The Associated Press put out new guidelines for journalists when talking about the "alt-right" movement. It stated the term "should be avoided because it is meant as a euphemism to disguise racist aims."
The "alt-right" label has been popularized by Breitbart.com. It’s the right-wing website once run by Steve Bannon, president Trump's Senior White House Counselor.
Alt-right is the label often used to describe the white nationalist movement including neo-Nazis at the Charlottesville, Virginia, rally Saturday.
When asked if he believed one side was more responsible than the other for instigating the violence in Charlottesville, Chief Al Thomas of the Charlottesville Police Department said, “This was an Alt-Right rally.”
But does this label have to do with a faction of conservative Republicans?
Conservative Republicans ranging from House Speaker Paul Ryan to Florida Senator Marco Rubio have condemned the white supremacists involved in Charlottesville. Former Presidents George W. and George H.W. Bush penned a statement :
"America must always reject racial bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred in all forms. As we pray for Charlottesville, we are reminded of the fundamental truths recorded by that city's most prominent citizen in the Declaration of Independence: We are all created equal and endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights. We know these truths to be everlasting because we have seen the decency and greatness of our country."
While leading a meeting, alt-right leader Richard Spencer said, “Hail Trump, hail our people, hail our victory,” while followers gave him the Heil Hitler salute. Spencer claims he coined the term alt-right for his movement. Its foundation is white nationalism, anti-Semitism, and a rejection to all other races. “America was until this past generation a white country designed for ourselves and our posterity,” Spencer said.
The anti-defamation league’s Carlos Galindo Elvira said Spencer and his allies use alt-right to make their movement appear mainstream. “It's so new that people don't really understand its origins,” he said.
Galindo Elvira says mainstream organizations should stop using the term "alt-right" and instead should, “call it what it is. Hate has a name and it’s white supremacy.”
We've verified that alt-right has nothing to do with the political right. It's a misleading label that covers white nationalists.
If you have something you would like us to verify, send us an email to verify@firstcoastnews.com.