WASHINGTON – A number of experts are predicting that there will be an increase in far-right and white supremacist activity on Election day and after, although the leader of one white supremacist groups says the fears are overstated.
In October, the Department of Homeland Security’s first annual homeland threat assessment concluded that white supremacy is the deadliest domestic terror threat facing the United States.
According to a 2020 Center for Strategic and International Studies report, the upcoming election “will likely be a significant source of anger and polarization that increases the possibility of terrorism.” The report added that many far-right extremists, like white supremacists, who align with President Donald Trump may become violent if Trump loses the election “because they believe—however incorrectly—that there was fraud or that the election of Democratic candidate Joe Biden will undermine their extremist objectives.”
John is the vice president of the American Christian Dixie Knights, a chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. He would not provide his last name publicly, but said the group is not promoting violence.
“We want law-abiding citizens,” John said. “We want peace, prosperity and the American way. We are not about hurting people. We will stand our ground, but not out of hate. Everybody’s got a right to love their own race.”
White supremacy has become a hot-button topic in this election. On multiple occasions, Trump refused to denounce white supremacy, infamously told a well-known hate group, the Proud Boys, to “stand back and stand by” during the first presidential debate and has retweeted videos of supporters shouting “white power!” on Twitter.
Trump’s actions have led many to believe the president is stoking the flames of racial division in the country. Mark Potok, an expert on the radical right, helped lead the Southern Poverty Law Center in exposing hate groups and right-wing terrorism for 20 years. He said that while Trump is not a cause of increased activity by the radical right, the president has helped amplify and legitimize the voice of the radical right.
“What Trump has done is legitimize the radical right, to normalize these ideas,” said Potok. “The idea that Black people shouldn’t live in this country anymore … it’s OK to say immigrants are dirty and miserable people. They just come here to steal from us, steal our money and steal our women.”
The words of a leader have an enormous impact on society, Potok said. He added that there is a correlation between the president’s rhetoric and the increase in extremism across the country.
“I call it the Trump effect, a direct relationship between Trump’s rhetoric and the rage and many, many types of hate crimes over the last four years,” Potok said.
A 2018 FBI report found a 9% increase in hate crimes across America over the past 10 years. Yet, between 2015 – 2017, there was a direct correlation between Trump’s rhetoric toward minorities and hate crimes against that same group.
In 2015, when Trump called for the first Muslim ban, hate crimes against Muslims and Arabs increased 23%; when Trump won the 2016 election, hate crimes nationally increased to 758 incidents; and after the 2017 Charlottesville rally, 663 hate crimes were reported that year.
Questions are swirling over how white supremacists who support the president will engage on Tuesday. In 2016, Neo-Nazi groups and Ku Klux Klan members were encouraged to show up and monitor polling places; this year, there have been concerns that such tactics once again will be used, resulting in voter intimidation and suppression.
“We have kids to feed. We have bills to pay. We have to work every day,” John said. “We don’t have time to go out there and intimidate voters. We do not do that. We do not mess with anybody.”
But Potok said there’s “no question” that far right groups will show up at polls this year, potentially armed, all in the name of protecting the democratic process but with the intent to intimidate voters.
“They universally oppose Biden, and they’re there really to intimidate Democratic voters,” Potok said.
Andrew Anglin, editor of the Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website, was one of those leaders encouraging his followers to monitor the polls in 2016. This year, the homepage on the Daily Stormer has a photo of the president with his hands thrown in the air and the words “ELECTION DAY NEARS! Only you can stop the terrorist Jews trying to destroy our country. Get all your people together and get them voting. Give people rides if they need them. Make sure everyone gets to the polls. We only get one shot at this.”
Neo-Nazi website, the Daily Stormer, features President Trump and a call for readers to vote on its homepage. (Screenshot/The Daily Stormer)
At a rally in September, Trump once again told supporters to become poll watchers, reinforcing the idea that if he loses, the election results were “rigged.” Many of Trump’s supporters believe his loss would be the result of the Democratic party tampering with ballots.
John said he is “highly concerned” Trump won’t be reelected and like Trump, believes that if Biden wins the election was rigged.
“Ballots (are) being found in trash cans, rivers and everything else,” said John. “I really do think that Democrats try to cheat their way into power so they can regain control so they can sell the country out for their own self– worth.”
On Oct. 27, the hate group Proud Boys posted a prediction on their Telegram of what would happen if Trump lost on Nov. 3.
The poster claimed that even if Trump won the electoral college vote, the news media would say the results were “illegitimate” due to voter fraud.
“Urban centers will become utter chaos,” the post read. “Probably martial law will be employed … All by design. Don’t be in major urban centers or areas of high diversity on 11/3.” The prediction ended by telling readers to screenshot the message.
A prediction made on the Proud Boys’ messaging board tells readers to avoid “high diversity” areas on Election Day. (Screenshot/Telegram)
On Oct. 29, another post polled Proud Boy members on whether they think there will be “large scale civil unrest or even a potential race war” following Tuesday’s election. Seventy-five percent of responders voted yes.
Potok believes violence is nearly inevitable no matter who wins on Tuesday.
“I think it’s very possible — and likely, really — that we would see an uptick in terrorism and radical right wing terrorists and people blowing up buildings and churches,” Potok said.