Exclusive: Author Eric Metaxas Admits Punching D.C. Protester And Offers Context
Best-selling author Eric Metaxas acknowledged to Religion Unplugged that he hit a protester on Aug. 27 who was verbally harassing Trump supporters as they left President Donald Trump’s speech during the Republican National Convention at the White House.
A video posted to Instagram early the next morning by a Portland, Ore., based account that supports anti-police causes and protests shows a man wearing a “Portland” shirt riding a bicycle through a crowd of formally dressed people as the cyclist yells, “F*** you! F*** Trump!”
The man swerves near Metaxas, his wife and Bishop Harry Jackson, a pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Md. Some sources tell Religion Unplugged that the man rode near them a few times before the filmed incident in which Metaxas pivots and hits the man in the head from behind.
"It just happened," Metaxas said in an email to Religion Unplugged executive editor Paul Glader (disclosure: Glader has appeared on Metaxas’ radio show before to discuss stories from Religion Unplugged. Metaxas asked Glader not to quote this email, but Glader had not previously agreed the conversation was off the record and had made clear his intent to report on the topic). Up until this point, Metaxas has not explicitly acknowledged his role in the incident.
Metaxas said in his email that he became fearful and tense because the rider seemed “violent and crazy and menacing" and that Metaxas did, indeed, try to "Knock him away" in that split second.
“You just attacked me bro! That’s a felony!,” the man yelled as he prepared to chase Metaxas up the street. Metaxas, wearing white khakis, a pink shirt and a dark sport coat and leather loafers appears to pick up his glasses from the ground and then shuffles backward up the street.
The man then insults, lunges at and threatens to fight other older, well-dressed people walking up the street calling one “A Republican piece of s***” before members of the secret service detain him temporarily before letting him go.
Metaxas said he and his wife were escorting Bishop Jackson through the crowd to catch an Uber ride and were concerned for the pastor because he is in feeble walking condition. Jackson, an African American leader among evangelicals, told World magazine that the bicyclist was “playing chicken” with them and thought he might have to use his cane to defend himself. Religion Unplugged left calls and emails for Bishop Jackson.
Right-leaning journalist Andy Ngo identified the account as belonging to Anthony P. Harrington, whom Ngo says participates in Portland riots and traveled to D.C. with another Portlander involved in Antifa events, aiming to disrupt the RNC event and to possibly incite violence. World magazine and other outlets noted that other protesters antagonized the crowd that same evening, including viral footage of protesters pushing police who were escorting Sen. Rand Paul.
Religion News Service spoke to a man who identified himself as the demonstrator in question and who runs the Instagram account that posted the viral video of the encounter. “He attacked me,” the man, who declined to be named, told RNS. “I wasn’t threatening or intimidating. I was on a rented bicycle! He clearly punched me from behind.” The man told RNS he may pursue a civil case against Metaxas.
Earlier in the day, Metaxas posted a video to Twitter of himself in the same outfit at the RNC event, talking with Franklin Graham (leader of Samaritan’s Purse and son of evangelist Billy Graham) and his daughter, both of whom were teasing Metaxas about not wearing socks with his loafer shoes.
Metaxas is perhaps best known for his 2011 best-selling biography of theologian and Nazi opponent Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his more recent pro-Trump books “Donald the Caveman.” In addition to writing 11 books, Metaxas has a nearly 100,000 followers on Twitter, hosts a syndicated radio show and has hosted many live events, debates and speeches under the Socrates in the City brand. Earlier in his career, he was a writer for the Veggie Tales cartoon series.
Metaxas has supported Trump since 2016 and is part of an informal advisory council of 150 or so evangelicals that support the administration. People on the right and left found some humor in the incident last week. The author and right-leaning blogger Rod Dreher, a friend of Metaxas, wrote a blog post headlined “Christian Dandy Throws a Punch.” Left leaning psychology professor Warren Throckmorton called for people to make video memes and gifs from the clip of Metaxas running backward.
Regarding the backward shuffle run, Metaxas said, "I wanted to get away from him, but I didn't even know there were cops or anyone nearby, which is what made it all so frightening."
"It was very, very unpleasant," Metaxas said.
Paul Glader is executive editor of Religion Unplugged and directs its parent non-profit, The Media Project. He is a journalism professor at The King’s College in NYC and directs its McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute. He spent 10 years as a staff writer at The Wall Street Journal and has written for numerous outlets including The Washington Post, The Associated Press and Forbes. He is on Twitter @PaulGlader.