Conservative American PATRICK NEAL fled U.S. after live-streaming events of January 6th
Now in exile he crowdfunds a right-wing travel show of Europe for his loyal “Patriots” back home.
Part travelogue, part exposé, he calls it X-PATRIOT
By Blaine Kneece and Trevor McMahan
“I had been meaning to travel for a while… and the timing was perfect,” man without a country Patrick Neal says of his travel documentary “X-Patriot,” a new series about a conservative who “loved it and left it.”
When small-time conservative vlogger Patrick Neal (39) fled the U.S. to avoid questioning related to live-streaming the January 6th Capitol protest he ended up stranded, jobless and penniless on European soil.
Within days, however, the Pennsylvania native would receive an outpouring of donations via conservative crowdfunding platform Fundly allowing him to revive and revamp his previous internet show Pat-Riot.*
[*EDITOR’S NOTE: At the time of publication Pat-Riot and all associated media accounts are suspended and/or de-platformed in the U.S.]
Now rechristened “X-Patriot,” the show documents his travels from country to country, braving new cultural waters, learning the local customs, and interviewing the European elite all for the benefit of his audience stateside.
Pat samples local cuisines for his Youtube audience. (Images courtesy of C. Budd)
A “Borat for The Right,” as some have described it, does it something of an injustice. It’s more of a cultural exchange program. Pat, a missionary of sorts, shares the American Conservative point of view with the natives in addition to exposing the horrors of what he calls the “Great Socialist Hellscape” of Europe to his followers.
Strangely enough, in addition to the familiar influencer content of Pat-Riot (reaction videos, food reviews, unboxings, tutorials, and hidden camera pranks, all with a political slant), Pat manages to engage in unexpectedly thoughtful interviews with experts in fields ranging from gun-control to mind-control, sex, drugs, abortion, and lawn care. Though a proud culture-warrior, Mr. Neal ends up offering good-faith discussion on a number of topics, sweetly revealing a bit about himself in the process. It’s here, and especially in the unguarded moments captured by his cameraman, where X-Patriot shines brightest.
An in-depth discussion on immigration reveals the issue of refugees to be a global one. (Images courtesy C. Budd)
On the road and estranged from his media bubble it proves difficult for Pat to keep up with the current talking points, much to the chagrin of his aunt-cum-producer Carolyn Budd, who in behind-the-scenes footage stresses the importance of maintaining an increasingly right-wing, occasionally conspiratorial worldview. “We’re balancing out the liberal mainstream media,” she clarifies. Though she concedes the increase in rage-bait does raise the follower count. And the donations.
A steady stream of revenue is challenging for any show but for one with a conservative POV it can be particularly difficult when such voices are easily de-monetized and de-platformed without warning. So according to the show’s producer, the two have taken on sponsors with self-made ads for unusual products and services in order to keep the show afloat, for better or worse.
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Pat fakes an injury in an attempt to go undercover and expose the truth about socialized medicine. (Images courtesy C. Budd)
And so here he is. An expatriate patriot currently living the life of minor internet celebrity abroad. Enjoying the company of the Europeans that surround him, and taking advantage of the lifestyle afforded them, despite presenting himself as a far-right personality. Simultaneously wanting to learn about other points of view while driven to present more radical views to maintain a life at large. It’s a delicate balancing act. And not one without some (mostly unintentional) humor.
Because the longer “X-Patriot” remains in limbo the greater the stakes. And it becomes evident the pressure is taking its toll. After all, he was supposed to lay low until this whole insurrection thing blew over but his high-profile takedown interview of Greta Thunberg alone resulted in doubling his follower count. (Thunberg vehemently denies the existence of any interview.)
An interview with an insider illustrates the dangers of the sex trade in the digital age. (Images courtesy C. Budd)
The FBI clearly hasn’t forgotten the events of January 6th and the possibility of extradition looms large over the whole affair. Financial woes, growing political division, and petty family infighting aside, when their feelings of paranoia reach a fever pitch and they’re at each other’s throats Pat and Carolyn begin to suspect they’re being watched. After years of claiming it, they’re finally right.
Or are they?
A tense conversation between host and producer. (Images obtained from Justice Dept. via FOIA request)
For though they often decry it, it’s a steady diet of Fake News that created Pat and his aunt. (Understandable, as many Americans find themselves in a similar situation.) So in the interest of our readers we had to ask: Are they on the level?
In researching this story, none the claims of those behind X-Patriot could be verified. When reached for comment The Justice Department claimed to have “never heard of” Patrick Neal or Carolyn Budd. And we would be negligent if we failed to disclose that Pat and Carolyn have been accused by some of misrepresenting themselves for financial gain.
Pat opens up on a nature outing with a bird conservationist. (Images courtesy C. Budd)
A sobering reminder that each of us is susceptible to conspiracy-minded thinking and fake news. There’s a good chance you may be reading it right now.
In fact, a lot of people are saying that Pat wasn’t even in Washington DC on January 6th. Others claim he’s not a conservative at all, but an actor. And not even a crisis actor.
Pat attends the Zurich Pride Parade afterparty. (Images courtesy C. Budd)
A theory currently circulating the 9chan message boards states that X-Patriot is in fact an elaborate Kaufman-esque project blurring the lines between fact and fiction. A semi-improvised comedy with lofty, ambitious goals created by a few liberal white guys trying to restore sanity through humor. That it’s intended to inspire discussion by exposing our absurdities and allow us to bond instead of bicker. To remind us to fall back on our common values when our information is uncertain.
By taking on this Bourdain-meets-Borat approach to politics, combining real interviews with scripted tragicomic narrative, maybe we— excuse me, they— can provide something that acts as a roadmap back to reality for the Right and a passionate plea to the Left that half of their country isn’t a lost cause.
But that’s just a theory.
“X-Patriot,” and Carolyn Budd are not members of, nor associated with, any “Proud Boys” organization or members of said group that we know of. (Image courtesy C. Budd)
X-Patriot is a multinational endeavor. If you see the value in such a project and would like to play a role in the production of X-Patriot, whether it be through creative, financial, or distributional means, or you’d like to see more scenes that didn’t make it into the short film, we encourage you to contact us.
Kneece and McMahan are a creative partnership that develops emotionally-driven humorous narratives across multiple forms of media. They have recently developed The Bugle, a black comedy series for Sony featuring characters from Marvel’s Spider-Verse, and the original series One Size Fits Most, a contemporary take on the classic multi-camera sitcom.
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