A new revelation is casting doubt on the authenticity of upcoming left-wing protests scheduled for July 17 under the banner “Good Trouble Lives On.” According to Adam Swart, CEO of the firm Crowds on Demand, his company was approached by unnamed political interests offering up to $20 million to help organize nationwide demonstrations—effectively confirming longstanding suspicions about “rent-a-crowd” protest tactics on the political left.
Swart’s firm specializes in staging public demonstrations, PR events, and advocacy campaigns, offering paid participants who show up with signs, slogans, and a pre-built narrative. In a Tuesday interview with NewsNation, Swart stated that he was contacted by groups aligned with Good Trouble Lives On, a protest campaign that claims to promote nonviolent resistance and social justice. However, the campaign’s precise agenda remains vague, and its organizing entities are murky at best.
The CEO of “Crowds on Demand” tells me he was offered $20,000,000 to recruit demonstrators for the anti-Trump protests on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/2A6ezwo0cc
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) July 15, 2025
While the group presents itself as grassroots, critics point to patterns reminiscent of other highly funded left-wing protest movements—many of which trace back to large donors and ideological institutions like the Tides Foundation and financier George Soros.
The campaign name invokes the late Congressman John Lewis’ call for “good trouble,” which emphasized peaceful civil disobedience in the fight for civil rights. But its current form appears to be a more ambiguous vehicle for anti-Trump activism.
Swart claims that demonstrators enlisted through his firm can be paid “hundreds of dollars a day.” Crowds on Demand advertises itself as offering “impactful advocacy campaigns, demonstrations, PR stunts, and crowds for hire.” While the firm says its network includes people of all political stripes, the nature of this project raises questions about manufactured support and the optics of spontaneous protest.
The timing of this report aligns with growing public skepticism over protest authenticity, especially given previous footage of demonstrators leaving events en masse on cue—leading to comparisons with scripted labor exits. The presence of pre-printed signs, uniform messaging, and vague protest objectives only deepen the perception of orchestration over organic grassroots momentum.
🚨BREAKING: Far Leftwing activist who protested the Southlake Texas Tesla Shop immediately left when its clock read 12:00 PM. These people were more than likely shipped in. They defended illegal aliens as well.
Follow: @Carlos__Turcios pic.twitter.com/Jr1jmXqyHW
— Carlos Turcios (@Carlos__Turcios) March 29, 2025
This is not the first time allegations of astroturfing have surfaced. During the rise of the Tea Party movement, critics on the left frequently accused conservatives of faking support. But the emergence of paid protest services and multimillion-dollar funding offers now appear to validate similar accusations in reverse.