Podcast Summary: "The Insurrectionist Running to Replace Nancy Mace"

It Could Happen Here – December 11, 2025
Host: Molly Conger (Weird Little Guys, guest host for Cool Zone Media)

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights Tyler Dykes, a white nationalist and January 6 insurrectionist now running for Congress in South Carolina’s 1st district, formerly represented by Nancy Mace. Host Molly Conger investigates Dykes's political ambitions, his efforts to preemptively distance himself from Nazi associations, and his track record of far-right extremist activity. The episode critically examines how such figures attempt to gain mainstream legitimacy and the disinformation they employ.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing the Candidate: Tyler Dykes

• Background: Tyler Dykes has filed to replace Nancy Mace, who left Congress to run for governor. He joins a crowded, ultra-conservative primary where extremism is common.

  • “It's distasteful, it's bigoted, it's chryso, fascist, xenophobic, poorly articulated, economically unsound, but it's not unique or interesting. These guys are a dime a dozen and they'll mostly be gone by the time the primaries end.” (04:22)

• Dykes’s Platform:

  • Mirrors Nancy Mace with a militarist, anti-immigrant, "America First" focus.
  • Mistakenly promises to cut property taxes as a Congressman (a state tax, not federal).
  • Emphasis on fighting for God and country; lots of martial language.

2. Dykes’s Preemptive Denial of Nazi Associations

• Dykes proactively insists he’s “not a Nazi” in campaign materials, sending letters to voters on the subject.

  • “He keeps bringing up that he's not a Nazi. He wants you to know that. No one's asking him this. He's bringing it up preemptively.” (06:18)

• On record: “They still call me a Nazi to this day. They still brand me as all these evil, horrific things...What makes me a Nazi? I love Christ. I love God, I love my country, I love my state, my family and my community and the entirety of the Lowcountry area. And that's why I live here, because I love it so much. Does that make me a Nazi?” – Tyler Dykes (07:37)

3. The January 6th Connection and Alleged Nazi Salute

• Dykes was photographed on the Capitol steps during January 6th, arm extended in a posture federal prosecutors described as a Nazi salute.

• He claims it was an “innocent wave” to a friend, not a Nazi gesture.

  • “It's definitely a little bit more about what specifically he was doing with his right arm at the top of the east stairs...” (08:42)
  • Molly notes, “Regardless of what it looks like to you, in this photograph, I have a video of him doing the exact same wave at a Nazi rally.” (13:20)

• Dykes’s narrative:

  • He characterizes himself as a Christian patriot being persecuted by a “woke mob” and “communist media.”
  • Claims courts and government obstructed his ability to prove his innocence.
    • “The honorable judge that I had denied me being able to get that evidence and being able to show up to people. And so a lot of these people ... see me as an enemy and as a terrorist.” – Tyler Dykes (17:10)

4. Dissecting the Evidence and Legal Proceedings

• Examination of court dockets reveals no actual gag order on the relevant video/photo evidence; only Dykes’s military records are still sealed.

  • “Of the exhibits they plan to show in court at sentencing, they said, it's okay if everyone sees these, the media can have these... These aren't under seal. There's not a gag order.” (18:24)

• Dykes himself, via attorneys, agreed to release most evidence except his military records.

5. Dykes’s Extremist History and Marine Corps Discharge

• Dykes was discharged “other than honorably” from the Marines for “prohibited extremist activity” (November 8, 2020).
• Evidence (camera footage, local police confirmation) shows Dykes putting up swastika flyers.
• Other activities:
  • Attended neo-Nazi rallies and paramilitary training (e.g., with “The Base”)
  • Attended “Unite the Right” rallies in both 2017 and 2018
  • Joined Nazi fight clubs (e.g., “Southern Suns Active Club”)
  • Participated in the violent tiki torch march in Charlottesville (2017) and actively fought counter-protesters.
• Dykes's discharge records, kept sealed, likely contain more details detrimental to his narrative as a “patriotic Marine.”

6. Path from Felony Convictions to Congressional Candidacy

• Dykes was convicted and jailed for torch-related violence; prosecuted federally for January 6th.

• Served a brief federal sentence until freed by a Trump blanket pardon in January 2025.

  • “He only served three of the 57 months he was sentenced to spend in prison before he was released in January of 2025 as a result of Trump's blanket pardons for the nearly 1600 January 6th defendants.” (13:20)

• Now, Dykes is running for Congress, leveraging his “persecution” narrative for political credibility and fundraising.

7. Longevity and Plausibility of His Campaign

• Dykes’s campaign is fledgling and poorly supported. Donation tallies are pitiful; campaign images avoid revealing actual supporters.
  • “The only photo of his launch party is so tightly cropped that you can only see the candidate himself standing in an empty field in a public park.” (24:52)
• Host notes the importance of exposing such figures before they can build momentum—both for local voters and those confronting similar candidates elsewhere.
  • “Wherever your conservative parents live, maybe this is a useful example of the kind of thing you might find when you start gently scratching the surface of these America first candidates.” (31:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Dykes’s defensiveness:

  • “He keeps bringing up that he's not a Nazi. He wants you to know that. No one's asking him this. He's bringing it up preemptively.” – Molly Conger (06:18)

• On his alleged Nazi salute:

  • “It's more about that than it is about his love of his family is getting warmer.” – Molly Conger (08:42)

• On legal transparency:

  • “These aren't under seal. There's not a gag order. He can request these and I think he should do that.” – Molly Conger (18:24)

• On the reality versus Dykes’s framing:

  • “But that's not the issue here. He's not ashamed of being a 1-6 defendant. That's a badge of honor. That's not a problem. If he can spin this Nazi thing into a story that reinforces this narrative of brave January 6th patriots who are being persecuted by communists and liberals and the woke mob, it stops being a problem for the people whose attention and votes and donations he wants.” – Molly Conger (13:20)

• On exposing far-right candidates:

  • “If you're in the Charleston area, or more importantly, if your conservative Boomer parents are, it can't hurt to let folks know that one of your local candidates isn't being entirely forthcoming about why people are calling him a Nazi.” – Molly Conger (31:56)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Point | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 02:11 | Molly Conger introduces episode, Dykes’s candidacy | | 03:26 | Background on Nancy Mace, field of candidates | | 04:22 | Dykes’s campaign themes, similarities to Mace | | 06:18 | Dykes insists he’s not a Nazi | | 07:37 | Dykes’s direct “not a Nazi” denial | | 08:42 | Context for Nazi salute photo, J6 activities | | 13:20 | Molly lays out Dykes’s deeper extremist history | | 17:10 | Dykes blames government for image suppression | | 18:24 | Molly details actual court order, sealing only on military records | | 24:52 | Dykes’s discharge reasons, extremist activities | | 31:56 | Takeaways, warning on far-right candidacies |

Final Thoughts

Molly Conger’s episode powerfully illustrates how radical and violent extremists seek electoral legitimacy by reframing their pasts and weaponizing narratives of persecution. Dykes, far from being an outlier, represents a broader pipeline from far-right violence and conspiracy into more mainstream political contests. Conger closes by urging vigilance—both researching candidates and busting their revisionist histories—before they can ever find traction with unsuspecting voters.