Goyim Defense League (GDL)

Overview

The Goyim Defense League (GDL) is a network of white supremacist, antisemitic, neo-Nazi provocateurs founded in 2018 by Jon Minadeo II. The GDL participates in provocative public displays of antisemitism and white supremacy, often displaying swastikas and other Nazi symbology. GDL publicity stunts often include public protests, online trolling campaigns, and flyer distribution. GDL uses the term “goyim,” a Hebrew and Yiddish word to describe non-Jews.

Ideology

GDL’s ideology is grounded in virulent antisemitism with the explicit goal of removing Jews from the United States. This ideology is conveyed through their propaganda laden with antisemitic conspiracy theories suggesting that Jews are responsible for the Transatlantic slave trade, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and insinuating that Jews have outsized influence in the media, finance, and the entertainment industry.

Notable Members

John Minadeo II

Jon Eugene Minadeo II is the leader and co-founder of the GDL. A high school dropout from Novato, California, Minadeo got his start in neo-Nazi and white supremacist circles by recording livestreams in his makeshift apartment studio, where he devotes much of his air time to Holocaust denial, denigrating minorities, and spreading conspiracy theories. Minadeo’s early streams appeared on YouTube before being de-platformed and subsequently moved to alternative social media sites such as BitChute.

In 2021, Minadeo established GoyimTV, a video streaming platform where he goes by “Handsome Truth” and hosts live podcasts, interacting with fellow neo-Nazis while still living in the Bay Area of California. In a March 2022 interview with The Press Democrat, Minadeo stated that he feared for his life as a result of the public backlash against his activities, namely distributing antisemitic flyers and dropping a banner over I-405 supporting rapper Kanye West’s antisemitic remarks.

In July 2022, Minadeo participated in a neo-Nazi networking event with members of the National Socialist Club (NSC-131), where he allegedly received two neo-Nazi tattoos from Blood Tribe founder and leader Christopher Pohlhaus. Two months later, Minadeo was arrested in Poland for an antisemitic demonstration in front of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Later that year, in December, Minadeo relocated to Florida, where he regularly networks with other white supremacists and participates in neo-Nazi events.

Patrick Little

Patrick Little, a Marine veteran and IT engineer from Albany, California, began his antisemitic activities in December 2017 after Twitter (now X) suspended his account for violating its terms of service. In 2018, Little ran against the late U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein for her seat. During his campaign, Little went on the “Name the Jew” tour across the United States, openly espousing antisemitic conspiracy theories and denying the Holocaust. After losing the election in a landslide, Little claimed he was a victim of voter fraud orchestrated by Jews and Zionists.

Notable Events and Activities

GDL engages in frequent public demonstrations as a means to spread its antisemitic and white supremacist ideology, primarily through displaying banners on highway overpasses and distributing flyers. In November 2021, GDL members canvassed Beverly Hills, California, with antisemitic flyers that read “EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF THE COVID AGENDA IS JEWISH,” blaming Jews for the COVID-19 pandemic.

GDL also frequently projects antisemitic messages onto public buildings. In February 2023, Robert Wilson projected “inventor of the ballpoint” on the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, referencing a conspiracy theory that postulates her diary was faked because it was written with a ballpoint pen, which did not have widespread use until after World War II. That same month, Minadeo and other members from GDL hung a banner outside the Daytona Speedway that read “Henry Ford was right about the Jews” and later projected “Hitler was right” onto the building.

Members of GDL have also been documented interacting with other white supremacist and neo-Nazi organizations. In September 2023, members of GDL joined Christopher Pohlhaus and his neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe for a public demonstration in Altamonte Springs, Florida, to protest the Disney Corporation’s pro-LGBTQ+ policies. Dubbed the “March of the Red Shirts,” participants waved swastikas flags and yelled “Heil Hitler” while giving Nazi salutes.

In July 2024, members from GDL and Patriot Front descended on Nashville, Tennessee, to stage a multi-day demonstration where they handed out antisemitic flyers and interrupted a Nashville city council meeting.

Symbology and Iconography

GDL Logo

The group’s name, Goyim Defense League (GDL), is a play on the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). GDL appropriated the ADL's logo, adding a white and red background to mimic the colors of the Nazi flag.