Alt-right snowflakes play victim, in hopes of mainstream sympathy

[DonViejo]

Latest alt-right gambit: Paint themselves as targets of anti-white racism and a violent “antifa” revolution

AMANDA MARCOTTE
11.09.2017•5:00 AM

It's been a year since Donald Trump's surprise victory, but his biggest fans — white supremacists, conspiracy theorists and far-right trolls — are starting to stall in their mission to ride Trump's presidency towards mainstream acceptance of their views.

Sure, they've had some remarkable wins. Tucker Carlson continues to normalize white nationalism, both on Fox News and through the Daily Caller, his online publication. Trump continues to dish out red meat, attacking NFL players and any other black people, including a pregnant war widow, who dare speak a word of criticism. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and White House chief of staff John Kelly are still supporting Trump's racist agenda.

Still, after the summer's rally in Charlottesville — which was meant to be a triumph for white nationalism, but ended up creating a national backlash — the far right is struggling a bit. Social media followers and page views appear to be leveling off. Some of the main figures who served as conduits between the white nationalist far right and the mainstream conservative movement — such as Steve Bannon, Milo Yiannopoulos and Gavin McInnes — have struggled to maintain their footing in the public square.

Despite all this, there's reason to be concerned that the alt-right is regrouping and finding new ways to normalize white nationalist rhetoric. Despite being diffuse and very loosely organized, alt-righters have become skilled at painting themselves as victims and generating sympathetic coverage. Two recent campaigns by online alt-right activists show that, despite some setbacks, they're getting better at ingratiating themselves with mainstream conservatives.

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https://www.salon.com/2017/11/09/alt-right-snowflakes-play-victim-in-hopes-of-mainstream-sympathy/