# What to Do When Hate Comes to Main Street (with Phil Williams)

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-offense-with-kris-goldsmith-7584514/what-to-do-when-hate-comes-to-main-street-with-phil-williams.md
Podcast: [On Offense with Kris Goldsmith](https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-offense-with-kris-goldsmith-7584514)
Published: 2026-02-25T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://onoffense.substack.com/p/phil-williams-hate-comes-to-main-street
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/HUHHN9804129075.mp3?updated=1771995675
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Duration seconds: 4512

## Resource

Hate doesn’t stay on the margins. It shows up in city council meetings, school board races, local sheriff elections, and “community” groups that want to look normal while they build power. In this episode, I’m joined by Phil Williams, chief investigative reporter at NewsChannel 5 Nashville and the writer behind Hate Comes to Main Street. Phil has documented how extremist networks embed themselves locally—how they recruit, intimidate, and normalize their presence in civic life—and what it takes to push back before they take over. We talk about: How hate groups move from online propaganda to real-world influence Why local politics is where extremist movements test strategies first How intimidation campaigns target journalists—and why sunlight still works What you can do in your own town to go on offense Read and subscribe to Phil’s work: https://www.hatecomestomainstreet.com/ If you’re serious about acting locally: Start or join an Antifascist Book Club: https://veteransfightingfascism.org Access antifascist field manuals and organizing tools: https://taskforcebutler.org Support this work: On Offense is my full-time focus. If this episode helped you understand how hate embeds locally—and how to push back—consider becoming a paid subscriber at https://weareonoffense.com. No one’s coming to save your town. But you can defend it. Let’s go on offense.

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