A Deeper Dive into the Old State Saloon's Impact on Idaho Politics
This is the first in a new series of follow-up articles expanding on my Political Potatoes work for readers who want deeper context and better visibility into networks driving Idaho politics.
There were too many connection points, too many receipts, and too much media to fit into a single Political Potatoes post. So I decided to start offering a deeper dive behind my Political Potatoes articles for those who want to learn more.
The Political Potatoes article on Mark Fitzpatrick’s failed “Heterosexual Awesomeness Festival” focused on the event’s public narrative: who promoted it, what happened, and what it revealed about the current dynamics of Idaho’s far-right ecosystem. But some pieces didn’t fit, not because they weren’t important, but because they required more space than most readers expect in a single post.
This follow-up collects the details and connections that provide a fuller context for what happened in Eagle. It expands on the players involved, the content platformed at Old State Saloon, and the responses that followed the event. For readers who want to understand the underlying networks and ongoing influence campaigns surrounding these events, this is where those threads are documented.
The Old State Saloon
The Old State Saloon is a bar in Eagle, Idaho, owned and operated by Mark Fitzpatrick, a former California reserve law enforcement officer who has since transitioned to a career in real estate. Fitzpatrick's real estate business expanded by recruiting friends and ideological contacts from California to relocate to Idaho, a tactic similar to the one employed by the Idaho Freedom Foundation to grow its base.
These efforts were especially successful during the COVID-19 pandemic, when strict lockdowns in blue states prompted many residents to seek more permissive environments, such as Idaho, which largely ignored public health precautions without serious consequences. That didn’t stop transplants from projecting their California grievances onto their new state and pushing a narrative that Idaho was under siege from the same forces they had fled.
As Fitzpatrick's bar business allegedly struggled, he launched a promotional stunt during Pride Month 2024, offering free beers to heterosexuals. The performative outrage marketing went viral in far-right circles and saved the bar financially. It also enabled him to purchase a Tesla Cybertruck, which he wrapped in patriotic graphics.
Since then, he has leaned further into identity politics as a business strategy, portraying himself as a defender of conservative values. The branding fits a pattern among online figures who use patriot-themed aesthetics to mask a deeper ideological shift toward extremism. In this version of the narrative, anyone who deviates from Fitzpatrick's definition of conservatism is labeled a leftist, a RINO, or an enemy.
The bar has since become a venue for political events, livestreams, and public forums centered on what Fitzpatrick describes as patriotism, liberty, and Christian values. However, the content featured at the venue reflects a narrower ideological scope that often overlaps with conspiracy theorists, antisemitic influencers, and proponents of Christian nationalism.
Here are a few of Fitzpatrick’s guest presentations:
A presentation titled “Flat Earth Biblical Cosmology” with Austin Whitsitt, who claims NASA is a satanic deception and that the Earth is flat. The event dismissed all modern science and advocated for a theocratic interpretation of the physical world.
A talk called “The Inevitability of Christian Nationalism” with Gabriel Ranch, asserting that the United States should be governed by Christian law and that secular governance is incompatible with moral order. Rench is a pastor working with Christchurch leader Doug Wilson in Moscow, Idaho.
An appearance by Ian Carroll, a conspiracy theorist who blends anti-vaccine messaging with antisemitic narratives. Carroll was previously featured on the Joe Rogan podcast and now focuses on circulating globalist financial conspiracy theories.
Old State Saloon Presentations
Fitzpatrick’s selection of speakers and topics reflects a clear platform strategy. His Google review responses contain hostile language toward LGBTQ+ individuals, and he has not publicly rejected the ideologies of the speakers he hosts. These are not isolated incidents—they are consistent with the bar's overall branding.
The Podcast Incident with Dave Reilly
During the festival, Fitzpatrick appeared on a livestream hosted by white nationalist Dave Reilly and his co-host Rebecca Hargraves. While seated beside Fitzpatrick, Reilly made the following comment:
Fitzpatrick did not interrupt the comment and even smiled as it was made, allowing the stream to continue. The comment circulated online in real time, with many attendees and viewers calling it out on social media.
Reilly tries to spin this as just suggesting a factual claim about Boise’s racial population statistics… that’s bullshit. Suggesting the lack of a certain race in a city makes it “clean” and better is incredibly racist.
Fitzpatrick later claimed that he could not hear the remark due to the crowd noise and the lack of headphones. His disavowal came only after one of the event's vendors publicly condemned the comment and withdrew support.
But here’s the thing: Reilly is widely known for posting hateful content like this:
Given the type of content Fitzpatrick regularly promotes at his bar in Eagle, Idaho he’s either really incompetant for not knowing this or, more likely, he trying to gaslight everyone and pretend he is opposed to this one part of Reilly’s hate machine, but total cool with all the other hateful things he does.
And if that was not enough, here’s Fitzpatrick on Jake Shields’ podcast.
Sheilds was just named in this report by the Network Contagion Research Institute on “How Foreign and Inauthentic Networks use Fake Speech to Destabilize the Right from Within” as one of the top promoters, along with Nick Fuentes, of pushing false flag, anti-Trump, and anti-Israel propaganda tied to the Kremlin and Iranian Republican Guard network accounts. That’s right, Shields has been helping Putin and Iran in amplifying a rift within MAGA by pushing their propaganda. And guess who shares a lot of Sheilds’ posts? None other than Dave Reilly, who also happens to be a close associate of both Shields and Fuentes.
Once again, more proof that Mark Fitzpatrick is another Dave Reilly, just with enough money to buy himself a CyberTruck.
A DJ affiliated with the festival, who has posted images of himself wearing a drag-like outfit at EDM events, also issued a public statement distancing himself from Reilly.
While Fitzpatrick issued a vague comment denouncing racism, he has not addressed the behavior of Rebecca Hargraves, who later responded to the controversy by posting:
“Wait until they find out that our population in Idaho is only 0.3% Jewish. Far too high, IMO.”
“I’m racist. You people aren’t breaking any stories here. What is this, 2016?”
Fitzpatrick has not commented on Hargraves’ statements.
Who exactly are they supposed to hate?
One of the more chaotic moments at the event came when a musical performer began singing a pro-LGBTQ+ song as a form of protest. Fitzpatrick attempted to remove the performer from the stage. Another attendee, unaware of the context, became involved in a physical altercation with Fitzpatrick, seemingly believing that Fitzpatrick was disrupting someone who supported the event’s message. The incident highlighted the confusion among attendees about what the event actually represented.
Outside the event perimeter, pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with Dave Reilly and a small group of attendees. The protesters did not appear to realize that Reilly had previously appeared on Press TV, an Iranian state propaganda outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The irony of the confrontation is notable: one side was protesting in support of a cause promoted by the Iranian regime, while the other was led by an American far-right influencer who has appeared on that regime's state-run media. This convergence is a clear example of the horseshoe effect in political extremism, where ideologies on opposite ends of the spectrum begin to resemble each other in tactics, narratives, and hostility toward rational political positions.
The few that showed up to the event behaved like sheep, easily confused when narratives changed and unsure of what to believe as the blurry lines shifted towards overt racism and hate.
Who Promoted the Event
The promotion originated from a mix of local and national social media influencers. Inside Idaho, these individuals helped promote Old State Saloon's event:
Lauren Walker (@RogueLou18), affiliated with the Idaho Freedom Caucus, served as their primary social media amplifier. She displayed a $1,000/month X premium badge, giving her account increased reach. Her promotional strategy focused on boosting engagement by tagging far-right influencers and inflating post visibility through known amplification networks. She is closely associated with Dave Reilly and regularly amplifies his content to garner support from his Groyper network.
Brian Almon of Gem State Chronicle not only showed up the night before in Walker's photo posted on X, but he also promoted events at the Old State Saloon that aligned with their anti-trans messaging on his website, used to push narratives and propaganda for Idaho's far-right political machine. He also recently admitted to working directly for Dorothy Moon's new Idaho GOP, providing "media" services for them, which happen to align with his work at the Gem State Chronicle. Moon told attendees of the state party summer meeting to follow Almon's website.
One of many posts advertising Old State Saloon events on Almon’s website that Dorothy Moon promotes Greg Pruett interviewed Mark Fitzpatrick for his Idaho Dispatch website. While claiming to be an unbiased local media ally covering local issues, he conveniently neglected to write a follow-up piece highlighting the failure of the event, Reilly and Hargraves' racist comments, or the complete rejection by normal Idahoans of the message he helped amplify. Of course, I have plenty to say about Pruett's grifting, lying, and propaganda, but I'll save that for another deeper dive later.
Greg Pruett uses Old State Saloon to drive traffic to his propaganda website. The Idaho Freedom Foundation deployed its recently defeated legislative candidate and new employee, Rachel Hazelip, to conduct a promotional interview with Mark Fitzpatrick ahead of the event. IFF also operated a booth at the festival where they distributed literature and collected contact information—names, emails, and phone numbers—from attendees. The purpose was twofold: to solicit donations and to grow their network by spreading ideological content that reinforces their broader political agenda.
IFF backed Rachel Hazelip in her campaign against Rep. Mike Moyle.
Each of these propagandists helped generate the illusion of widespread support. None have addressed the event’s outcome publicly.
Legislators Who Aligned Themselves with Old State Saloon's Messaging
Several lawmakers either attended events at Old State Saloon or publicly supported Fitzpatrick’s work:
Sen. Josh Keyser
Sen. Tammy Nichols
Sen. Carl Bjerke
Sen. Brian Lenney
Rep. David Leavitt
Rep. Josh Tanner
Former Solicitor General Theo Wold
Additionally, Ron Nate awarded Fitzpatrick a “Citizen Hero Award” before the festival. Rachel Hazlip, an IFPAC-backed candidate, also appeared at the event in a promotional interview. The Idaho Freedom Foundation hosted a booth.
The Real Cost
According to Fitzpatrick, the festival cost approximately $85,000. He reports recovering about $25,000 from vendors, sales, and support, and received a $10,000 donation after the fact, potentially leaving him with a significant financial loss.
The event was held in Cecil Andrus Park, directly across from the Idaho State Capitol.
It's All Part of the Far Right Machine's Playbook
Old State Saloon has become a platform for extremism. It elevates speakers who promote antisemitic conspiracy theories and push anti-LGBTQ+ messaging. Fitzpatrick’s alignment with these figures has been consistent. His political allies have not distanced themselves from the venue or its content.
The far right depends on individuals like Mark Fitzpatrick to serve as cultural and ideological conduits—carnival barkers who draw attention, rile up a base, and create the illusion of a grassroots movement. These figures perform outrage to attract media coverage and social media engagement, allowing the movement’s architects to stay behind the scenes. It's the same model they used with Ammon Bundy. While Bundy staged standoffs and livestreamed confrontations, others used that energy to build email lists, raise money, and grow networks. Fitzpatrick plays a similar role. Nobody shows up to see Ron and Maria Nate headline a policy panel. They show up to watch someone like Fitzpatrick yell about masculinity, play into culture war grievances, or hand out free beer during Pride Month.
Idaho has experienced the consequences of allowing politically motivated provocateurs to build movements through performative outrage. The Old State Saloon's confrontational tactics are part of the playbook—one built on social media amplification, targeted messaging, and the validation of fringe ideologies. While this particular event failed to generate the mass support they hoped for, the infrastructure behind it remains active. And the far-right political machine is counting on using it to get Citizens Alliance of Idaho and IFPac-endorsed candidates elected in 2026 to help them consolidate power and claim that the same hateful values Fitzpatrick pushes are the true definition of conservatism and must be codified through legislation.
About the Author
Gregory Graf is the creator of Political Potatoes and a lifelong conservative Republican. His articles often criticize the hypocrisy committed by far-right grifters who’ve taken control of the Idaho GOP.
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Disclaimer
The following is intended to convey an opinion on newsworthy events of public concern regarding public figures and/or public officials in exercising their official duties. No implications or inferences—beyond those explicitly stated in the preceding— are intended to be conveyed or endorsed by the Author. Wherever available, hyperlinks have been provided to allow readers to directly access any underlying assertions of fact upon which this opinion is based.