to do anything about it. And when it finally struck, it was far more devastating and catastrophic than I even anticipated. I know some of you have seen me fall to pieces on a number of occasions this year. I tried with all my might to handle myself with as much grace and dignity as I could muster, despite feeling terrified and broken. Clearly, I failed miserably. And because I’ve been a wreck publicly, it led to various speculations. I was even getting medical advice in my chat because people were sure it must be hormonal. I guess it just goes to show we never really know what a person is going through unless they tell us.

Transparency and honesty are the only assets I ever felt I brought to this community; they’re really all I have. And they’re the things I’ve had people thank me for more than anything else. I have a very hard time not being an open book. It’s exhausting to measure my words and second-guess everything I say; it doesn’t come naturally to me. I can't share specific details about what happened. I’m hamstrung from saying anything in particular, and that’s killing me. I’m sure over time the truth will surface. I think it always does. The insinuations and attacks on my character, however, need to be addressed. My character, I think you know if you've been with me for any length of time, means everything to me. Honor and integrity matter to me deeply. Anyone claiming that I did something wrong, morally, ethically, legally, or even frowned upon in polite society, is not telling the truth. Period.

I know that most of you have only gotten to know me through a screen, and very few of you have ever met me in person or spent any real time with me. Despite that, I pray to God I’ve done an adequate job of showing you who I really am as a human being. I’m upfront about my flaws and foibles, of which there are many. But there is nothing in my character that is duplicitous, sneaky, greedy, devious, or anything else that would lead me to do anything genuinely bad to anybody. I would never harm anyone or even intentionally hurt their feelings. Unfortunately, as I learned a couple of years ago when I had people accusing me of being Mossad, just because something has zero truth to it, it doesn’t prevent people from saying it about you.

I know I run the risk of sounding like “thou doth protest too much,” and it’s very clear I’m trying hard to defend my own honor here, which never looks particularly great. But my honor and the reputation I’ve built over the last six years is literally all I have left to build on, and I have to start from scratch again. I can’t sit in silence while people attempt to smear me unjustly.

I’ve heard the accusations being made about me behind closed doors, and I can tell you they are absolutely not true.

Additionally, I’ve seen public innuendo from people with no firsthand knowledge of anything implying I, as well as others, did something awful to justify being disposed of. An admin in one of the Telegram chats was asked who was no longer part of Badlands. She responded with the names of five of us and then said, and I quote, “Trust me, Jon was 1000% correct in getting rid of them all. We aren’t at liberty to say right now but I’m furious at what was done to Jon.” That’s bullshit. None of us did anything to Jon or anyone else, and it’s defamatory to insinuate otherwise. This admin unfairly maligned five good people, again without any firsthand knowledge, and she was WRONG. What would be the purpose of these comments other than to create division, stir up drama, and damage the reputations of good people? Such remarks are not only unnecessary but also harmful to this movement, everyone involved, and the truth. This is the exact opposite of what this community stands for. Our entire purpose is centered on truth, facts, and evidence, not malicious gossip. Saying “trust me” without providing any evidence or even clarity about what the supposed accusation is completely robs others of the ability to use their own discernment, refute the claims, or even examine them at all.

I’m not sure where she got this idea or why she felt so bold as to proclaim it publicly, but it doesn’t matter. The point is that what she alluded to about me and the four other guys was untrue and harmful and needed to be addressed. If we’re not here for the truth, what’s the purpose of anything we do in this movement? Isn’t publicly smearing good people a tactic of the side we’re here to fight?

That said, my disputes are my disputes. I’m absolutely floored by the support and kindness I’ve received privately, but I don’t want or need to enlist people to go to war for me. The best path for everyone is forward, focusing on what truly matters. I respect and admire the content creators I previously worked with, and I care about them as people. I co-created and helped build that team, and I still believe in it. Please allow them to continue their work unhindered. At the end of the day, Badlands is still a business that people’s livelihoods are dependent upon.

In my time in this community, I’ve had the honor to be able to work with some amazing people and have had the good fortune to co-found two media groups that I feel have made a sizable, positive impact: We The Media and Badlands. I’m proud of both of them, and I’m proud of my contributions to both of them, but Badlands was pure magic to me. I’ve described Badlands many times as “lightning in a bottle” and explained that the way it came together absolutely felt like a God thing. We were so fortunate to be able to pull together all these brilliant minds who are also really good people. Badlands was so much more than the sum of its parts to me; I believe every person was an integral piece. I loved it there, and I’m heartbroken to no longer be a part of it, both the team and the community. I will sincerely miss being in the chats goofing around with you guys and getting to go to GART to be around what felt like my family. It honestly feels like a death. But I’m still immensely grateful to have been part of it, and I hope to see these people succeed well into the future.

My commitment to this movement has not wavered. For six years, I’ve been dedicated to returning Trump to the White House, saving our country, and helping people. Ironically, one of the main points I've tried to address lately is that we can't afford to let petty differences, or even large ones like religious beliefs, divide us. This movement should welcome anyone willing to share in the heavy lifting. We need each other, and we need all hands on deck. We can't afford to be fractured into fighting elements that have nothing to do with our most important goals.

This is not the first time I’ve been brought to my knees and almost taken out of this, and it probably won’t even be the last. But the only real defeat is in failing to get back up again. So here I am. Please help me focus on the getting-up part rather than getting knocked down, and let’s move forward together.

I somehow feel like I still have more to give and that this is my mission. I am so grateful to all of you who offer words of encouragement and support. I literally would not be here without you.

I'm happy to announce that I'll be returning to regular shows on my Rumble channel and reviving my Substack with weekly articles. My goal remains the same: to uplift and support people by sharing anything that might be helpful, whether it's an inspiring quote, a funny story, useful tips on health and clean living, or just some solace from the ugliness and craziness of the world. 

Lastly, I’d just like to just acknowledge that undoubtedly some of you will still be left with questions, of course. I understand and respect that fully, and I actually think that’s right. Part of what made our connection special was sharing our lives with you and allowing you to get to know us. I genuinely wish I could answer all of your questions, but unfortunately, I cannot.