A vigil held in memory of Renee Good in upstate New York became the center of a fresh political firestorm this week after a self-styled MAGA provocateur was filmed barging into the crowd and verbally attacking mourners.
The incident took place in Corning, New York, where a crowd had gathered to honor Good, who was fatally wounded during an ICE operation in Minneapolis. In the video, a man identified by online commenters as Nathaniel Clemmer can be seen weaving through the vigil wearing a red MAGA hat, attempting to force eye contact, and loudly proclaiming that Good was a “criminal” who “deserved” to die for interfering with federal agents. He also repeatedly framed her actions as “terrorism,” drawing sharp rebukes from attendees who tried to block him with signs or simply ignore him.
Rather than escalating physically, most people at the vigil refused to engage, a response many viewers later praised as the most effective way to deflate what they saw as an attention-seeking stunt.
The footage spread to Reddit, where it racked up thousands of upvotes and an avalanche of furious commentary. It turns out that Clemmer is something of a serial agitator. One user explained:
“This is my home town. He comes to every protest just to harass people. He brandished a knife at our pride festival and got arrested.”
That claim was echoed by others who linked to a publicly available arrest record showing a June 2025 arrest of Nathaniel P. Clemmer in Corning on charges including menacing and criminal possession of a weapon. While the video itself does not show a weapon, the resurfacing of that arrest added fuel to concerns about his behavior at public events.
Much of the online reaction framed Clemmer as part of a broader ecosystem of right-wing “microinfluencers” who deliberately provoke grief-stricken or vulnerable crowds in hopes of generating viral content. Several commenters described the vigil disruption as calculated, suggesting the goal was not persuasion but escalation, baiting mourners into a confrontation that could later be monetized or reframed as persecution.
Others focused on the optics. Clemmer is seen flashing what appears to be a homemade “press” badge featuring a YouTube logo, a detail that many viewers cited as emblematic of what they called “clout-chasing” masquerading as journalism.
Despite the intensity of the rhetoric online, a recurring theme emerged in the discussion: the restraint shown by vigil attendees. Many noted that Clemmer appeared emboldened precisely because he expected a reaction. When ignored, he escalated verbally, moving deeper into the crowd and raising his voice in an apparent attempt to center himself in a space meant for mourning.
The video has since sparked more discussion in the growing debate over political trolling, protest safety, and the line between free speech and harassment. For many viewers, this particular New York vigil disruption shone a spotlight on a growing culture of antagonism that treats public grief as an opportunity for clicks.
