Arthur R. Thompson

Who is Arthur R. Thompson?

Arthur R. "Art" Thompson is the CEO of the John Birch Society, and took office in 2005. However his leadership of the society has been criticised by journalist William Grigg for failing to take advantage of social media and remaining stuck in an old-fashioned, hierarchical mode.

Thompson believes that Russian communism remains a serious threat to the USA, and is responsible for much global terrorism including 9/11. He has claimed a number of Islamists including Ayman al-Zawahiri are or were communists. He has criticised both mainstream Republicans and Tea Party figures such as Sarah Palin for failing to see the nature of the threat from Moscow. He also believes in a shadowy international conspiracy including such bodies as the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission and the Rockefeller family that threatens American interests.

Before becoming head of the JBS, he had a long career as an anti-communist activist: he claims to have infiltrated Marxist organizations around his Seattle home in the 1960s. He took control of the John Birch Society in 2005 after launching a "coup" with the support of the organization's president John McManus.