Historian Says Trump Leverages White-Power Movement as It Gains Political Influence

Historian Kathleen Belew, author of *Bring the War Home*, told a video interview that Donald Trump is both using and profiting from the white-power movement, which has shifted from underground militancy to a visible political force. She references the 2019 El Paso massacre by Patrick Crusius as an example of how individual attacks reflect a larger network of hate groups. Belew argues that under Trump’s second term, many activists have entered government roles, such as in Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and that the movement supplies candidates and security for Republican rallies.

She cites Trump’s “stand back, stand by” comment to the Proud Boys and adviser Stephen Miller’s circulation of the white-supremacist novel *The Camp of the Saints* as evidence of presidential endorsement. The historian warns that the integration of extremist ideology into state structures makes violent coordination less necessary and could influence upcoming midterm elections. She also links the rise of similar far-right movements worldwide to demographic anxieties and online amplification.