This past Tuesday, I had the privilege of interviewing Richard B. Spencer, the President of NPI. Over the course of the next hour, he and I discussed things from his ideological influences to his possible hopes for Radix Journal. However, perhaps the most important and interesting aspect of the talk centered on the 2016 Presidential Election and the future of the Alt-Right. We discussed the repercussions of a Clinton presidency and the possibility of Donald Trump merging onto the path of mainstream Conservatism.
Mr. Spencer pointed out that the Alt-Right movement has grown dramatically in the past 18 months. What was once a minor fringe movement has picked up an incredible amount of steam and credibility. The Alt-Right has gone from a minor, seemingly insignificant blip on the mainstream radar to a movement that has become an increasingly prominent force especially online. Spencer partially credits this growth to Donald Trump. Trump, being in the unique position that he finds himself in, has been able to start conveying ideas that are prominent in Alt-Right thinking. Trump has opened the door to a new wave of young, intelligent people who have ideas and beliefs that the mainstream, Liberal narrative deems racist, xenophobic and bigoted.
I asked Spencer what he believed would happen to the movement in the case that Hillary Clinton wins the election and whether or not the movement would continue to gain momentum or slowly phase out. He pointed out that it is entirely up to the people who have gotten behind the movement. Some could see a Trump loss as a defeat of the Alt-Right, give up and simply move on with their life. Spencer points out that this kind of thought simply weeds out those who were not truly committed. He says that these kinds of people, “are not needed and not wanted.” It is entirely up to those within the Alt-Right if they want to continue the push for change or simply fizzle out into the abyss. Spencer, however, showed no signs of slowing down.
As we continued to discuss the unfortunate, real possibility of a Clinton presidency, Spencer told me some of his ideas of what could happen with the GOP. He talked about the possibility of a purge within the Republican party. He hypothesized that there could be a possible purge of those who supported Trump or who were actively voicing their support for Alt-Right-centric ideas. Those in the media and the Party could find themselves as, in Spencer’s words, “persona non grata.” They could find themselves cast out from mainstream channels and nonexistent in the public eye. The idea of a Republican purge is a scarily real possibility depending on the outcome of the current Presidential election.
Spencer also discussed the possibility of the Alt-Right and the ideas associated with it could possibly become more mainstream, even in the political arena. We have already seen the rise of Trump-esque politicians in the likes of Paul Nehlen. He elaborates that while neither Trump or Nehlen have openly associated with the Alt-Right, there is the common ground of immigration stances, the threat of Radical Islam and a certain Nationalistic language. Spencer, although believing a purge could happen, seemed overall optimistic about the future of the Alt-Right and the ideas that have come with it. For now, it seems that the Alt-Right only has room to grow and the young people within the movement could possibly see the ideas associated with it, become more accepted.
My interview with Spencer was nothing short of enlightening and definitely enjoyable. He is intelligent, well spoken and offered some great insight into the future of the Alt-Right and the consequences of the 2016 election. Although the possibility of a Republican Party purge is frighteningly real, Spencer remains optimistic that the Alt-Right can continue to grow. The ideas that the movement centers around have been brought to the forefront of the presidential election and will continue to be important talking points in future political discussions with the rise of an increasingly shaky and threatening world stage. Spencer and the Alt-Right are here to stay and will continue to bring certain ideas into the public eye.
