The election of Donald Trump in 2016 coincided with an increase in visibility and activity among white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups. Trump’s presidency may not have directly caused the rise of white nationalism, but many analysts argue that it contributed to a political environment in which these groups thrived. . During his time in office, there was an uptick in hate crimes and increased attention to far-right movements. Trump’s fiery rhetoric inspired vigilantism, demonstrations, and ramped up recruitment on social media during his first presidency.
This time around, “Even before the race was called for Trump, triumphant messages began flowing on social media platforms across the spectrum of MAGA-aligned extremists,” The Washington Post’s Hannah Allam reported. “Anti-government militia groups, white nationalists, Proud Boys, Christian supremacists and QAnon-style conspiracy theorists all expressed a sense of jubilation mixed with an eagerness to exact vengeance on political opponents” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/07/right-wing-extremists-celebrate-trump-victory/).
With two months before his inauguration, white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups are already flexing their muscles. “That legitimized, normalized and sort of gave permission to extremist groups — who are really white-supremacist and deeply misogynistic — to come out of the woodwork and feel validated,” Cynthia Miller-Idriss, who leads the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab at American University, told The Washington Post. “We’re seeing that type of rhetoric again.” Based on historical patterns and the way these groups have reacted to Trump in the past, a second Trump presidency could likely have a similar effect in terms of emboldening some far-right extremist groups.
In Columbus, Ohio, an armed, and masked, group of neo-Nazis, carrying swastika flags, marched through the streets using racial slurs toward people of color and shouting about Jewish people and white power (https://www.aol.com/news/neo-nazis-carrying-swastika-flags-131827797.html).
USA TODAY’s Nathaniel Shuda and Cole Behrens reported that “Several videos began popping up around 1:15 p.m. Saturday on social media of about a dozen people, one with a bullhorn, wearing all black with red face masks and carrying black flags with red swastikas on them in the Short North.”
At the same time, people around the country have been receiving emails ordering them to report to detention camps for reeducation. Vanessa Murphy recently reported (https://www.aol.com/gobsmacked-woman-receives-anti-gay-235505134.html) that “The FBI is looking into a series of racist and offensive text messages and emails and encouraging any recipient to report details to the agency.
“Although we have not received reports of violent acts stemming from these offensive messages, we are evaluating all reported incidents and engaging with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division,” the FBI wrote in a release (www.fbi.gov/...). “We are also sharing information with our law enforcement partners and community, academia, and faith leaders.”
The agency released a statement about the series of emails and texts Friday.
“The FBI is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to African American and Black communities around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter. The reports are not identical and vary in their specific language, but many say the recipient has been selected to pick cotton on a plantation,” according to the statement. “The text message recipients have now expanded to high school students, as well as both the Hispanic and LGBTQIA+ communities. Some recipients reported being told they were selected for deportation or to report to a re-education camp. The messages have also been reported as being received via e-mail communication.”
One person received a message referring “to an executive order, and stated the recipient was required to check in at Nellis Airforce Air Force Base in Las Vegas on Jan. 20, which is Inauguration Day.
“Following check-in, you will be transported to an undisclosed location for LGB re-education camp for a period of no less than 8 weeks,” the text stated. “Your new president, Donald J. Trump, looks forward to assisting you in becoming a mentally and emotionally stable member of society by eliminating lifestyles that have been detrimental to our American way of life through re-education.”
El Pais’ Nicholas Dale Leal reported (https://english.elpais.com/international/2022-05-22/white-supremacism-takes-up-arms-in-the-united-states.html) that following Trump’s election, “children, students at historically Black colleges, and working adults have received these mass texts, which were sent from unidentified numbers across at least 30 states.”
“Greetings. You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation. Please be ready at 12 a.m., November 13, 2024, SHARP with your belongings. Our Exclusive Slaves will come get you in a brown van, be prepared to be searched upon arrival to plantation. No personal belongings allowed. This is a fresh beginning! You are plantation group C.”
As Leal noted, “The wave of messages is a chilling reminder that a trend witnessed during Trump’s first term could be repeated — and perhaps even amplified — in his second. Hate crimes surged nearly 20% from the time Trump took office in 2017 until he left office in 2021, according to FBI statistics. The data also reveals that hate-motivated murders, mostly committed by white supremacists, reached a 28-year high during his administration.”
