Facebook Avowed white nationalist Pete Tefft pictured on his Facebook page.
The father of an “avowed white nationalist” has disowned his son following the fatal riots in Charlottesville. On August 14, Pearce Tefft’s open letter was published by the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead in North Dakota. In the piece, Pearce appears to disown his son, Peter.
Peter Tefft had been identified by the Yes, You’re Racist Twitter account as being one of the participants in the Charlottesville riots. His father wrote, “We do not know specifically where he learned these beliefs. He did not learn them at home.” The Tefft family lives in Fargo, North Dakota.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Pete’s Former Fiancee Told Heavy That Pete’s Politics ‘Were Not Nearly as Extreme 15 Months Ago’
FacebookA meme posted on Pete Tefft’s Facebook page.
A The Knot page shows that Tefft had been engaged to a woman in Fargo in 2016. Their wedding date was given as September 9, 2016. The page has been removed. His former fiancee told Heavy:
We actually went to Catholic high school together. We lost touch for about twelve years, and very briefly reconnected. His views were not nearly this extreme and radical fifteen months ago, but they were starting to show.
So I would ask him certain questions about different religions and races, and his answers would always be kind of a “run-around,” so I trusted my instincts and severed all ties.
In an email, Pete’s former fiancee added:
I have absolutely NO affiliation or contact with Pete Tefft, and haven’t in quite some time. We had a very brief (3 months) relationship, and the moment I realized his true beliefs, I severed all ties with him… He is a vile person and his abhorrent thoughts and actions need to be brought to everyone’s attention.
In February 2017, Pete was quoted by the Info Forum as saying, “I’m a white Christian and 100 percent pro-white.” Though Pete rejected being referred to as a Nazi or a white supremacist. He told the Forum:
I’m interested solely in legal political action to further pro-white interests. We as white people have a right to exist, our own identity, and a right to campaign politically and legally for our own interests.
Tefft explained that he was starting a newspaper that would “expose fake news” while endorsing Donald Trump. The Forum article exposed that Tefft’s Tinder profile included the neo-Nazi slogan, “We must secure the existence for our people and a future for white children.” Tefft told the Forum that the slogan merely reflects his desire to marry a white woman.
2. Pearce Also Wrote in His Letter, ‘I Pray My Prodigal Son Will Renounce His Hateful Beliefs & Return Home’
FacebookPearce Tefft pictured on his Facebook page.
Pearce wrote in the letter, “I pray my prodigal son will renounce his hateful beliefs and return home.” He added that he taught his children that “all men and women are created equal” and “we must love each other all the same… Evidently, Peter has chosen to unlearn these lessons, much to my and his family’s heartbreak and distress.”
In words that appear to disown Pete Tefft from the family, Pearce wrote, “Peter Tefft, my son, is not welcome at our family gatherings any longer. I pray my prodigal son will renounce his hateful beliefs and return home. Then and only then will I lay out the feast.”
3. Pete Tefft Has Called the Charlottesville Protest, ‘Peaceful & Legal’
Pete has republished a right-wing blog posting about the Charlottesville riots on his Facebook page. The article, written by Vincent Law:
The Alt-Right went to an assembly that was peaceful and legal. Wes Bellamy, the Vice-Mayor of Charlottesville, illegally revoked the permit to host the event.
He is affiliated with the Black Panther Party and a Black supremacist. The permit was revoked and then reinstated with the help of the ACLU.
The article adds, “Any blood is on the hands of the police, the city of Charlottesville and the state of Virginia.” The piece concludes with the words, “We extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ in advance to the mayor of Charlottesville, the police, and the state governor. Your incompetence will end up funding our movement for years to come.”
According to his Facebook page, Pete lives in Fargo, North Dakota, and is single.
Pete has a drywall business in Fargo called Dodeca Drywall. In the wake of Charlottesville, a review page for the business has been flooded with people outing Pete’s politics.
4. Pete’s Nephew Has Asked His Uncle to Change His Name
FacebookPete Tefft pictured on August 10.
Pearce Tefft isn’t the only family member who has a problem with Pete’s politics. In a statement to WDAY TV, Jacob Scott, Pete’s nephew, said:
Peter is a maniac, who has turned away from all of us and gone down some insane rabbit-hole, and turned into a crazy Nazi. He scares us all, we don’t feel safe around him, and we don’t know how he came to be this way. My grandfather feels especially grieved, as though he has failed as a father.
While on his Facebook page, Jacob Scott wrote, “Peter, if you are reading this, PLEASE CHANGE YOUR NAME IMMEDIATELY.”
5. Pearce Tefft Has Run for Public Office as a Democrat in North Dakota
‘
WOW. most powerful thing you’ll read this week. A father condemns his white supremacist so. #Charolettesville t.co/d8ubXdwHfN
According to Ballotpedia, Pearce Tefft ran as a Democrat for the North Dakota House of Representatives in 2008. Pearce finished fourth in a field of four candidates, losing to incumbent Republican Kathy Hawken.
