Idaho, USA: The new wild West | DW Documentary

Far right militias are especially active in the American Midwest. Take the “North Idaho Militia“: In Idaho, they plan to establish an exclusively white, Christian colony separate from the rest of the US. In their vision, it will be ultraconservative and have no multicultural diversity. Idaho and its neighboring regions are now the new El Dorado for all those Americans who are against minorities and abortion - and in favor of no restrictions on the carrying of firearms. They reject both the LGBTQI and the Black Lives Matter movements. They include many devout evangelical Christians. Some even describe themselves as “political refugees“ who equate the actions of the state with interference in personal freedoms. This sparsely populated rural area isn’t just attracting radicals, but also an increasing number of middle-class families from the cities. They’re drawn by the spectacular landscape and the low cost of living. And they want their children to grow up in what they believe is an ideal world. The documentary accompanies a family of four who move north from California, an ultra-reactionary biker who took part in the 2021 storming of the Capitol, a pastor with his own militia and private arsenal, and a politician who’s campaigning for governor, despite the fact that he did two years’ jail time for attempting an armed rebellion against the FBI. The report also hears from rancher Jennifer Ellis, one of the area’s original conservative residents. Like many of her peers, she rejects extremist and intolerant viewpoints. But she’s in the minority here. Just how feasible is the idea of a political revolution in the new Wild West?