Deliberately instigated violent opposition so they could press and collect on civil lawsuits.
Many members of the group are trained lawyers, including founder Fred Phelps, and they have historically filed hundreds of lawsuits—mostly over picket rights and alleged civil rights violations—aiming to secure settlements or court-awarded legal fees.
They were quite literally professional trolls. Baiting people into attacking them by criticizing dead soldiers had nothing to do with ideology. It was purely part of their grift.
Deliberately instigated violent opposition so they could press and collect on civil lawsuits.
Many members of the group are trained lawyers, including founder Fred Phelps, and they have historically filed hundreds of lawsuits—mostly over picket rights and alleged civil rights violations—aiming to secure settlements or court-awarded legal fees.
They were quite literally professional trolls. Baiting people into attacking them by criticizing dead soldiers had nothing to do with ideology. It was purely part of their grift.