Skip to main content

'Hail Trump': US far-right group raises Nazi salutes to election victory

President-elect urged to condemn members of National Policy Institute after video of salutes published by magazine
Members of the National Policy Institute raise Nazi salutes after Richard Spencer urges them to 'Hail Trump' (screengrab)

Donald Trump has been urged to condemn members of a US white supremacist group who raised their hands in a Nazi salute as a prominent speaker shouted "Hail Trump".

The video published by The Atlantic shows parts of a speech delivered by Richard Spencer, a prominent white nationalist, at the National Policy Institute’s annual conference to celebrate Trump’s victory in Washington DC over the weekend.

“Hail Trump! Hail our people! Hail victory!” Spencer says as some raise their hand in a Nazi salute. He also attacked journalists for their coverage of the 2016 presidential election.

“One wonders if these people are people at all, or instead soulless golem,” Spencer said, and described the media in its "original German... lugenpresse."

Spencer also said Trump was too beholden to Israel and said his movement was not necessarily opposed to the Iran nuclear deal, according to a New York Times report.

Trump’s transition team spokesman Bryan Lanza said in a statement, “President-elect Trump has continued to denounce racism of any kind and he was elected because he will be a leader for every American. To think otherwise is a complete misrepresentation of the movement that united Americans from all backgrounds.”

Abe Foxman, the former national director of the Anti-Defamation League, on Monday called on Trump to personally condemn the rhetoric in the same way he rebuked comments made by the cast of the play "Hamilton" to his vice president-elect on Saturday in New York.

READ: With Trump USA, big troubles ahead for ‘Brand Israel’

Foxman told the Jewish Insider: “Trump needs to specifically condemn and distance himself from the racism and anti-Semitism spewed there... if he takes the time and effort to personally criticise... the “Hamilton” episode, then certainly this event deserves his personal attention and voice.”

The cast of "Hamilton" urged Mike Pence to ensure a Trump administration respect diversity in the United States.

Trump took to Twitter to rebuke the cast and those in the crowd who jeered Pence. “The Theater must always be a safe and special place,” Trump tweeted. “The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!”

Trump’s former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway insisted on Monday that the president-elect has already condemned hate crimes and anti-Semitism in the past.

“He has addressed it many times. Same question, different week," Conway said.

"He’s told people to cut it out. He said that on 60 Minutes in front of 32 million people. And he has said that he’ll be the president of all Americans. But, honestly and respectfully, I think that we can use your help in that.”

Stay informed with MEE's newsletters

Sign up to get the latest alerts, insights and analysis, starting with Turkey Unpacked

 
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.