Neo-nazis feel empowered

Despite alt-right, white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups having existed long before President Donald Trump’s election, it has become increasingly disturbing to witness their escalation into large crowds that are not afraid to march waving Swastika and Confederate flags in the name of making America their own exclusive definition of “great” again.

The trend of white nationalist rallies, bolstered by Trump’s divisive rhetoric and actions since taking office, has grown into a movement able to mobilize hundreds each time and empower otherwise silent groups to come out and openly advocate for racism. An estimated 500 people attended the rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, whose aftermath was one death and 19 injuries from the clash between protestors and counter-protestors.

Although not a monumental number in itself, country-wide gatherings and public demonstrations of bigotry should be a cause for grave concern. The escalation of racism that has developed through the last 10 months – and even before that, during the election campaign – reflects views that have no place in the United States.

In an August article, Vice listed several other 2017 rallies that happened across the country: in Berkeley, California, the Patriot’s Day Rally; in Portland, Oregon, the Free Speech Rally; in St. Paul, Minnesota, the Pro Trump Rally; in Washington, D.C., the White Nationalist Rally; in Seattle, Washington, the Freedom Rally, among others.

According to a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center, white nationalists, neo-Nazis and neo-Confederates are among the hate groups that experienced growth in numbers from 2015 to 2016.

Regardless of Trump’s personal endorsement of such extremist nationalist views, it is undeniable that he fostered an environment where it became safe for these people to come out, advocate for racism and bigotry and be proud of it, without any real consequences but resistance from other civilians. His rhetoric only adds fuel to the fire, normalizes actions of extremist groups and empowers a movement that has white supremacy and a notion of racial purity at its core, as does the Ku Klux Klan, whose former leader David Duke declared endorsement of Trump. In a Sept. 29, 2016, interview to the Los Angeles Times, Duke said, “The fact that Donald Trump’s doing so well, it proves that I’m winning. I am winning.”

Despite his continuous demonization of Muslims as terrorists, Trump has yet to condemn the extremist white supremacist terror groups finding momentum right here on American soil.

Until the president takes action to prevent these ideologies from spreading, he will continue to be the president of only his base and the leader of an openly racist group that finds comfort in his presence.

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