美国民兵运动正被重新包装成一个对网红友善、商业化程度极高的场景：用战术风格美学、精心策划的 Instagram 动态，以及线上销售，取代街头抗议。在美国与以色列对伊朗的战争开始后的几周内，佛州 Barrel and Hatchet 的空军退伍军人 Eric Roscher 发布了一段 YouTube 影片，警告所谓的「潜伏者」和国内威胁，内容把备灾建议与赞助装备混在一起；该影片有 8 则广告，观看次数超过 110,000 次。这反映出更广泛的转变：与民兵相关的人物和团体，如 Barrel and Hatchet、Dirty Civilian、River Valley Minutemen、Mountain State Contingency Group 和 Texas State Militia，将自己包装成紧急备灾或社区援助组织，同时在 YouTube、Instagram、Facebook 和其他社群平台上累积受众。
这篇文章描述了一种建立在变现影片、品牌周边商品、战术装备、训练课程和订阅上的商业模式。Dirty Civilian 几乎有 750,000 名 YouTube 订阅者，一支在前 24 小时内观看次数突破 100,000 的变现影片，一个拥有超过 420 名会员、每月支付 5 美元的 Patreon，以及一个贩售生存用品的网店。Roscher 的内容同样有收益化，他的受众也被鼓励购买额外弹匣和战术背心等装备。南方贫困法律中心和战略对话研究所的分析人士表示，这些团体与其说是在关注传统的社区备灾，不如说更著重于准军事训练、昂贵装备，以及借鉴特种部队的美学；有些领导人甚至把迷彩、枪枝涂装和其他视觉细节也当作招募的一部分来讨论。
更广泛的背景是，与 1 月 6 日国会山庄攻击相关的起诉削弱了 Oath Keepers 和 Proud Boys 等团体，也使原有的全国性民兵生态系统碎片化，活动因此回到地方与区域网络。民兵团体如今正利用外界对伊朗战争的恐惧以及反移民政治，包括 ICE 扫荡，来招募新成员；有一则 Facebook 贴文呼吁组建民兵保护 ICE，而据报一些新兵表示自己加入的原因正是这些扫荡。这些团体也在寻求法律与财务上的掩护，包括 Viking Tactical 之类的非营利分支，以及 River Valley Minutemen 申请 501c(4) 身份，这种身份可在不揭露捐款者的情况下进行政治游说。文章指出，Facebook 曾在 2020 年清除这类团体，但在平台放松执法后，民兵又回到主流动态中，包括 Texas State Militia 在 2025 年 12 月 31 日的一则 Facebook 广告，显示即使其底层的准军事训练没有改变，这场运动的公开面貌已经改变。
The US militia movement is being rebranded into an influencer-friendly, highly commercialized scene that trades street protests for tactical aesthetics, curated Instagram feeds, and online sales. In the weeks after the US and Israel’s war with Iran began, Air Force veteran Eric Roscher of Florida-based Barrel and Hatchet posted a YouTube video warning about “sleeper cells” and domestic threats, mixing preparedness advice with sponsored gear; the video had 8 ads and more than 110,000 views. This fits a wider shift in which militia-linked figures and groups such as Barrel and Hatchet, Dirty Civilian, River Valley Minutemen, Mountain State Contingency Group, and Texas State Militia frame themselves as emergency-preparedness or community-assistance organizations while building audiences on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and other social platforms.
The article describes a business model built on monetized videos, branded merch, tactical gear, training sessions, and subscriptions. Dirty Civilian has almost 750,000 YouTube subscribers, a monetized video that topped 100,000 views in its first 24 hours, a Patreon with more than 420 members paying $5 a month, and an online store selling survival goods. Roscher’s content is also monetized, and his audience is encouraged to buy gear such as extra magazines and a tactical vest. Analysts from the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue say these groups are less focused on traditional community preparedness than on paramilitary training, expensive equipment, and an aesthetic that borrows from special forces, with some leaders even debating camouflage, gun painting, and other visual details as part of recruitment.
The broader context is the fragmentation of the old national militia ecosystem after prosecutions tied to the January 6 attack on the Capitol, which weakened groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys and pushed activity back toward local and regional networks. Militia groups are now exploiting fears around the Iran war and anti-immigrant politics, including ICE raids, to recruit new members; one Facebook post urged forming militias to protect ICE, and some recruits reportedly cited the raids as their reason for joining. Groups are also seeking legal and financial cover, including nonprofit arms such as Viking Tactical and River Valley Minutemen’s filing for 501c(4) status, which can allow political lobbying without donor disclosure. The article notes that Facebook once purged such groups in 2020, but after platforms loosened enforcement, militias returned to mainstream feeds, including a Texas State Militia Facebook ad on December 31, 2025, showing how the movement’s public face has changed even if its underlying paramilitary training has not.