Cam Higby
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NTBCW CARL
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MMA 6 26
Right-wing media’s response to results of LA mayoral primary race is a preview of their midterm playbook
Right-wing media have been using footage from an emerging group of right-wing influencers to allege fraud during CA primary elections
Written by Kayla Gogarty
Research contributions from Hanne MacDonald, Isabella Sherk, Gideon Taaffe & Jack Winstanley
Published 06/18/26
Following Nithya Raman's late surge over Spencer Pratt in the primary results for Los Angeles mayor, right-wing media and the Trump administration leveraged often misleading videos from an emerging group of right-wing influencers to undermine the results.
This tactic fuels election misinformation narratives among the right-wing media and serves to provide so-called “proof” of their conspiracy theories to dispute election results, even though their “proof” is often exaggerated or misleading and voter fraud is extremely rare.
An emerging group of right-wing influencers are mirroring James O'Keefe's tactics
As MAGA-aligned influencers try to make a name for themselves in a crowded field, there is an emerging group of right-wing influencers who describe themselves as “independent journalists” and post on-the-ground, documentary-style videos that spread right-wing narratives on social media. These influencers are using James O’Keefe’s template for undercover sting-style and often misleading videos meant to expose and embarrass liberal organizations and causes.
Among these influencers are Nick Shirley, who gained prominence in recent months following his so-called investigation into fraud in Minneapolis day care centers; Muckraker's Anthony Rubin (who describes himself as a “guerrilla journalist”); and several influencers affiliated with Turning Point USA's Frontlines, including Cam Higby, Savanah Hernandez, and Jonathan Choe. O'Keefe also entered the fold in March, launching Citizen Justice League — a self-described “network of citizen journalists” — and descending into California along with Choe and other Frontlines influencers.
- ### In March, right-wing influencers descended on Skid Row, claiming to uncover voter registration fraud
In March, several right-wing influencers including, Rubin, Cam Higby,, Savanah Hernandez descended on Skid Row — a 50-block neighborhood in Los Angeles that is officially called Central City East. These self-described “independent journalists” published content alleging a voter registration fraud scheme on Skid Row that involves canvassers registering people to vote and sign ballot initiatives in exchange for cash, cigarettes, and marijuana. Most of the videos appear to be in collaboration with O'Keefe's Citizen Justice League.
Citation
Screenshots via YouTube and Instagram / Media Matters
O'Keefe and others from O'Keefe Media Group “went undercover on Skid Row, posing as homeless individuals,” and they claimed that they captured “28 Instances Of Cash Changing Hands For Ballot Signatures & Voter Registration Forms” on hidden cameras, including footage of a petitioner, Brenda Brown. In the video, O'Keefe alleged that Brown “hands cash money to the homeless person, not only for signing the California ballot initiative, but also as payment for them to register to vote.”
Video
Citation
From a March 17, 2026, YouTube video from O’Keefe Media Group and Citizen Justice League
On March 24, O'Keefe published a second video, alleging that homeless individuals were being paid “to forge the signatures and addresses of current registered voters on ballot measure petitions.”
Following the publication of the Skid Row videos, right-wing media outlets and personalities — including Sinclair’s The National News Desk and, the New York Post,, and — spread the videos and their claims of bribes. O’Keefe, in particular, was interviewed on several programs — including
, The Charlie Kirk Show, The Alex Jones Show, and Steve Bannon's *War Room* — where he made unfounded claims that this alleged fraud has occurred potentially
of times.
- ### After the California primaries, right-wing media leveraged content from right-wing influencers and suggested fraud in Nithya Raman late surge in votes
When the votes started to be counted in the jungle primary race, current mayor Karen Bass quickly qualified for the runoff; for the second spot, Spencer Pratt had an early lead, but as Nithya Raman surged ahead of him in the following days, right-wing media's election denial machine went into action, asserting that the election was rigged without pointing to any specific instances of voting fraud.
As Cam Higby noted during a discussion of the California primaries, “To be clear, we don't know for sure that the crimes that we caught people committing in our investigation are directly linked to the mayoral primary or the gubernatorial primary. We're just pointing out, ‘Hey, seems a little bit weird that they're doing a ballot scam just a couple months before the election.’”
Regardless, right-wing media are still using O'Keefe's and other right-wing influencers’ claims about unhoused people registering to vote at homeless shelters on Skid Row to make vague assertions about the Los Angeles primary. On The Benny Show, California Post's Joel Pollak said, “I think the evidence is starting to point us toward a vote harvesting operation that probably targeted Skid Row and other areas where there were many homeless people who could be registered to vote and could be encouraged either to sign their ballots in favor of Nithya Raman or to give them to people who would collect the ballots for them.”
On his show, The Daily Wire's Michael Knowles questioned Raman's second-place win, claiming, “What that implies is that Democrat activists went around and harvested ballots and perhaps forged ballots or bought ballots to beef up Nithya Raman, who nobody likes, to make sure that Spencer Pratt was not in the runoff.” Minutes later, Knowles praised O'Keefe: “Thankfully, we have James O'Keefe who has come out, done an undercover investigation to actually film these ballot harvesters paying people to register.”
On War Room, Election Integrity Network’s Cleta Mitchell — whom The Guardian called “a rising star of Republican election denialism” in 2024 — similarly invoked O'Keefe during a discussion of the California primaries with Bannon. Mitchell alleged that O'Keefe has recently published videos “showing the political hacks going to the homeless, who are the predominant constituency I suppose in LA now, and offering them drugs and money for ballots. … They knew as of election night how many votes the third-place finisher needed and they just gone out and gotten those votes.”
- ### The Trump administration picked up right-wing influencers’ videos to cast doubt on the California primaries
The Skid Row videos came amid Trump and his right-wing media allies’ push for the passage of the SAVE America Act, which aims to rewrite election laws nationwide and would, if passed, create new barriers for people attempting to register to vote. On March 24, the same day O'Keefe released his second Skid Row video, Trump posted to Truth Social a screenshot of and link to O’Keefe’s social media post promoting the video, adding, “Terrible!”
In his March 17 video, O’Keefe specifically claimed, “The Department of Justice has been sent these tapes of election fraud cash exchange for voter registration happening in broad daylight, and we have informed the Department of Justice there are more tapes coming.”
Two months later, the DOJ announced that petitioner Brenda Brown, who had been featured in O'Keefe's video, was “charged with one felony count of paying another person to register to vote, a federal charge that carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.” Following the charges, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli credited O'Keefe's undercover video for leading to the charges: “I think that was widely reported and it was all over the press and as a result of that, initiated and opened up a criminal investigation with the FBI.” Essayli also said that Brown is “simply the first person that we are announcing charges for in this investigation resulting from some undercover videos that took place at Skid Row.”
O'Keefe and other right-wing influencers have boasted about their role in these investigations, and after the California primaries, Essayli went on a right-wing media tour, claiming to have evidence of election fraud in California that will lead to prosecutions and encouraging people to send in tips to help the DOJ investigate the supposed election rigging.
- ### This California playbook is a preview of what the right-wing media and the Trump administration will do to undermine the midterm elections results
As the 2026 midterms approach, right-wing media and the Trump administration appear to have ramped up their efforts to undermine the midterm elections – often invoking existing and repeatedly debunked conspiracy theoriesabout widespread election fraud in the U.S. and typically relying on one-off incidents and hypotheticals that are often exaggerated or misleading.
Content from right-wing influencers serves to provide the so-called “proof” of election conspiracy theories and fuels election misinformation narratives throughout right-wing media. It also gives the administration an excuse to argue for policies or actions that would restrict voter access.
While the March content focuses on Skid Row, it dovetails with other videos from these creators that misleadingly claim to show widespread voter fraud in other places, as well as previous content with now-debunked accusations about homelessness services in California.
In January, Benny Johnson was on the ground in California, including on Skid Row, claiming that he would help American taxpayers “see first-hand how criminal California fraud is robbing our nation blind.” In February, Nick Shirley published alleging voter fraud in California. According to Shirley, he went “to locations from California’s public voter rolls from the Secretary of State, and not a single location could verify the voter rolls.”
All of this content claiming fraud in California has been fodder for vague claims of widespread election fraud for those unhappy with the results of the California primaries — and it is all a preview of how this playbook can be used to undermine the upcoming midterm elections.
//
02/18/26 4:25 PM EST
01/11/12 4:54 PM EST
06/10/26
===
MMA
01/26/26
January 26, 2026, edition of The Benny Show, streamed to YouTube
BENNY JOHNSON (HOST): This is incredible to hear, and this has now been exposed with some of these Signal chat leaks, the independent journalist who had done the exposing was just on right before you and wanted to ask about this. He says that he has submitted some of the information that was available. There are top level leaders inside of the political infrastructure of Minnesota who are on these chats, and, obviously, you can't conspire in order to attack federal agents. This is something that is at scale. They have license plate readers. They're able to identify these agents. They're able to dox them, find out where they're sleeping at night. Is any of this legal, Kash?
KASH PATEL (FBI DIRECTOR): That's exactly what we're investigating. Look, again, the First Amendment, you wanna go peacefully protest, do it. You wanna bring your firearm, under the law, you're allowed to bring it as long as you don't incite violence and or commit another crime in doing so.
What we're asking people to do, what I'm asking people to do is on the ground in Minnesota is, why would you bring a firearm in a situation that is so volatile right now, where so many arrests have been made, where so many people are coordinating to attack and expose federal law enforcement officers? That is just not smart. It is just not going to lead to a good scenario. And so we need everybody to tamp down, obviously, on that side.
But you're right, some of the best reporting has been through you, and, I think Mr. Higby was just on before I was, and other individuals. Just so you guys know, we look at all this stuff. As soon as Higby put that post out, I opened an investigation on it.
Just like any other case, when we say, hey, quote, unquote, there was an attack in downtown Seattle. Does the public have information? We, the FBI, are looking to the public for information on these events. We immediately opened up that investigation because that sort of Signal chat being coordinated with individuals, not just locally in Minnesota, but maybe even around the country, if that leads to a break in the federal statute or a violation of some law, then we are going to arrest people. You cannot create a scenario that illegally entraps and puts law enforcement in harm's way.
Now, we will balance the First and Second Amendment constantly, but we have to let the community know that we will not tolerate acts of violence and an escalation and a violation of the federal code. There has to be a break point, and you've seen it broken in Minneapolis time and time again.
01/26/26
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cam
https://x.com/camhigby/status/1934135321882664985
·
BREAKING: I have identified the Antifa militant who assaulted
in Seattle. Jeremy Calvin Lawson, 33, of Monroe, Washington. Lawson uses the alias “Jack Rack” and has a history of involvement with Antifa, including Antifa affiliated tattoos.
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says she pushed him over bkwards
Higby is no stranger to being physically attacked for his MAGA affiliation.
Back in June, three men were caught on camera choking and beating him before he deployed pepper-spray on one of the assailants. He said that the incident gave him a concussion.
ggl 10 25
31 yo tamara port? drunk? small? he falls out of chair with mike in his hand, she moves away and he quickly chases and maces her; she of color, much smaller than 2 dudes; going for hat?
- 'MAGA influencer' pepper-sprays woman in scuffle outside Union ...
Woman arrested after viral confrontation with MAGA 'influencer' A self-described "MAGA influencer" used pepper spray to fend off a...
FOX 5 DC
ASHINGTON - A self-described "MAGA influencer" used pepper spray to fend off a woman who tried to take off his "Make America Great Again" hat during a debate outside Union Station on Wednesday night. The scuffle was caught on camera.
What we know:
It happened around 8 p.m. on Wednesday, according to U.S. Park Police. Officers were called out to Columbus Circle after receiving reports of a "dispute." Video on social media from Cam Hiby shows what happened.
vid]
Higby is a personality for an online platform called Today is America. For just over two weeks, Higby and his partner David Khait have been traveling across the country, setting up on various college campuses with microphones and signs that say things like "The left is violent. Let's talk," for what they're calling the "Fearless Tour."
On Wednesday, the pair set up shop outside Union Station. In a video from Higby's social media, a woman can be seen sitting in front of Higby, who is sitting in a camping chair. The woman then reaches for Higby's hat, sending him falling backwards. The woman grabs the hat and then slams it down in Higby's face.
Higby then gets up and pepper sprays the woman as she walks away.
"A leftist decided to physically attack me at Union Station tonight," Higby wrote on X. "I deployed mace in self defense."
A later video showed U.S. Park Police officers taking the woman away in handcuffs.
In that video, the woman shouted toward Higby, saying things like "You're evil and you're violent," and "You're not Christians."
What we don't know:
USPP told FOX 5 DC that the woman had been "charged with multiple charges," but did not specify what those charges were.
What's next:
On Thursday, Fearless Debates shared pictures on social media of them set up on Georgetown University's campus for more debates.
The Source: Information in this story is from Cam Higby and Fearless Debates' social media accounts and the United States Park Police.
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Turning Point reporter Cam Higby harassed by trans ...}:
Campus Reform
https://www.campusreform.org › article › turning-point...](https://www.campusreform.org/article/turning-point-reporter-cam-higby-harassed-trans-activist-kirk-assassination-debate/28658)
Sep 22, 2025 — Turning Point USA reporter Cam Higby was confronted by a hostile audience while debating at the University of Washington last week in honor ...
Campus Reform the #1 Source for College News
[### MAGA influencer uses pepper spray after alleged assault ...
WJAR
https://turnto10.com › news › nation-world › maga-infl...](https://turnto10.com/news/nation-world/maga-influencer-uses-pepper-spray-after-alleged-assault-by-woman-at-union-station?photo=1)
8 days ago — Conservative influencer Cam Higby pepper sprayed a young woman after she assaulted him outside of Union Station in Washington D.C. on ...
[### Turning Point reporter Cam Higby harassed by trans ...
YouTube · Campus Reform
1.1K+ views · 2 weeks ago](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3khdwnrB3vM)
Turning Point reporter Cam Higby harassed by trans activist over Kirk assassination debate.
Missing: mace | Show results with: mace
[### Turning Point USA
Campus Reform
https://www.campusreform.org › articles › topic=Turni...](https://www.campusreform.org/articles?topic=Turning%20Point%20USA)
Far-left gun club uses Kirk assassin's anti-fascist slogan to recruit student members. Topics: Georgetown University.
[### Turning Point reporter Cam Higby harassed by trans ...
Facebook · Campus Reform
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Turning Point reporter Cam Higby harassed by trans activist over Kirk assassination debate Link in bio or read the story at ...
[### Turning Point reporter Cam Higby harassed by trans ...
Instagram · campusreform
50+ likes · 2 weeks ago](https://www.instagram.com/p/DO8hZvcEfuv/)
Turning Point reporter TuringPointreporerCamHigyh Cam Higby harassed by trans activist over Kirk assassination debate NOBO BE CAMPUS REFORM ...
Missing: mace | Show results with: mace
[### Campus Reform
X · campusreform
7 likes · 2 weeks ago](https://x.com/campusreform/status/1970473328935612739/photo/1)
Turning Point reporter Cam Higby harassed by trans activist over Kirk assassination debate Link in bio or read the story at ...
Missing: mace | Show results with: mace
[### Campus Reform the #1 Source for College News
Campus Reform
https://www.campusreform.org › ...](https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=6048The)
- Turning Point reporter Cam Higby harassed by trans activist over Kirk assassination debate · By ...
Missing: mace | Show results with: mace
[### His Campus Debate Turned Into A RIOT (ft. Cam Higby)
YouTube · Amala Ekpunobi
322.2K+ views · 1 week ago](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/X2F8WgfHTMg)
He Went To Their Campus For Debate. They MOBBED Him?! (ft. Cam Higby). His Campus Debate Turned Into A RIOT (ft. Cam Higby). 22K.
Missing: mace point reform
[### Video
Facebook · Amala Ekpunobi
1.2K+ reactions · 2 weeks ago](https://www.facebook.com/TheAmalaEkpunobi/videos/he-went-to-their-campus-for-debate-they-mobbed-him-ft-cam-higby/1516491856018429/)
Conservative influencer Cam Higby joins me to share his INSANE story of being mobbed, screamed at, robbed, and chased off Tennessee State ...
Missing: mace reform
:
- After Charlie Kirk assassination, Cam Higby attacked at Union Station
Cam Higby posted a video of the attack, where a woman was seen lunging at him. Cameron Higby, the political commentator, was alleg...
:{
Hindustan Times
- Cameron Higby - Political Commentary & Journalism | LinkedIn
I started creating videos related to politics, social issues and current events in 2019. Between 2019 and 2020 I was able to amass...
- Woman caught on camera allegedly lunging at MAGA activist in viral ...
Woman caught on camera allegedly lunging at MAGA activist in viral confrontation. ... A physical confrontation at Washington, DC's...
New York Post
[### Cameron Higby - Political Commentary & Journalism
LinkedIn · Cameron Higby
1.7K+ followers](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-higby-000981156)
Political Commentary & Journalism · Experience: Turning Point USA · Education: SUNY Canton · Location: Los Angeles · 500+ connections on LinkedIn.
[### After Charlie Kirk assassination, Cam Higby attacked at ...
Hindustan Times
https://www.hindustantimes.com › World news › us news](https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/after-charlie-kirk-assassination-cam-higby-attacked-at-union-station-sparks-outrage-violence-from-left-101759369668162.html)
Oct 2, 2025 — Cameron Higby, the political commentator, was allegedly attacked by a woman on October 1. Higby, who works at Today is America, posted a video ...
[### Meet Taylor Alexandra Forte. She's not just some random ...
Facebook · Terrence K Williams
21K+ reactions · 1 week ago](https://www.facebook.com/terrencekwilliams/posts/meet-taylor-alexandra-forte-shes-not-just-some-random-leftist-shes-a-public-scho/1418307536321647/)
Meet Taylor Alexandra Forte. She's not just some random leftist. She's a public school teacher in Prince George's County. And yet last night she ...
[### Carl Higbie
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Carl_Higbie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Higbie)
Carlton Milo Higbie IV (born April 23, 1983) is an American conservative political activist, author, and former US Navy SEAL.
[### The woman who attacked conservative Cam Higby in DC ...
Facebook · Shubham Mishra
50+ reactions · 1 week ago](https://www.facebook.com/100091904907256/posts/breaking-the-woman-who-attacked-conservative-cam-higby-in-dc-has-been-identified/744084345331722/)
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[### Turning Point reporter Cam Higby harassed by trans ...
Campus Reform
https://www.campusreform.org › article › turning-point...](https://www.campusreform.org/article/turning-point-reporter-cam-higby-harassed-trans-activist-kirk-assassination-debate/28658)
Sep 22, 2025 — Cam Higby, a frontline reporter for Turning Point USA, was met with violence and screaming while debating the idea that “Nobody should be ...
[### Cam Higby Real Name
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com › Discover](https://www.tiktok.com/discover/cam-higby-real-name)
Discover the real name of Cam Higby and insights about Cam High National School through engaging content and community highlights.See more videos about Cam ...
[### Cam Higby
IMDb
https://www.imdb.com › name](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15838661/)
Known for ; C.J. Pearson in The Wrap Up with CJ (2022). The Wrap Up with CJ. Podcast Series. Self - Host. 2024 • 1 ep ; Anarchy U (2024). Anarchy U · Short. Self - ...
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KOMO
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Jul 17, 2025 — The incident involved Cam Higby, a conservative independent journalist, who claims he was targeted for filming the event.
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ggl ai
According to his LinkedIn profile and numerous news reports, conservative commentator Cam Higby's real name is Cameron Higby. He uses his legal name in his work for the online platform Today is America.
Key details about Cameron Higby:
- Today is America: Higby is a personality for this online platform.
- The "Fearless Tour": Alongside his partner David Khait, Higby has been touring college campuses for debates and discussions.
- Union Station incident: He recently gained attention for a viral confrontation outside Union Station in Washington, D.C., where he used pepper spray on a woman who allegedly attacked him.
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