"I knew that America needed a nationalist-conservative revolution. Unlike the majority of Patriots and conservatives who were content to see America gradually collapse, I gravitated toward the militant minority who wanted to confront the liberal regime with force. At the time, it was irrelevant to me which particular issue-taxes, abortion, gun rights-ended up being the spark that ignited this revolution. This was a war between two entirely different world views."
"Rudolph was responsible for four bombings, which caused multiple deaths and scores of injuries. I covered his crimes, beginning with the bombing of the Atlanta Olympics, in July of 1996. Two years later, once he was identified as a suspect, I followed a manhunt for him across the Appalachian Mountains, which became one of the largest of the twentieth century."
"During the search, a shooter fired into the Murphy, North Carolina, command post where federal agents were coördinating the hunt for Rudolph. A million-dollar reward failed to move people to help. He had become a folk hero to some, especially around his home town in western North Carolina. "Run, Rudolph, Run" was plastered on T-shirts and mugs and bumper stickers. A songwriter put that slogan to music in an unironic tune that began: He never meant to hurt no one, But the Lord knows Eric Rudolph didn't want that man to die."
Eric Robert Rudolph carried out four bombings, including the 1996 Atlanta Olympics attack, causing multiple deaths and dozens of injuries. He embraced a nationalist-conservative militant ideology that framed political conflict as a war between opposing worldviews. A large manhunt across the Appalachian Mountains followed, marked by threats to federal personnel, limited public cooperation, and an unclaimed reward. Rudolph gained sympathy and local celebration in parts of western North Carolina, with merchandise and songs praising him. The episode demonstrates how violent extremism can persist, attract community support, and evade capture, highlighting the need for coordinated enforcement and counter-radicalization efforts.
Read at The New Yorker
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