Independent journalist Andy Ngo has gained a following for his coverage of Antifa protests in Portland, Oregon, and, more recently, the assault perpetrated by masked assailants during one protest in June of this year.
Four months later, Ngo voiced his frustrations with the investigation into his assault, what his predictions are for the Antifa movement if President Trump wins in 2020, and what the future holds for his reporting on the group.
Speaking at the Heritage Foundation about Antifa and to Townhall and the Daily Caller after the event, on Thursday, Ngo said while he understands a police investigation can take time, he said the detective assigned to his case has not spoken to him in over three months.
"So, you know for a case that was as high profile as mine, I thought like, geez there should be kind of creating pressure to do more, right? At least just to keep me informed," he said.
Ngo said he suspects the lack of quick action for his case stems from the higher-ups in Portland.
"To me, it's intentional that nobody on [the] city council reached out to me after what happened. I was actually expecting the mayor to at least give me a call, you know, to say something similar to like [Rep.] Eric Swalwell, like, 'I disagree with you blah, blah, blah, but what happened to you is wrong.' And that never happened. So, it's frustrating just on like a human level."
Ngo explained the Antifa movement within the United States gained prominence and membership after Trump won in 2016, using the newly-elected president as evidence to say fascism is on the rise in America. If re-elected, Ngo said, cities can expect Antifa to show up in greater numbers.
"I believe it will be an even bigger reaction than what we saw in 2016 in some cities...because now Antifa has more name recognition. The opposition to the Trump administration is more and more deranged," he said, pointing to how liberals constantly compare Trump to Adolf Hitler. "This is concerning and scary. It should scare, particularly people who live in left-wing strongholds...because that's where you're going to probably have political violence."
With his assault and a recent incident in October, where suspected Antifa members showed up to his family home in Portland, Ngo said he plans on moving from the city.
I was beaten on the head & robbed on 29 June. Antifa then continued to hurl "milkshakes" at my bleeding face. I was hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage. There still hasn't been a single arrest by @PortlandPolice. Help me seek justice; join my legal fund: https://t.co/QtCt7A6zJp pic.twitter.com/sis8pFo3lf
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) August 10, 2019
"I thought about that a few months ago," Ngo said, telling how his friends asked him why he continues to write about Antifa with the constant threats.
"I thought, 'Maybe they have a point.' You know I write about other things that annoy the Left, like hate crime hoaxes and all that, but it doesn't really drive them as crazy as my criticism of Antifa," he said. "But I've continued it. I just had to change the way I cover and get smarter, as well. Unfortunately, I can't cover protests anymore. I actually really miss being able to just record things that were happening in public."
"I'm going to have to move. It's just really become untenable since June, of the repeated doxxing," Ngo added. "I've stayed where I've stayed because my father is ill, but it's, unfortunately, the reaction and hatred against me is bleeding into [and] targeting those who are around me, and I can't put them through that."
During the lecture, HuffPost reporter Luke O'Brien asked Ngo if he would disavow an article that appeared in Quillette magazine in May, where Ngo was an editor at the time, which detailed journalists who sympathized with Antifa. O'Brien said he had evidence the author of the article, Eoin Lenihan, was in group chats where users espoused racism and anti-Semitism.
In his response, Ngo condemned all violence against journalists and stated he was not involved in the publication of the article.
O'Brien and other critics of Ngo have accused him of helping provide a kill list to neo-Nazi groups with the article's publication and advertisement. It has even spawned a bit of rallying cry for detractors, "Andy Ngo is a threat to our community and provides kill lists for Atomwaffen."
Ngo said he had not seen the group chats, but said people should read the piece because it shows the biases of people within the media. He said a video that appeared to be based on the article calling for the death of journalists should be investigated, and police should hold those responsible for the video accountable.
Despite a heavy police presence, there was no large counter-protest outside of the Heritage Foundation's building. Three Antifa members showed up holding signs that read "Andy Ngo is a fraud" and "Andy Ngo is a threat to our community and provides kill lists for Atomwaffen."
Up close photo of their signs. pic.twitter.com/xOomH036MJ
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) November 7, 2019