[ "Trump has repeatedly made it clear that he considers violent
white supremacists to be a valued part of his base, even after people
are murdered."] [[link removed]]

AS PROUD BOYS CELEBRATE TRUMP SHOUT-OUT, WARNINGS GROW THAT PRESIDENT
'INCITING VIOLENCE' TO RETAIN POWER  
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Jake Johnson
September 30, 2020
Common Dreams
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_ "Trump has repeatedly made it clear that he considers violent white
supremacists to be a valued part of his base, even after people are
murdered." _

Members of the Proud Boys face off against anti-Trump protesters
outside a rally where President Trump officially launched his
re-election campaign on June 18, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. , (Photo by
Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)

 

Members of the Proud Boys are rejoicing after President Donald Trump
gave the far-right organization a shout-out and marching orders
[[link removed]] during
Tuesday night's nationally televised debate, heightening fears that
the president is deliberately rallying extremist groups and stirring
up white supremacist violence as part of his frantic effort to remain
in power.

_The Daily Beast_ reported
[[link removed]] Wednesday
morning that one Proud Boys leader readily interpreted Trump's
comments as instructions to commit violence against the president's
political opponents. "Trump basically said to go fuck them up!" wrote
Joey Biggs after the president told the Proud Boys, a group that
openly embraces violence, to "stand back and stand by."

"This makes me so happy," Biggs added, a celebratory reaction that was
echoed by members of the extremist organization on the social media
and messaging apps they commonly use, such as Telegram and Parler. One
Proud Boys member claimed
[[link removed]] Trump's
comments prompted a surge in "new recruits."

Refusing to condemn white supremacists when given an opportunity to do
so by debate moderator Chris Wallace, the president said, "I'll tell
you what, somebody's got to do something about antifa and the left."

Shortly following Trump's comments, which were widely condemned by
civil rights organizations, one of the Proud Boys' social media
accounts incorporated the president's words into a graphic with the
far-right group's logo:

Progressive advocacy group Bend the Arc: Jewish Action said in a
statement late Tuesday that Trump's remarks were the "words of a
scared wannabe fascist , not a president—and Jewish Americans see
right through him."

"Trump has repeatedly made it clear that he considers violent white
supremacists to be a valued part of his base, even after people are
murdered," the group added. "He doesn't just enable white supremacy;
it's his platform. Trump's open appeals to white supremacists and his
dangerous rhetoric show that this president will do or say anything in
his increasingly desperate bid to hold onto power."

Pointing to another telling graphic that circulated among Proud Boys
accounts on Twitter, youth-led Jewish advocacy group IfNotNow warned
that "Trump is inciting violence from the debate stage."

"During a time when Black people nationwide are exercising their
rights to protest police violence and contending with rising levels of
racial violence, President Donald Trump used his debate platform to
embolden white supremacists by refusing to disavow their activity and
by issuing a directive to Proud Boys to 'stand by,'" Kristen Clarke,
president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil
Rights Under Law, said in a statement.

"Even the FBI has identified white supremacy as one of the greatest
domestic threats that we face today," added Clarke. "The president's
silence and acquiescence present a clear and present danger to Black
people, who are most frequently targeted by incidents of hate."

As Ali Breland of _Mother Jones_ wrote
[[link removed]] late
Tuesday, "Trump's decision to not clearly condemn white supremacy and
the Proud Boys in particular could have dangerous consequences."

Breland continued:

Proud Boys have already exhibited a pattern of violence by routinely
assaulting protesters they see as not on their side, often without any
physical provocation...

Adjacent extremist groups could also take Trump's refusal to disavow
white supremacists as a tacit endorsement. The investigative news
site _Bellingcat_ recently reported
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a leaked trove of chat messages shared by right-wing activists in
Oregon. It includes a message from a user named Paige discussing when
would be an appropriate time to use violence: "I'm waiting for the
presidential go to start open firing."

Democratic lawmakers joined civil rights groups in condemning Trump's
remarks and warning they could spark a wave of racist violence ahead
of the November election.

"Donald Trump fans the flames of racism, embraces white supremacy, and
employs state violence against Americans exercising their rights,"
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) tweeted
[[link removed]] late
Tuesday. "That's Donald Trump's America."

Rep. Rashia Tlaib (D-Mich.) said
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president's nod to the Proud Boys "again shows he is dangerous."

_JAKE JOHNSON [[link removed]] is a
staff writer for Common Dreams. Follow him on Twitter: @johnsonjakep
[[link removed]]_

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