A group of white nationalists who identify themselves as ‘alt-right’ were caught on film doing the Hitler-salute and shouting “Hail Trump!” after a white nationalist speech delivered by Richard Spencer. Spencer runs the “National Policy Institute”, an alt-right think tank based in Virginia. These people are notorious for their neo-Nazism and white supremacy ideology, so to watch them endorse our new president with such enthusiasm is terrifying, to say the least.
In addition, embracement of the Trump campaign was found in an official Ku Klux Klan newspaper called the Crusader. The headline read his infamous slogan, “Make America Great Again”, and the article took up the entirety of the front page. Other prominent KKK members have also publicly supported Trump and his campaign, although he denies any knowledge of the white supremacist/KKK political activities.
If these are the kind of people that stand for our new leader, then what does that mean for America? A president is supposed to be representative of a country- someone who evokes national pride and commands respect. Trump, however, evokes nothing but social regression and hate. Despite his tweets that claim otherwise, his discriminatory views on social issues has grown apparent through the audience he attracts.
Trump’s presidency is backed by white nationalists, KKK members, and everything in between, which is the exact opposite of what this country is supposed to stand for. Everything we have worked so hard to achieve -- women’s rights, racial equality, gay marriage -- is about to be undone in a matter of four years.
Everyone Trump brings to office has the same mentality as the rest of his supporters. One by one he is going to spread his influence across the country and force these beliefs upon the rest of America unless we the people unite against this attempt at social division.
