May 1, 2024 5:38 PM Amid tensions about free speech on university campuses and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, anonymous social media app Sidechat has become a hotbed of vile rhetoric.  Photograph: MirageC/Getty Images In the months following [Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel](https://www.wired.com/story/israel-hamas-war-surveillance/), conversation on college campuses has been defined by a palpable tension. Increased antisemitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric embroiled numerous universities in free-speech debates. In late April, as the [Israel-Hamas War](https://www.wired.com/tag/israel-hamas-war/) moved into its fifth month, students at Columbia University and other institutions across the US began protesting, calling for a ceasefire. Amid all of this, one platform has served as a locus: Sidechat, a social media app that’s become both a place for dialog about the protests and a breeding ground for hate speech. Over the past few weeks, as demonstrations erupted at Columbia, NYU, Yale, Princeton, the University of Texas, and elsewhere, students [took to the app](https://twitter.com/YikYakApp/status/1781056935506096163) to share memes and express dismay at their administrators’ responses. On April 22, following a weekend of [arrests at Columbia](https://apnews.com/article/columbia-yale-israel-palestinians-protests-56c3d9d0a278c15ed8e4132a75ea9599), Colin Roedl, editorial page editor at the student-run _Columbia Daily Spectator_, [told Slate](https://slate.com/human-interest/2024/04/columbia-university-protests-presidents-jewish-students-encampment.html) that students were seeing “calls for solidarity” on the app. The following day, some 3,000 Columbia staff, students, and community members signed a letter to university president Minouche Shafik, the board of trustees, and the school’s deans supporting “campus safety and academic freedom.” It included a [link to a folder](https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1xJHhk2J9gez-uvGaBDXJRp94FVlkTqz9) of Sidechat screenshots showing people asking how to join the encampments on campus and discussions of Zionism. On Tuesday, the New York Police Department [arrested](https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/university-protests-gaza-05-01-24/h_5f833012b529e7487e8e289dd77c7cf6) hundreds of protesters at Columbia and City College of New York. Prior to the protests, administrators at other colleges, like Harvard and Brown, had sought to increase moderation on Sidechat, citing increased reports of harassment and hate speech from students using the platform. Rhetoric on the app had become “dehumanizing, racist, homogenizing, (and) hateful,” says Aboud Ashhab, a Palestinian student at Brown. Andrew Rovinsky, a Jewish student at the university, calls it “a cesspool.” Because the app’s defining feature is student discourse done anonymously (users don’t post with their real names), toxic messages and demeaning language flow freely. “What you see on Sidechat is a bunch of people actually engaging in the most vile rhetoric you’ve seen, because it’s anonymous,” Rovinsky says. Launched in 2022 as a mechanism for college students to whisper about campus happenings, Sidechat quickly spread across US universities. Like the early version of [Facebook](https://www.wired.com/tag/facebook/), the app requires a university email address to log in, and while it initially served as a hub for gossip and collective complaining, university administrators began to take notice of more heated discussion on the platform in recent months and implored Sidechat to strengthen its content moderation. While the app’s [user guidelines](https://sidechat.notion.site/Community-Guidelines-ee23a3ffed6f4d63aa8096691a190f49) state that the platform does not allow content that “perpetuates the oppression of marginalized communities by promoting discrimination against (or hatred toward) certain groups of people,” both Sidechat and its predecessor Yik Yak have come [under fire](https://www.nwestiowa.com/news/yik-yak-leads-to-hate-speech-threats/article_5cd8d8f0-bf1c-11ec-9ab5-bfd8ff768509.html) for facilitating an online environment that bodes well for hate speech. In fact, before Sidechat’s [acquisition of Yik Yak](https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/16/anonymous-app-sidechat-picks-up-rival-yik-yak-and-users-arent-happy/) in 2023, Yik Yak took a [four-year hiatus](https://www.highereddive.com/news/anonymous-messaging-app-yik-yak-returns-after-4-year-shutdown/605120/) after a bombardment of complaints regarding racism, discrimination, and threats of violence circulating on the app. Hateful comments in the months following the October 7 attack suggest Sidechat is not so different from its forerunner. At the start of 2024, Harvard became the first university to ask Sidechat to increase its moderation. In response, Sidechat cofounder Sebastian Gil [told _Inside Higher Ed_](https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/2024/01/24/harvard-seeks-oversight-sidechat-app-after-antisemitic-posts) in an email that the app does “more than most (if not all) social media apps in moderation,” citing a team of 30 employees and the company’s use of machine learning models to “detect bigotry.” (Gil said the same in response to a request for comment from WIRED.) In March, the Brown administration sent out a campus-wide [announcement](https://today.brown.edu/announcements/171471?utm_source=todayAtBrown&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=3rd%20Year%20Students) following discussions with Sidechat leadership “to determine what steps are being taken by Sidechat” to moderate content on the platform, as well as providing instructions for how students could report hate speech on the app. At a March 20 Brown University Community Council meeting open to the public, university president Christina Paxson addressed concerns raised by community members. “To answer the question of, could a university basically get rid of Sidechat?” she said. “Putting aside concerns about censorship, which we take very seriously, the answer is: not really.” Other schools, like the University of North Carolina, have tried to block the app, but those efforts [can only do so much](https://www.northcarolina.edu/wp-content/uploads/reports-and-documents/president-docs/president-report-to-the-board_february-2024.pdf) when students are on their personal devices and data networks. On April 24, students at Brown University set up a pro-Palestinian encampment on the Rhode Island campus to protest Israel’s actions in Gaza. On Tuesday, they reached an agreement that requires administrators to meet, and vote on, divesting from companies with ties to Israeli interests. On Sidechat, users posted memes with Paxson’s face edited onto Donald Trump’s body on the cover of his book _Trump_: _The Art of the Deal._ Students also posted screenshots of comments from the Instagram page of the pro-Palestinian Brown Divest Coalition that called student protesters terrorists and the school “jihadist Brown University.” Rovinsky says that within the past six months, he has seen racist, anti-Palestinian and antisemitic content surge on the app as Brown’s campus “grew more tense.” He identified two types of rhetoric he has seen repeatedly wielded on Sidechat—direct hate speech, like posts saying “all Palestinians are terrorists,” and more complex, discreet pejorative comments that are less explicit, “like employing classic antisemitic tropes and dog whistles.” “These are the things that are slipping past moderators,” Rovinsky says. “Like, if you’re not just saying a slur for Jewish people or a slur for Palestinian people. People are using a lot of coded language.” Ashhab also has experience with nuanced anti-Arabism on the platform but noted that the majority of racist content he has scrolled past has been cut-and-dried: “They have said things like ‘all people in Gaza are backward, they all kill women … they’re all rapists …’ saying ‘all Palestinians and Arabs blow up buses and stab people.’” Although the app’s guidelines declare that it does not “allow discrimination against marginalized identities, included but not limited to racism … \[and\] religious discrimination,” Ashhab wondered if the rhetoric he has encountered is on the platform’s radar at all. Elizabeth Lokoyi, a Brown junior who worked part-time as a Sidechat moderator in the spring of her freshman year, described her employer’s guidelines around the enforcement of hate speech prohibition as “vague.” The app directs much of that decisionmaking back onto the students who use it. “What is or isn’t constituted as hate speech is very much at the discretion of the moderator,” she says. “It was kind of hard to pinpoint what distinguished hate speech from questionable discourse. But anything with violence, like threats or expressing negativity about a specific identity of people, would be categorized as hate speech, or flagged to be taken down, rather.” Because Sidechat is an external platform, there are considerable limitations to what colleges and universities can do to curb antisemitic and anti-Palestinian rhetoric on the app. While some students believe universities have no business providing oversight to Sidechat, most agree that Sidechat can bolster its moderation through a total reliance upon human moderators and a diminution of AI tools used for reviewing posted content. “I don’t think the university should be regulating Sidechat. That’s really on the company to work on,” Rovinsky says. “They shouldn’t have students working as moderators, because obviously we each have our own biases on what is and isn’t hate speech and are also direct stakeholders in that online ecosystem.” Ashhab similarly believes that AI cannot be properly trained to filter out nuanced hate speech or racist rhetoric, because these tools are not human. “AI can’t just detect all dehumanizing rhetoric and language,” he says. “That’s something that can’t be decided by filtering through keywords or just taking the message at face value.” And AI never set foot on a college campus.

“Fico was shot.” The message arrived in one of my group chats shortly after 3 p.m. on Wednesday. I checked the news and forwarded what I could find out to my friends and family. Information was limited, and headlines like “Robert Fico Was Shot After the Government Meeting in Handlova” seemed absurdly matter-of-fact. Yes, Mr. Fico, Slovakia’s prime minister, has been a controversial figure. But could he really have been [shot multiple times](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/16/world/europe/robert-fico-slovakia-shooting-what-to-know.html) on a weekday afternoon in May? On Friday, he remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition after undergoing surgery. Slovakian politics are deeply polarized in ways that have tipped into rhetorical and even physical violence. Journalist and activists, particularly women, have received online threats. In 2016 I was [attacked on the way home from work](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/13/opinion/when-europes-far-right-came-for-me.html). In 2022 two men were fatally shot outside a gay bar in an [attack](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/21/slovakian-gay-bar-attack-great-replacement-conspiracy-theoryfast-spreading-racist-ideology) that [may have](https://spectator.sme.sk/c/23268786/news-digest-inquiry-into-tragic-shooting-at-teplaren-gay-bar-concluded.html) been politically motivated. Last fall, two former ministers [brawled](https://news.sky.com/video/two-former-slovakian-deputy-prime-ministers-brawl-in-bratislava-12961178) at a press event. But in large part, the hateful rhetoric — of which there is lots — is confined to the internet, and it has become normalized. Lawmakers, activists and journalists take it to be the price of participating in civic life. We reassure ourselves that those who write threatening messages online are not usually the ones who carry them out. That’s not to say the atmosphere hasn’t had an impact on politics. Zuzana Caputova, the progressive departing president and a civil rights lawyer, has been open about the fact that death threats against her and her family helped her decide not to run again. But someone has now shot the prime minister. In retrospect, it seems that the hateful rhetoric was gradually, inevitably building to violence, and we are waiting in this dangerous moment to see what comes next. Either the attack will trigger harsh action from the government and make everything worse. Or cooler heads will prevail, and we will pause, pick up the pieces of our fractured country and try to put them back together. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and [log into](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F05%2F17%2Fopinion%2Fslovakia-fico-assassination-attempt-political-violence.html&asset=opttrunc) your Times account, or [subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F05%2F17%2Fopinion%2Fslovakia-fico-assassination-attempt-political-violence.html) for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? [Log in](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F05%2F17%2Fopinion%2Fslovakia-fico-assassination-attempt-political-violence.html&asset=opttrunc). Want all of The Times? [Subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F05%2F17%2Fopinion%2Fslovakia-fico-assassination-attempt-political-violence.html).

Nigel Farage has come under fire for using his first election interview to “spout [Islamophobia](https://www.theguardian.com/news/islamophobia), hatred and divisive comments” after he said a growing number of Muslims do not share British values. The honorary president of the Reform UK party drew heavy criticism on Sunday after claiming Rishi Sunak had allowed “more people into the country who are going to fight British values” than any UK leader before him. Speaking on Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, the former Ukip leader said: “We have a growing number of young people in this country who do not subscribe to British values, \[who\] in fact loathe much of what we stand for.” When asked if he was talking about Muslims, Farage responded, “We are. … And I’m afraid I found some of the recent surveys saying that 46% of British Muslims support Hamas – support a terrorist organisation that is proscribed in this country.” Plaid Cymru and Momentum, Labour’s grassroots campaign group, described his comments as an example of “outright Islamophobia”. Rhun ap Iorwerth, leader of Plaid Cymru, said: “Nigel Farage should not be allowed to spout Islamophobia and hatred on our television screens. He is an extremist who has been allowed to corrode our politics for far too long. “Plaid Cymru reaffirms our commitment to eradicating all forms of Islamophobia, antisemitism, racism, and intolerance. We encourage all parties in this election to campaign on policy and ideas, not on fears and prejudices.” The Liberal Democrat deputy leader, Daisy Cooper MP, said: “This a grubby attempt to divide our communities in a desperate attempt for attention. It’s no surprise Nigel Farage has lost at the ballot box seven times over. “Rishi Sunak must condemn these divisive comments and rule out Farage rejoining the Conservative party.” Zara Mohammed, the secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said Farage was doing what he did best, expressing “horribly Islamophobic, racist and hate-filled rhetoric of misinformation”. In the same interview, Farage said he still had “one more big card to play” and confirmed that he plans to stand as an MP candidate in the future, despite feeling “extremely disappointed” at Sunak’s decision to call a snap election on 4 July. He made it clear that the Reform party would be centring its campaign on their bid to reduce immigration. Farage went on to compare how much more integrated people who had come from the West Indies were in British society than Muslims, claiming the former group had “shared history, shared culture and shared religion” in many cases. He agreed that most of the West Indian community spoke English, but added: “I can take you to streets in Oldham where literally no one speaks English.” A Labour source said the Conservatives and the Reform party were “two sides of the same broken coin, ramping up the rhetoric without offering any real solutions”. Farage stood as a candidate for the UK Independence Party (Ukip) at five previous general elections and two byelections. His most recent campaign was in the South Thanet constituency in 2015, where he picked up more than 16,000 votes. Reflecting on his decision not to stand at this election, Farage told GB News: “I’ve chosen I want to be part of the national debate, not just in a constituency, and I will be that, and believe you me, I’m going to do my best to expose some of the absolute nonsense that are being discussed over immigration and economics.”

WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump warned during his debate with Joe Biden and again at a Friday rally that migrants were taking “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs” from Americans, angering critics who called it a racist and insulting attempt to expand his appeal beyond his white conservative base. While President Joe Biden's halting debate performance on Thursday night [stirred widespread concerns among fellow Democrats about his readiness](https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-debate-age-democrats-b93d7ffaad75fd423ea3953fe16287f0), Trump also repeatedly made false claims and repeated conspiracy theories that he's long promoted during his campaign. Trump suggested without evidence that Democrats want migrants to displace Americans as voters, and he described the state of the nation under Biden as worse than during the deadly 2017 neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville, Virginia. Trump has [often downplayed the racist overtones of the march](https://apnews.com/article/7654c14b6bd94cf8814fa6a0af8d1edd), once saying there were “fine people on both sides." Trump's depiction of a country on the brink, under siege from unfettered migration and beset by racial strife and economic chaos echoed his longstanding rhetoric about the state of the U.S. It’s a [pessimistic vision](https://apnews.com/article/trump-violent-rhetoric-retribution-authoritarians-2024-39e090680a33c0869312e79bcef106e8) that has long appealed to the GOP’s largely white, hard-right base but has also alienated other Americans, especially voters of color. “The fact is that his big kill on the Black people is the millions of people that he’s allowed to come in through the border. They’re taking Black jobs now,” Trump said during the debate on CNN. “They’re taking Black jobs and they’re taking Hispanic jobs. And you haven’t seen it yet, but you’re going to see something that’s going to be the worst in our history,” he warned without specifying the danger. Yet Trump and his allies [believe that such rhetoric may hold greater appeal with Black and Hispanic communities](https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-latino-asian-voters-d421f0859579a48adfb03bbf305aad78) this year dissatisfied with Biden's performance in office. Trump repeated the comments during a rally Friday in Virginia. The phrase “Black jobs” was widely condemned by Democrats and Black leaders as vague and insulting. “I’m still wondering, what is a ‘Black job,'” Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, quipped on Friday during a news conference with former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams in Atlanta. Other prominent Biden allies including Rep. [Jasmine Crockett](https://x.com/JasmineForUS/status/1806582287758414131), D-Tx., Rep. [Bennie Thompson](https://x.com/BennieGThompson/status/1806697197523656789), D-Miss., and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., also condemned Trump’s words following the debate. “There is no such thing as a Black job. That misinformed characterization is a denial of the ubiquity of Black talent. We are doctors, lawyers, school teachers, police officers and firefighters. The list goes on,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP. “A ‘Black job’ is an American job. It’s concerning that a presidential candidate would seek to make a nonexistent distinction. But the divisive nature of this comment is not surprising for Donald Trump.” Trump's allies pushed back on the critiques as missing the president's broader message. “He meant the jobs of Black people. And we’ve been using that term for a while,” said Diante Johnson, president of the Black Conservative Federation. “It’s any job. Instead of Black people having unlimited accessibility to all types of jobs, illegal immigrants are taking their jobs from them." Much economic research shows that immigration has helped to increase employment, with [a 2024 paper](https://www.nber.org/papers/w32389) by the economists Alessandro Caiumi and Giovanni Peri finding that immigration between 2000 and 2019 had a positive effect on the wages of less educated workers born in the United States. Still, [separate research](https://www.nber.org/digest/may07/effects-immigration-african-american-employment-and-incarceration) have suggested that greater immigration may have hurt the wages of less educated Black men, though it was one of several factors. Asked to clarify what Trump meant in describing a “Black job” during an interview with NBC News, Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is Black and is under consideration to be Trump’s vice presidential nominee, sidestepped the question, instead discussing homeless veterans. Some Black adults do think there's a possibility that immigration will affect employment opportunities for workers who are already here. About 4 in 10 Black adults say it’s a “major risk” that the number of jobs available to American workers will be reduced when immigrants come to the U.S. — whether they arrive legally or illegally — according to an AP-NORC poll from March. But the poll also found that about 3 in 10 Black adults think it's a major benefit that immigrants will take jobs that Americans don't want. In some communities like Chicago, an increased number of migrants has generated greater economic anxiety and [concern that government resources are not allocated fairly](https://apnews.com/article/chicago-migrants-black-latino-biden-immigration-ab8d7f22eea423d86fb350665b9e66f6). Yet Black and Hispanic Americans are on average more supportive of immigration than other demographics, and in cities like Chicago, Denver and New York, racial justice groups have been at the forefront of mitigating potential strife between communities of color and undocumented people on issues like jobs. For some Black activists, the comments changed little about the state of the presidential race. Michael Blake, founder and CEO of the Kairos Democracy Project, said “It’s hard for someone to believe that (Trump) means they’re taking quality jobs.” “It is the responsibility for us to then tell the story of the benefits of diversity, rather than the fears of it. And the notion that those people are taking from you is a fear-only message as opposed to asking: How do we all win?,” Blake added. “When you embrace all races, we all win. We should not allow fear of the past to supersede the prosperity of the future, because we all can win.”

The instructions were concise and clear. Those hoping to march to the stadium with Hungary’s fans for their soccer team’s first game of [the European Championship](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/tag/european-championship/) were expected to report by 10 a.m. sharp, five hours before kickoff. A strict dress code would apply. Some could wear black. Others were to stick with red, white and green, the colors of the country’s flag. Under no circumstances was there to be any flashiness. “Gaudy colors, clown hats and bagpipes” were all prohibited. They were, prospective marchers were reminded, “going to a soccer stadium, not a circus.” The hectoring and slightly priggish tone felt jarring, considering the source of the orders: the official Facebook page of the Carpathian Brigade, a virulently nationalistic faction of hard-core fans — ultras, as such groups are known — that provides the Hungarian national team with its vociferous and volatile backing. The Carpathian Brigade has, in recent years, become perhaps Europe’s most infamous ultra group, its reputation forged by [clashing with the police](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/oct/12/hungary-supporters-fight-with-police-inside-wembley), [showering opponents with racist abuse](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12010/12413651/hungary-fined-by-fifa-and-handed-stadium-ban-for-racist-behaviour-from-supporters-against-england) and [displaying homophobic banners](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57784724). In 2021, during the last European Championship, it had to [remind members to cover up any Nazi-related tattoos](https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2021/09/09/meet-the-far-right-fanatics-getting-hungarys-football-team-in-trouble/) so as not to contravene German law. None of that has stopped its growth. If anything, it has accelerated it. Drawn by the Carpathian Brigade’s voluble Hungarian patriotism and unabashed right-wing values — an ideology that both echoes and trumpets the populist rhetoric of Viktor Orban, the country’s prime minister — the group may now be able to call on as many as 15,000 members. It is also not alone. Black-clad ultras have been a fixture at Euro 2024 this month, with detachments — sometimes numbering a few hundred, sometimes a little larger — visible across Germany and at games involving Albania, Croatia, Romania and Slovakia, among others. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and [log into](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F06%2F26%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Feuros-ultras-hungary-carpathian-brigade.html&asset=opttrunc) your Times account, or [subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F06%2F26%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Feuros-ultras-hungary-carpathian-brigade.html) for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? [Log in](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F06%2F26%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Feuros-ultras-hungary-carpathian-brigade.html&asset=opttrunc). Want all of The Times? [Subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F06%2F26%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Feuros-ultras-hungary-carpathian-brigade.html).

8 hours ago Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has told members of her Brothers of Italy (FdI) party that she was “angry and saddened” after an investigative outlet published two reports showing members of the party's youth wing making fascist salutes and using racist and antisemitic language. “There is no room \[in FdI\] for racist or antisemitic positions, in the same way as there is no room for nostalgia for the totalitarian systems of the 20th Century, or for any other display of foolish folklore,” Ms Meloni wrote in a letter. She added she had “no time to waste with those who want to, unwittingly or not, become a tool in the hands of our adversaries”. “Those who are unable to understand this, who have not understood the path \[we are on\] or who are unable to keep up cannot be part of Brothers of Italy." In the first report put out by investigative outlet Fanpage in mid-June, members on FdI’s National Youth wing (Gioventù Nazionale - GN) can be heard chanting slogans like “For a cleaner world, come back, Uncle Benito \[Mussolini\]” and “Sieg Heil!” The videos were gathered by undercover journalists who infiltrated the group posing as potential new members. Two weeks later, a second instalment of the investigation showed several members and local leaders making derogatory remarks about disabled people, as well as racist comments and antisemitic remarks. Fanpage said that after the report came out, several former members of the FdI youth wing got in touch to share their experiences within the group. Many said they had witnessed similar behaviour in local branches across Italy. Several of the more high-profile members of the GN featured in the investigation were seen as rising stars within the main Brothers of Italy party. One of them, Elisa Segnini, who could be heard in one of the videos as saying she had “never stopped being a racist or a fascist”, has since resigned from her role as cabinet secretary to an FdI MP. Local chapter leader Flaminia Pace stepped down from her senior role within the GN after she was caught on camera mocking a Jewish FdI senator, Ester Mieli. Commenting on the Nazi-inspired slogans and the antisemitic rhetoric used by GN members, Italian senator and Holocaust survivor Liliana Segre, 93, told Italian TV: “The deviations that have come to the fore recently… have always existed, but used to be hidden, not paraded about.” Ms Segre added: “At my age, must I witness this once more? Will I be thrown out of my country again, like I was in the past?” Minister Luca Ciriani of FdI said the reports were based on “fragmented, decontextualised images taken in a private setting”. Other FdI party members, however, condemned the behaviour of the youth wing members. The President of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa, said the language used by GN went “against the values of our party” and condemned “all forms of racism and antisemitism”. Ms Meloni, however, did not immediately respond to the Fanpage investigation. She acknowledged it for the first time last week, when she criticised the outlet by saying it had used “methods worthy of an \[authoritarian\] regime” when it infiltrated the youth wing of her party. “Why did \[Fanpage\] only do this with FdI?,” she asked, adding: “Is this even allowed?” But she also added that “racist, antisemitic or nostalgic ideas” were “incompatible with Brothers of Italy". Simona Malpezzi, an opposition senator of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), said Ms Meloni should have “thanked the Fanpage journalists who shone the light on an extremely serious issue concerning the youth wing \[Ms Meloni\] is so proud of… She should distance herself from the people who used to be considered the party’s rising stars.” Ms Meloni has previously praised GN. At a political event last December, she said her younger supporters were "wonderful", saying: "Many are jealous of us because we have young people who still believe in politics... It's rare and it's precious." Since becoming the leader of a right-wing coalition and Italy’s prime minister in 2022, Ms Meloni has often found herself at the centre of controversy involving her Brothers of Italy party, which has its political roots in the far-right Italian Social Movement (MSI) - set up by former Mussolini supporters after World War II. In June, the spokesperson for agriculture minister and key Meloni ally Francesco Lollobrigida resigned following the publication of wiretapped calls and messages that contained racist and antisemitic comments.

Mosques under attack; hotels housing asylum seekers set alight; black and brown people set upon by racist mobs; “race checkpoints” set up on crossroads. My mum – terrified at what she’s seeing – pleads with me and my sisters: don’t go out unless you have to. Definitely don’t go out alone. It is a message heeded by one of my sister’s workplaces, which cancels her shifts, citing safety fears. She wears the hijab and going out puts her at risk. How did we get to this point, where far-right, Islamophobic racist violence is seen across the country and fear grips British Muslims and people of colour? The fuse may have been set alight by online disinformation and secretive social media channels, but this explosion of far-right violence has been decades in the making. And while Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (AKA Tommy Robinson) and his mob of far-right agitators are its immediate instigators, much of Britain’s political and media class is complicit in laying the groundwork for this eruption of hate. This truth of how we reached this point flips the normal classist narrative about racism in Britain. The reality is that racism isn’t a bottom-up expression of popular discontent, but a top-down project propagated by people in positions of power. Just think about how the billionaire-owned rightwing press drip-feeds hate into British politics, splashing fearmongering headlines across their papers: [“Islamist plotters in schools across the UK” – the Telegraph](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/01/trojan-horse-the-real-story-behind-the-fake-islamic-plot-to-take-over-schools); [“1 in 5 Brit Muslims’ sympathy for jihadis” – the Sun](https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/nationals/sun-censured-by-ipso-over-significantly-misleading-front-page-story-1-in-5-brit-muslims-sympathy-for-jihadis/); [“Migrants spark housing crisis” – the Daily Mail](https://x.com/hendopolis/status/733407476310265856). Or think how Conservative politicians normalise far-right rhetoric, dehumanising people and spreading hate. From “one nation” Conservatives such as David Cameron who as prime minister described migrants as a “[swarm](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-33714282)”, to the likes of Suella Braverman who as home secretary said there was a migrant “[invasion](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2022/oct/31/conservatives-roger-gale-migrant-centre-manston-suella-braverman-home-office-commons-rishi-sunak-uk-politics-live?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-636006298f08640a73009327)”. Rishi Sunak’s “Stop the boats” slogan is [now a far-right chant](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/aug/01/police-in-england-urged-to-protect-mosques-as-far-right-plans-more-rallies) and just this week the Tory party leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick said the police should “immediately arrest” people shouting “[Allahu Akbar](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/aug/07/robert-jenrick-criticised-for-saying-people-shouting-allahu-akbar-should-be-arrested)” on the street, the Arabic phrase meaning “God is great” – the equivalent of a Christian saying “hallelujah”. This rhetoric was propagated further by the privately educated, former City trader Nigel Farage, who claims to be a man of the people. In the general election campaign, he said many Muslims didn’t share “[British values](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/may/26/nigel-farage-under-fire-said-muslims-not-share-british-values)” and this week promoted the “[two-tier policing](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/uk-riots-two-tier-policing-meaning-farage-starmer-b2591786.html)” conspiracy. But it’s not just rightwing politicians, pundits and publications at fault. So-called centrists too often refuse to push back against this hate as well, sometimes peddling the same dangerous tropes or dismissing the concerns of those subject to this hatred. I was confronted by this painful reality just this week. On Monday morning I was invited on to ITV’s Good Morning Britain to talk about the recent racist riots, only to be interrogated – and it did feel like an interrogation – about why I, a Muslim MP, thought it was important to call the recent racist violence Islamophobic. “Why is it important to use that specific word?” Kate Garraway repeatedly questioned me. Almost before I could answer, and behaving with the same sneering condescension he did throughout the segment, the former Labour shadow chancellor and now broadcaster Ed Balls repeatedly interrupted me, seemingly incredulous that I thought this hate should be called by its proper name. The show has now been hit with more than [8,200 Ofcom complaints](https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/breaking-itvs-good-morning-britain-33411906) about that morning’s episode, many of them about his handling of my interview. This wasn’t a one-off, even for Ed Balls. In the summer of 2010, as [he set out his Labour leadership pitch in the Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/jun/06/ed-balls-europe-immigration-labour), Balls blamed “eastern European migrants” for a “direct impact on the wages, terms and conditions of too many people”. He’s far from the only Labour figure to echo rightwing talking points: from then leader of the House of Commons Jack Straw, who in 2006 said that he asked veiled Muslim women to [remove their veils](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2006/oct/06/politics.uk) in meetings with him, to the former Labour MP [Jonathan Ashworth recently claiming asylum seekers can stay in hotels for “the rest of their lives”](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/jonathan-ashworth-home-office-refugee-council-gov-uk-rwanda-b2569386.html). These attitudes aren’t confined to public statements either. Martin Forde KC’s 2022 report on Labour’s internal processes found the party operated a “[hierarchy of racism](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/17/labour-accused-still-not-engaging-hierarchy-racism-claims#:~:text=Last%20summer%20Forde%20published%20his,that%20was%20out%20of%20control%E2%80%9D.)”, and he later revealed concerns about how it treats “anti-black racism and Islamophobia”. This finding accords with my own experience as the youngest Muslim MP. This is what I mean when I say much of Britain’s political and media class is complicit in the recent wave of racist, Islamophobic anti-migrant violence. From those who target Muslims and migrants with rabid enthusiasm, to those who fail to combat these rightwing narratives, responsibility for British politics being where it is now – racist riots and all – lies with this class. And it is no mystery why this class fails this test. When public services have been decimated and living standards have taken the biggest hit on record, people in positions of power play divide-and-rule to maintain their privilege. And so, an alternative to this morally bankrupt scapegoating is urgently needed – and on Wednesday night in towns and cities across Britain we saw the power of solidarity. Thousands upon thousands of people took to the streets, facing down the far right and defending their communities. Days earlier, trade unions such as the Fire Brigades Union, the RMT, the National Education Union and the Communication Workers Union had similarly taken a stand, [calling on their branches and members](https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/we-will-not-stand-back-and-allow-the-far-right-to-divide-us) to contact mosques and migrant centres to offer support and solidarity. These actions stand in a long tradition of working-class unity, reflecting an important reality: the enemy of the working class travels by private jet, not migrant dinghy. Before it is too late, progressives across Britain need to rediscover this truth, pushing back against those who deny it and peddle racist hate. * Zarah Sultana is the independent MP for Coventry South * _**Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our [letters](https://www.theguardian.com/tone/letters) section, please [click here](mailto:[email protected]?body=Please%20include%20your%20name,%20full%20postal%20address%20and%20phone%20number%20with%20your%20letter%20below.%20Letters%20are%20usually%20published%20with%20the%20author%27s%20name%20and%20city/town/village.%20The%20rest%20of%20the%20information%20is%20for%20verification%20only%20and%20to%20contact%20you%20where%20necessary.).**_

Over his decades in the public eye, former President Donald J. Trump has a well-established history of making degrading and racist remarks about women, people of color and pretty much anyone else who crosses his path. It is a proclivity that dates to his days as a reality television star and that has only expanded in the meme-driven era of social media. In the words of Senator Kevin Cramer, Republican of North Dakota, Mr. Trump is “an equal opportunity offender.” But in Vice President Kamala Harris, Mr. Trump has found a particularly complicated and risky target for his trademark brand of transgression, as more Americans are suddenly tuning in to what has become a highly competitive race. Although there are no clear signs that Mr. Trump has increased the quantity of abuse he levels at his opponents, his decision to repost a string of sexually and racially charged broadsides in recent weeks suggests that he has turned up the dial when it comes to pure vulgarity and crudeness. That eagerness to offend is likely to receive increased scrutiny as the election enters its final stretch. With both major parties battling for female and moderate swing-state voters, Mr. Trump could potentially alienate an undecided audience uncomfortable with his coarse rhetoric. Since July 21, when President Biden stepped out of the race and endorsed Ms. Harris, Mr. Trump has directed a seemingly constant fusillade of invective at a challenger who happens to be Black, South Asian and female. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and [log into](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F08%2F29%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2Ftrump-crass-imagery.html&asset=opttrunc) your Times account, or [subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F08%2F29%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2Ftrump-crass-imagery.html) for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? [Log in](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F08%2F29%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2Ftrump-crass-imagery.html&asset=opttrunc). Want all of The Times? [Subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F08%2F29%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2Ftrump-crass-imagery.html).

[Donald Trump](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump) repeated racist claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield, [Ohio](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ohio), on Friday, doubling down on anti-immigrant rhetoric as residents in the town have faced bomb threats and have detailed their fears amid harassment. “In Springfield, Ohio, 20,000 illegal migrant Haitians have descended upon a town of 58,000 people, destroying their way of life. They’ve destroyed the place,” Trump said during a rambling press conference at his golf course in [Los Angeles](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/los-angeles). “People don’t like to talk about it. Even the town doesn’t like to talk about it, because it sounds so bad for the town. They live there … for years it was a great place. Safe. Nice. Now they have 20,000 and I actually heard today it’s 32,000.” He later added: “We will do large deportations from Springfield, [Ohio](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ohio), large deportations. We’re gonna get these people out. We’re bringing them back to Venezuela,” stating the incorrect country where most of the immigrants are from. Haiti is [one of 16 countries](https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status) the US government has granted temporary protective status (TPS) to because of ongoing conflict, making it easier for immigrants to get authorization to work in the United States. As president, Trump [tried to end](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/20/us/haitians-temporary-status.html) TPS for Haiti and referred to the country as a [“shithole”](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-referred-haiti-african-countries-shithole-nations-n836946). Trump’s comments come after Tuesday’s presidential debate in which he [first repeated the false claim](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/10/trump-springfield-pets-false-claims) that migrants in Springfield are stealing and eating people’s dogs and cats. [The claim](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/09/republicans-haitian-migrants-pets-wildlife-ohio) has been repeatedly debunked. Springfield has received several bomb threats [this week](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/12/springfield-ohio-city-hall-bomb-threat), prompting it to close its government buildings and evacuate its schools. Haitian residents in the town have reported receiving severe threats and harassment, [according to the Haitian Times](https://haitiantimes.com/2024/09/11/haitian-immigrants-in-ohio-under-racist-attacks/). [JD Vance](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/jd-vance), who represents the residents of Springfield as Ohio’s US senator, continued to attack the town on Friday, leaning into racist tropes that immigrants were responsible for bringing disease and crime to the community. > In Springfield, Ohio, there has been a massive rise in communicable diseases, rent prices, car insurance rates, and crime. This is what happens when you drop 20,000 people into a small community. > > Kamala Harris's immigration policy aims to do this to every town in our country. > > — JD Vance (@JDVance) [September 13, 2024](https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1834584115825226087?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Just before Trump spoke in California, Joe Biden [condemned](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/13/springfield-ohio-bomb-threat) his attacks on Haitians in Springfield. “A community that’s under attack in our country right now. It’s simply wrong. There’s no place in America. This has to stop – what he’s doing. It has to stop,” Biden said at the White House.

_Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the_ [_50 best movies on Netflix right now_](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/arts/television/best-movies-on-netflix.html)_._ A 58-year-old man was arrested on Sunday after he made his way with a rifle to one of Donald Trump’s golf courses in Florida, in what officials said was [an apparent assassination attempt on the former president](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/09/16/us/trump-shooting-news). The suspect faces two federal weapons charges. On Monday, Jimmy Kimmel said the gunman appeared to be a “troubled individual” with political views that were “all over the place.” > “He tweeted earlier this year that his dream ticket would be Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, which is how you know he’s nuts.” _— JIMMY KIMMEL_ > “Trump, of course, is blaming Kamala Harris and President Biden for this. He said, ‘Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country. They use highly inflammatory language. I can use it too, far better than they can, but I don’t.’ Right, you are nothing if not a calming influence.” _— JIMMY KIMMEL_ > > “This is a man who, for the past week, has been spreading a complete lie that he knows is a lie, saying Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. This is a man who, just last week, joked about Nancy Pelosi’s 84-year-old husband being brutally attacked with a hammer by one of his deranged fans. This is a man who, literally hours before this happened, posted on Truth Social the words ‘I hate Taylor Swift.’” _— JIMMY KIMMEL_ > “During a new interview, JD Vance admitted that he created the false claim about immigrants eating pets to create media attention. Yeah, Trump was like, ‘Everyone knows the first rule of fake news is not admitting to fake news.’” _— JIMMY FALLON_ > > “Oh, I see. Do you get it yet? The only way to expose the truth is to spread a lie. It’s the power of storytelling.” _— JIMMY KIMMEL_ > > “Yep, Vance admitted that he made the whole thing up, but besides being overtly racist and making Trump look like a total fool at the debate, no harm done, right?” _— JIMMY FALLON_ Guillermo Rodriguez brought his “Back to Back” segment to the Emmys for Monday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” The comedian Ms. Pat will sit down with Seth Meyers on Tuesday’s “Late Night.” Dave Navarro, left, and Perry Farrell performing with Jane’s Addiction in 2021.Credit...Amy Harris/Invision, via Associated Press

When former President Donald Trump told [67 million Americans](https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2024/over-67-million-viewers-tune-in-for-abc-news-harris-trump-debate/) last week that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating people’s pets, he was repeating a racist conspiracy theory that was years in the making — [if not even longer](https://www.vox.com/politics/371855/trump-vance-springfield-ohio-racist-conspiracy-theories-haitian-immigrants). Since 2020, thousands of Haitian immigrants moved to the Rust Belt town in southwestern Ohio to take advantage of new manufacturing jobs there. [As Vox’s Li Zhou has reported](https://www.vox.com/politics/371855/trump-vance-springfield-ohio-racist-conspiracy-theories-haitian-immigrants), “while the growth in population has helped rejuvenate the town, it’s also put pressure on social services in the form of longer wait times at medical clinics and more competition for affordable housing, fueling some animosity toward the newcomers.” That animosity morphed into something entirely different in the days leading up to a presidential debate thanks to right-wing social media accounts, which seized on [baseless rumors about immigrants in Springfield](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/-just-exploded-springfield-woman-says-never-meant-spark-rumors-haitian-rcna171099) — conflated with a story about a Canton, Ohio, woman, who is not Haitian and was accused of killing and eating a cat — to create an online frenzy. Since then, members of Springfield’s Haitian community [tell reporters they are nervous about leaving their homes](https://haitiantimes.com/2024/09/11/haitian-immigrants-in-ohio-under-racist-attacks/) as the town remains on high alert after a series of bomb threats, while Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance and others [continue to double down on the made-up story](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/15/us/politics/jd-vance-springfield-pets.html). Gaby Del Valle, a reporter for _The Verge_, talked with _Today, Explained_ host Noel King about an ecosystem of right-wing influencers that turned a lie about immigrants in a small town into a Republican campaign talking point. Below is an excerpt of their conversation, edited for length and clarity. There’s much more in the full podcast, so listen to _Today, Explained_ wherever you get your podcasts, including [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/today-explained/id1346207297), [Google Podcasts](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3MuYXJ0MTkuY29tL3RvZGF5LWV4cGxhaW5lZA==), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/3pXx5SXzXwJxnf4A5pWN2A), and [Stitcher](https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/vox/today-explained). Let’s look back in time to when this was just an online rumor. Where does it start? One of the earliest tweets that I saw was from an account called End Wokeness, which posted on September 6 a screenshot of that Facebook post that was like, my friend’s neighbor’s sister’s cousin or whatever got her cat kidnapped and she found it outside a house where Haitians live. And also posted a picture of a man holding a goose, and said that ducks and pets are disappearing in Springfield, Ohio, a place where there are a lot of Haitian migrants. And then on September 8, Charlie Kirk posted the same screenshot from Facebook and Elon Musk replied to it, saying, apparently people’s cats are being eaten. The original End Wokeness post right now has 4.9 million views. Musk’s reply to Charlie Kirk has 1.6 million views. Charlie Kirk’s post was viewed at least 4 million times. This kind of left the ecosystem of right-wing Twitter partially because Elon Musk got involved. What happens, generally and in this case, when Elon Musk gets involved? Why does he matter? In addition to owning Twitter and letting go of the content moderation team, the Trust and Safety Council… I can’t speak with certainty here, but I will say that Elon Musk has several pet causes that he posts about a lot. One of which is immigration, another one of which is quote-unquote “wokeness.” And there is a sense that what Elon cares about gets pushed out to users on the app. And even if there’s not an algorithmic change that is putting content that Elon cares about in front of everybody, he has a lot of influence, a lot of followers, and a lot of power. All right. So this is not true. It is not true in Springfield. It is not true in the way it’s being presented. And then we hear it again on the debate stage. Again, there’s a round of debunking, this isn’t true. Has the debunking had any impact on this rumor’s staying power? The debunking has done absolutely nothing in terms of the rumor’s staying power. In some senses, it actually kind of fueled the narrative because the narrative on the right is not just, like, people are eating cats in Springfield. It’s well, you know, maybe actually this isn’t happening. But even if it’s not happening, why is the media so focused on debunking whether people are eating cats in Springfield? And why are they not talking about the Haitian immigrant invasion of Springfield? Why are they not looking at that? On Truth Social, Trump has posted a bunch of different images of him saving cats, of cats and ducks watching the presidential debate. The Republican Party of Arizona put out 12 billboards in the Phoenix area that say “[Eat less kittens, vote Republican](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/11/arizona-gop-eat-cats-billboards/).” This has become the new Republican Party rallying cry. The cat memes are almost like a shorthand for this overall belief about not only Springfield, but communities across America supposedly being taken over by migrants. It’s like a visual representation of what is called the Great Replacement Theory, which is this conspiracy theory that there is an outside force replacing local, often white populations with imported migrants of color. Sometimes the proponents of that theory claim that Democrats are turning a blind eye to illegal immigration and allowing undocumented people to vote so that they have staying power. Sometimes a conspiracy theory is about how Democrats or other elites want to foment demographic change. But the underlying premise is always local American populations, which almost always means white populations, are being replaced by nonwhite immigrants. Anti-immigrant rhetoric and the kind of, at times, really outlandish lies that accompany it are part of a pretty familiar playbook for Donald Trump. Does 2024 feel different to you than, for example, 2020 or 2016? I would say yes and no. Like, Trump’s 2016 campaign famously began with these racist claims about Mexican immigrants being rapists and murderers, very bad people, etc., etc. So I think that this is kind of the logical outcome of that. It’s pure, unvarnished racism. And the point is to dehumanize Haitians. But it’s definitely escalated. It’s gone further than before. \[In\] some circles of right-wing Twitter, people are talking about, like, the links between race and IQ. And there’s this implication and sometimes just outright statements that migrants from Haiti and elsewhere are not intelligent enough to be assimilated into American society. And for them, it’s about more than culture. It’s about more than even skin color. It’s this kind of biological hatred. And that’s the extreme rhetoric that has not only gone unchallenged, but has gotten more and more extreme as the years have gone on. 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A 76-year-old convicted drug dealer from Alaska has been arrested after threatening to kill, drown, torture and lynch six Supreme Court justices and two of their family members, the Justice Department said on Thursday. The indictment left the justices unnamed, though the court is dominated by a six-member conservative majority. It remained unclear whether the man, Panos Anastasiou, came close to carrying out his threats, and public records indicate that he is not affiliated with any political party. Mr. Anastasiou [is accused](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/alaska-man-arrested-threatening-us-supreme-court-justices-their-family-members) of sending more than 465 threatening messages from March 10, 2023, to July 16 of this year using the court’s public website. He pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to nine counts of making threats against a federal judge and 13 counts of making threats in interstate commerce. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 155 years in prison. The messages “contained violent, racist and homophobic rhetoric coupled with threats of assassination via torture, hanging and firearms, and encouraged others to participate in the acts of violence,” [the indictment said](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.akd.74711/gov.uscourts.akd.74711.2.0.pdf).

The Haitian Bridge Alliance, a non-profit organization that “provides migrants and immigrants with humanitarian, legal and social services”, [filed criminal charges](https://www.chandralaw.com/files/assets/2024-09-24-bench-memo-and-guerline-jozef-of-haitian-bridge-alliance-affidavit-re-trump-vance-and-springfield.pdf) against Donald Trump and JD Vance over their inflammatory, racist remarks about Haitian immigrants. The rhetoric has led to threats of violence in Springfield, Ohio, including more than 30 bomb threats, forced evacuations of schools and government buildings and [violence against Haitians in the city](https://haitiantimes.com/2024/09/11/haitian-immigrants-in-ohio-under-racist-attacks/). The filing comes after both the Republican presidential candidate and his running mate made false statements about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, alleging that they were stealing and eating their neighbors’ pets. The charges include disrupting public services, making false alarms, two counts of telecommunications harassment, aggravated menacing, and complicity. Ohio law allows the public to file criminal charges in the same way a prosecutor would. In this case, the Haitian Bridge Alliance is asking the Clark county municipal court to affirm that there is probable cause that Trump and Vance committed the crimes, and to issue arrest warrants for them both. “Trump and Vance have knowingly spread a false and dangerous narrative by claiming that Springfield, Ohio’s Haitian community is criminally killing and eating neighbors’ dogs and cats, and killing and eating geese,” the affidavit reads. “They accused Springfield’s Haitians of bearing deadly disease. They repeated such lies during the presidential debate, at campaign rallies, during interviews on national television, and on social media.” Trump continued perpetuating the statements even after they had been [confirmed to be false](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-pushes-false-claim-haitian-migrants-stealing-eating/story?id=113570407), while Vance recently remarked that he was [willing to “create stories”](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/15/jd-vance-lies-haitian-immigrants) for political gain. They continued to repeat what the filing calls an “orchestrated … campaign of lies” that “spread a false narrative that Haitians in Springfield are a danger”. “Many public institutions have been forced to evacuate, and vital local resources were diverted to investigate the barrage of threats to the community,” the filing reads. Despite the public nature of Trump and Vance’s claims, local prosecutors have failed to take any action. But because the criminal charges were filed by citizens, a prosecuting attorney will be obligated to make a public decision. Trump and Vance, the US senator from Ohio, have indicated that they may travel to Springfield. The filing asks the court to make a decision prior to their arrival. “This should be done before Trump fulfills his threat to visit Springfield – despite Mayor Rob Rue’s request that he not do so – so that he may be arrested upon arrival for his criminal acts,” the affidavit reads.

A Marco Rubio-linked thinktank [stoking fears about Haitian migrants](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/21/nate-hochman-marco-rubio-anti-immigrant-thinktank-america-2100) in Pennsylvania has also produced a sequence of videos in recent months that promote conspiracy theories about LGBTQ+ people, human rights organizations and even the corporate consultancy McKinsey & Company. The editor hired to produce those videos also produces for the media organization founded by Mike Lindell, the MyPillow chief and prominent election-denier who is a close ally of the former US president [Donald Trump](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump). The videos and the ongoing campaign against Haitians – which follows a similar effort in Springfield, Ohio, that has caused chaos in the midwestern city – raise questions about the increasingly extreme political rhetoric used in Republican circles. Two experts told the Guardian that the ads contained elements of fascist rhetoric. The producers ------------- The videos on the channel are not clearly attributed to any individuals. They are mostly voiced by the rightwing political operative Nate Hochman, but not all of them are, according to an email sent to the Guardian after publication by Mike Needham, the America 2100 founder. Needham wrote that that one of them, on McKinsey & Company, was voiced by another person. The Guardian had emailed Hochman and Needham ahead of publication with a request for comment and clarification on who narrated the videos. Needham’s only response was to write: “Your reporting is dishonest, pathetic, and aimed at intimidating people you disagree with from participating in the public sphere.” The Guardian [reported last month](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/21/nate-hochman-marco-rubio-anti-immigrant-thinktank-america-2100) that Hochman has been the face of a campaign to establish Charleroi, Pennsylvania, as a new focus for the racist fear campaign about Haitian migrants. That campaign intensified after Trump made false claims about Haitians eating their neighbors’ pets in Springfield, Ohio. Previously, Hochman has weathered scandals over his proximity to the far right. In mid-2022 he lost a fellowship after a [conservative website](https://thedispatch.com/article/the-new-right-finds-a-home-at-the/) revealed that he had recorded a friendly conversation on Twitter with the white nationalist influencer Nick Fuentes, who has openly praised nazism. In July 2023 Hochman was [fired](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/26/desantis-campaign-video-nazi-symbol-fired-aide) from Ron DeSantis’s abortive presidential campaign over a campaign video he reportedly produced that featured neo-Nazi imagery. Mason Prickett, meanwhile, claims credit on his website for the videos’ production, describing them as a “collection of videos I’ve produced for America 2100”. Prickett also claims credit for “motion assets made for FrankSpeech Properties”. FrankSpeech is a video streaming site founded by Lindell, the pillow entrepreneur, Trump supporter and one of the most prominent public deniers of the 2020 election result. In a story published last month, the Guardian revealed America 2100 was launched in June 2023 by Mike Needham, Rubio’s former chief of staff. A [Real Clear Politics report](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2023/06/09/rubio_to_release_new_book_as_longtime_aide_launches_think_tank__149341.html) on the launch said the thinktank had “Rubio’s blessing”, and would prioritize “the work of codifying and institutionalizing the ideas Rubio helped pioneer”. The book Rubio launched at the same time was reported as a milestone in the senator’s transformation “from a darling of the Republican establishment into a populist gadfly armed with policy”, which was “aided, in large part” by Needham. Pride month ----------- Several of the videos embed anti-LGBTQ+ messaging in conspiracy theory narratives. One, published to YouTube on 12 June – the month many celebrate as LGBTQ+ Pride month – is titled How Pride Month Is Destroying and Replacing American Symbols and Identity. In the video, Hochman says the “customs and symbols of the LGBT movement”, including “half naked men, gyrating suggestively in front of young children”, are “viscerally offensive” to many Americans. He claims that this is part of an “ongoing attack on the traditional symbols of America”, which also includes “a push to replace Thanksgiving with an Indigenous day of mourning”. These “new symbols and new traditions”, Hochman claims, are an attempt “to shape a new moral, cultural and political order”. Pride month, he says, is a “symbolic tool of an ongoing revolution meant to undermine and replace the symbols of American history and identity”. Human rights campaign --------------------- Six days later, still during Pride month, another Hochman-voiced video was published to YouTube, which directly accused the LGBTQ+ rights organization Human Rights Campaign (HRC) of leveraging the annual celebration to sinister ends. The video was titled How the “Human Rights Campaign” Forces Companies to Bend the Knee to the Radical LGBTQ Agenda, and a caption on YouTube asks: “Do you ever wonder how everything got so … gay?” In the recording, Hochman says: “Even just a few decades ago, Pride month meant a few parades and a handful of carefully worded statements.” He continues: “Now, every major business, brand and institution is all in on LGBT.” Hochman then claims: “The roots of a lot of this lie with a group called the Human Rights Campaign, a powerful LGBT activist group.” An HRC spokesperson, Sam Lau, said: “Fascists and authoritarian sympathizers target the Human Rights Campaign and the LGBTQ+ community for the same reason they target people of color, women, immigrants and anyone who doesn’t think and look like them – because they are desperate to cling to power.” Lau added: “They know we are the majority and that the American people believe in equality”, and they use “inflammatory, false rhetoric to try to demonize our communities and scare us out of public view”. Lau also pointed to what he called “dangerous consequences”, adding: “Reports of hate crime incidents targeting people for their sexual orientation or gender identity are rising.” Lau cited a [media report](https://abcnews.go.com/US/hate-crimes-lgbtq-community-rise-fbi-data/story?id=113962673) about FBI data released in August that showed anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes in 2023 rose 8.6% from 2022 numbers. [skip past newsletter promotion](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/04/marco-rubio-thinktank-conspiracy-theories#EmailSignup-skip-link-30) Sign up to The Stakes — US Election Edition The Guardian guides you through the chaos of a hugely consequential presidential election **Privacy Notice:** Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our [Privacy Policy](https://www.theguardian.com/help/privacy-policy). We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. after newsletter promotion The McKinsey conspiracy theories -------------------------------- One video titled How the Deep State Infiltrates Presidential Administrations Using McKinsey & Company accuses the consultancy of being “a key player in the globalist network that is working to subvert the American nation”. The narrator also claims in the video, published to YouTube on 16 August: “For nearly a century, the firm has infiltrated every successive presidential administration.” This includes the Trump administration, according to Hochman, who says in the video, “When Donald Trump came to power, McKinsey didn’t go away, they went to work,” and placed “allies and partners in key positions in his administration”. The video provides little evidence for these claims, or for the idea that McKinsey has “deep state ties”. The Guardian contacted McKinsey, and its spokesperson declined to comment. The video concludes with a warning: “If Donald Trump defeats Kamala Harris, McKinsey will waste no time trying to infiltrate the Trump transition again.” The YouTube channel also features several shorts, including one showcasing Marco Rubio’s shift on immigration issues. A decade ago the Republican Florida senator was part of a bipartisan effort to pass immigration reforms that would have given undocumented residents a path to citizenship. In the video he draws an unfavorable comparison between the established Cuban American community and recent refugees, who he says receive overly generous welfare from the federal government. R Michael Alvarez, a professor of political science at Caltech who has published on topics including political campaigns, voter behavior and conspiracy theory thinking, said the videos as a whole were “very dark”, with a focus on “hidden forces, hidden agents”. Alvarez added: “I worry about these materials being microtargeted at people with those beliefs,” and called that possibility “dangerous”. Fascist rhetoric? ----------------- The Guardian also contacted two professors of rhetoric, each with published research on fascist rhetorical tactics, to see how Hochman’s political appeals compared to those made during the darkest periods of 20th-century mass politics. Nathan Crick of Texas A&M University published a [book-length analysis](https://www.uapress.ua.edu/9780817321185/the-rhetoric-of-fascism/) of fascist rhetoric in 2022. Ryan Skinnell of San Jose State University, meanwhile, has a range of published research on the rhetoric of fascism, Hitler and [Donald Trump](https://trumpsrhetoric.com/). Both said that the materials did not contain all the elements of fascist rhetoric, and so could not be unambiguously described as such. However, Crick said they had “fascist overtones”, and Skinnell wrote that the videos contained “very fascist themes and key rhetorical commonplaces that are unmistakably associated with fascist rhetoric”. Crick wrote that the fascist overtones came in the videos’ reliance “on conspiracy theory motifs, most consistently the theme of dark, hidden forces at work behind the scenes”. He also noted a “fixation on sexual perversity and demasculinization”, the “delegitimization of the current state as hopelessly corrupt”, and the “consistent ‘dark’ tone of the videos, the atmosphere of present ‘carnage’ that requires major overhaul”. Skinnell wrote that the fascist themes included the “invention of a glorious, mythic past” and the “utopian vision of a future cleansed of infiltrators and corrupters”. He also cited “narratives of crisis and decline” and “the complementary narrative of victimization at the hands of degenerates and ‘globalists’”. Both qualified these claims, saying the videos lacked some elements of full-blown fascist rhetoric. Noting that “it’s important to distinguish generally ‘conservative’ views from fascism proper”, Crick said that the material on foreign policy, even when touting the “America first” slogan, was “boilerplate political realism”. Skinnell pointed to the videos being “ambiguous about the ‘one true leader’”, which is central to fascist rhetoric, adding that while Trump was presented positively, “in fascist rhetoric, the leader is the embodiment of the nation’s fundamental values”. He also said the videos “don’t lean into the violence or domination narratives that power fascist rhetoric”. This article was amended on 4 October 2024. An earlier version said that the videos were voiced by Nate Hochman. However, after publication the Guardian received information to suggest that it is not clear who narrated one of the videos, on McKinsey & Company.

Oct 24, 2024 6:30 AM A report from the US Department of Homeland Security claims that self-identified militia members have posted the names and photos of US government officials in reaction to their work on the US-Mexico border.  Aerial view of the international border between Mexico and the United StatesPhotograph: Joey Ingelhart/Getty Images [Anti-immigrant rhetoric](https://www.wired.com/story/election-deniers-trump-anti-immigrant-voting/) in the United States is fueling a surge in [violent threats](https://www.wired.com/story/extremists-civil-war-dhs/) against federal judges and other government officials, intelligence officials say, imperiling security operations at the US border and putting law enforcement lives at risk. While [threats from violent extremists](https://www.wired.com/story/dhs-election-denial-violent-attacks/) against migrants, elected officials, and border security personnel have been on the rise for years, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo from May, first reported by WIRED, violent threats against federal judges and other court officers in immigration cases are soaring for the first time. “Individuals self-identifying as militia members have posted names and photos of officers on social media, calling them ‘traitors’ in reaction to perceptions of their work along the US-Mexico border,” the report says, noting that the threats have included calls for attacks on “migrants and buildings using explosives” as well. The documents were first obtained by [Property of the People](https://propertyofthepeople.org/), a nonprofit focused on transparency and national security. In a comment to WIRED, a DHS spokesperson said the agency continues to advise federal, state, and local partners to remain vigilant to potential threats and encourages the public to report any suspicious activity to local authorities. “Perceptions of government inadequacy related to immigration policy, and narratives describing immigration as an ‘invasion,’ remain a consistent driver for some individuals calling for violence against migrants and government personnel,” the memo says. While acknowledging a “heightened threat environment” around the presidential race, DHS avoids associating the claims of a “migrant invasion” with any particular party or figure. However, Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric has grown increasingly targeted and racist since the start of the 2024 campaign, as the former president has accused immigrants of “[poisoning the blood](https://www.axios.com/2023/12/30/trump-poisoning-the-blood-racism)” of the country and being hereditarily [predisposed to murder](https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/07/trump-immigrants-crime-00182702). The former president has called recent immigration “[the greatest invasion in history](https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/18/politics/fact-checking-night-4-republican-national-convention-trump/index.html),” as Trump and his surrogates have continued pushing the [great replacement theory,](https://www.wired.com/story/vivek-ramaswamy-debate-great-replacement-theory-conspiracy/) a racist fiction of a “migrant invasion” being purposefully whipped up by societal elites, with their goal being to dilute the political power of white Americans. Some iterations of the great replacement theory also blame Jewish people for orchestrating this “invasion.” “We all know what it means when political leaders vilify groups as vermin, as marauding invaders, as poisoning the nation’s blood,” says Ryan Shapiro, executive director at Property of the People. “Donald Trump is unambiguously stoking racial violence. The documents show his followers are listening.” Earlier this year, the Supreme Court’s ruling that the federal government—not Texas —had ultimate authority over border enforcement led to a tense standoff, which turbocharged violent rhetoric and civil war fantasies online. That ruling, which DHS cited as a driver behind the uptick in anti-immigration threats, drew an array of extremists who [traveled convoy style](https://www.wired.com/story/take-our-border-back-convoy-militias-texas-weekend-protest/) to the border to “support” Texas law enforcement. As that was playing out, FBI agents said [they disrupted a plot](https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/militiamen-arrested-for-plotting-to-start-a-war-on-the-texas-mexico-border/) by militiamen to shoot border patrol agents and immigrants and “start a war.” And last month, Trump and his running mate, senator JD Vance of Ohio, pounced on a debunked story, stemming from a rumor on Facebook, claiming that Haitian migrants were stealing and eating people’s pets in the town of Springfield, Ohio. City officials were bombarded by hoax bomb threats and death threats, forcing some schools and municipal buildings to temporarily shut down. Proud Boys and Neo-Nazis from the group Blood Tribe also paraded through Springfield. “We’ve certainly seen in the last couple years the spike in threats from anti-immigrant extremists,” says Jon Lewis, a research fellow at George Washington University’s program on extremism. “We see this as one of the easiest mobilizing concepts for the right-wing ecosystem … it certainly shouldn't be a surprise that we see the foot soldiers mobilizing in response to these repeated calls to arms.” The intel fits into a broader trend of the right-wing—which was once typically supportive of all law enforcement—villainizing certain agencies. For example, the [FBI has been targeted with threats](https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/20/jan-6-prosecutor-pervasive-threats-00122733) for its involvement in January 6 prosecutions. Recently released [FBI data](https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/hate-crime) also shows that hate crimes targeting Latinos—who have been broadly scapegoated by anti-immigrant “invasion” rhetoric—also surged by 11 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, continuing a disturbing years-long upwards trend. Anti-immigrant sentiment is driving threats against "critical government infrastructure," and leading to US officials being targeted in their homes, according to another security memo, authored in April. Violent threats against "all immigration-related targets" had tripled in January compared to previous months, the memo said. In April, several immigration-related court rulings reportedly caused a spike in calls for the "mass murder of US judges." "Many groups working on immigration rights and advocacy in recent years have been raising the alarm in terms of this nativist rhetoric," says Jesse Franzblau, a senior analyst at the National Immigration Justice Center. "Particularly from members of Congress." "It's nothing new," Franzblau says, "blaming immigrants for the social ills of the country. But it has grown to a new extreme and it seems more coordinated. There's a lot of money going into developing these talking points, and pushing these completely dangerous narratives about immigrant communities." There’s [broad consensus](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/13/nyregion/migrants-nyc-politics.html) among economists that immigration, in the long-term, revitalizes local economies. DHS projects that overall threats against court officers and court facilities will remain on the rise throughout 2025, the memos show. Those targeting federal judges rose 52 percent last year, one memo says, while threats against court officers effectively doubled. "Threat actors include domestic violent extremists (DVEs) motivated by political and policy-related grievances and criminal actors who threaten critical government infrastructure and personnel, both at their workplaces and private residences," it says, adding that incidents involving "hoaxes," "swatting," and "doxing" have affected a "wide array of federal and state judicial figures." The April memo also credits “immigration-related grievances” with a "spate of swatting incidents" against members of Congress earlier this year, capping off a 7 percent increase in investigations by Capitol Police into threats to US officials.

Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature **Tony Hinchcliffe doubles down on hateful jokes at Trump rally.** In response to Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s objection to his racist jokes, made at Donald Trump’s rally held at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, Hinchcliffe posted on X: > These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his “busy schedule” to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon. Ocasio-Cortez was with the vice president, [Tim Walz](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/tim-walz), at an event when news of the comments emerged. > These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his “busy schedule” to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a… [https://t.co/VFxHRcdv5k](https://t.co/VFxHRcdv5k) > > — Tony Hinchcliffe (@TonyHinchcliffe) [October 27, 2024](https://twitter.com/TonyHinchcliffe/status/1850641658599399587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [Share](mailto:?subject=US%20election%20live:%20Tony%20Hinchcliffe%20defends%20racist%20joke%20at%20Trump%20rally%20with%20jibe%20at%20Tim%20Walz&body=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/oct/28/us-election-live-donald-trump-tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-kamala-harris-obama-springsteen?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-671f71f68f08959aa55b50af#block-671f71f68f08959aa55b50af) * [ Trump campaign distances itself from racist jokes at rally ](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/oct/28/us-election-live-donald-trump-tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-kamala-harris-obama-springsteen?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-671f3e288f085a5821813ee2#block-671f3e288f085a5821813ee2) Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature **Liz Cheney, the former Republican congresswoman, said she was “confident” that [Kamala Harris](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/kamala-harris) would be the next president.** “We are not cruel, and we aren’t evil, and we don’t elect people who are,” she told an event called “An Afternoon With Liz Cheney,” held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. Cheney claimed that during the Capitol riot, Representative Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, offered her is arm and help with evacuating the building. “Get away from me — you effing did this,” Cheney said she responded. She said that the decisions by The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times not to publish endorsements over the next president was “all about fear.” Fear is “a tool that every autocrat uses,” she said. [Share](mailto:?subject=US%20election%20live:%20Tony%20Hinchcliffe%20defends%20racist%20joke%20at%20Trump%20rally%20with%20jibe%20at%20Tim%20Walz&body=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/oct/28/us-election-live-donald-trump-tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-kamala-harris-obama-springsteen?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-671f68918f080a42be7581f9#block-671f68918f080a42be7581f9) **A second columnist for the Washington Post resigns in wake of the newspaper’s failure to back a candidate for president.** Michele Norris announced on X that ”of yesterday, I have decided to resign from my role as a columnist for The Washington Post — a newspaper that I love. In a moment like this, everyone needs to make their own decisions. This is the reason for mine.” She added that the Post’s non-endorsement was a “terrible mistake” and “an insult to the paper’s own longstanding standard of regularly endorsing candidates since 1976.” [Share](mailto:?subject=US%20election%20live:%20Tony%20Hinchcliffe%20defends%20racist%20joke%20at%20Trump%20rally%20with%20jibe%20at%20Tim%20Walz&body=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/oct/28/us-election-live-donald-trump-tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-kamala-harris-obama-springsteen?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-671f70768f08a5573efd68c5#block-671f70768f08a5573efd68c5) **Tony Hinchcliffe doubles down on hateful jokes at Trump rally.** In response to Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s objection to his racist jokes, made at Donald Trump’s rally held at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, Hinchcliffe posted on X: > These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his “busy schedule” to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon. Ocasio-Cortez was with the vice president, [Tim Walz](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/tim-walz), at an event when news of the comments emerged. > These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his “busy schedule” to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a… [https://t.co/VFxHRcdv5k](https://t.co/VFxHRcdv5k) > > — Tony Hinchcliffe (@TonyHinchcliffe) [October 27, 2024](https://twitter.com/TonyHinchcliffe/status/1850641658599399587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [Share](mailto:?subject=US%20election%20live:%20Tony%20Hinchcliffe%20defends%20racist%20joke%20at%20Trump%20rally%20with%20jibe%20at%20Tim%20Walz&body=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/oct/28/us-election-live-donald-trump-tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-kamala-harris-obama-springsteen?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-671f71f68f08959aa55b50af#block-671f71f68f08959aa55b50af) **Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez says she found Tony Hinchcliffe’s jokes at Trump’s rally “super upsetting.”** Hinchcliffe’s racist jokes included: “There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called [Puerto Rico](https://www.theguardian.com/world/puerto-rico).” “These Latinos, they love making babies too. Just know that. They do. They do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside. Just like they did to our country.” Democratic representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), who is of Puerto Rican descent, was watching the comedian’s set with Vice President candidate [Tim Walz](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/tim-walz) and commented: > When you have some a-hole calling Puerto Rico ‘floating garbage,’ know that that’s what they think about you. It’s what they think about anyone who makes less money than them… I want every Puerto Rican in Philadelphia and Reading and across the country to see this clip” > Gov. Walz and [@AOC](https://twitter.com/AOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) react to this clip: “When you have some a-hole calling Puerto Rico ‘floating garbage,’ know that that's what they think about you. It's what they think about anyone who makes less money than them… I want every Puerto Rican in Philadelphia and Reading and… [https://t.co/L5GdSvLJWT](https://t.co/L5GdSvLJWT) [pic.twitter.com/y9DQTABM0v](https://t.co/y9DQTABM0v) > > — Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) [October 27, 2024](https://twitter.com/KamalaHQ/status/1850636070137762225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [Share](mailto:?subject=US%20election%20live:%20Tony%20Hinchcliffe%20defends%20racist%20joke%20at%20Trump%20rally%20with%20jibe%20at%20Tim%20Walz&body=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/oct/28/us-election-live-donald-trump-tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-kamala-harris-obama-springsteen?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-671f6bce8f08d3f94c2bb607#block-671f6bce8f08d3f94c2bb607) **Tech titan Elon Musk spoke at the MSG rally and introduced Melania Trump.** Trump called Musk “a genius” and “special”. Musk said: “Your money is being wasted, and the department of government efficiency is going to fix that.” Trump’s claim that Musk is a genius is undermined slightly by his business record. Several of Musk’s enterprises, including Tesla and SpaceX, have relied on US subsidies and government contracts. Musk’s stewardship of Tesla has been marked by over-promising and under-delivering on a range of products, including fully self-driving vehicles; the so-called Hyperloop, which was intended to revolutionise transport, ended up being scrapped to build a parking lot; two million Tesla cars had to be recalled due to safety concerns, and the Tesla Roadster, a car promised to consumers in 2017, was delayed again this year. Since purchasing Twitter (now X) for $44bn, the value of the social media platform has been reduced by over half. Musk has also faced criticism after reports that he has spoken privately with Russian President Vladimir Putin. [](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/oct/28/us-election-live-donald-trump-tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-kamala-harris-obama-springsteen#img-2) Elon Musk at last night’s rally Photograph: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images [Share](mailto:?subject=US%20election%20live:%20Tony%20Hinchcliffe%20defends%20racist%20joke%20at%20Trump%20rally%20with%20jibe%20at%20Tim%20Walz&body=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/oct/28/us-election-live-donald-trump-tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-kamala-harris-obama-springsteen?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-671f66858f08d3f94c2bb5c4#block-671f66858f08d3f94c2bb5c4) **Donald Trump’s** campaign has moved to distance the presidential hopeful from racist insults aimed at Puerto Ricans amid a backlash over remarks at a rally at New York’s **Madison Square Garden** last night. “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called **Puerto Rico**,” said **Tony Hinchcliffe**, a stand-up comic told the Republican event. His set also included lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and Black people, all key constituencies in the election just nine days away. His joke was immediately criticised by **Kamala Harris’** campaign. Puerto Rican music superstar Bad Bunny backed Harris shortly after Hinchcliffe’s appearance. The normally pugnacious Trump campaign took the rare step of distancing itself from Hinchcliffe. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement. Angel Cintron, the head of the GOP on the island, and US representative Maria Elvira Salazar, who represents parts of Miami and has participated in recent Trump events, were **among Republicans** to criticise Hinchcliffe’s comments. > Disgusted by [@TonyHinchcliffe](https://twitter.com/TonyHinchcliffe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a 'floating island of garbage.' This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values. Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect. > > Educate yourself! > > — María Elvira Salazar 🇺🇸 (@MaElviraSalazar) [October 27, 2024](https://twitter.com/MaElviraSalazar/status/1850660461441613952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Luis Fonsi, a Puerto Rican artist who sings the hit “**Despacito**,” went on Instagram and wrote “going down this racist path ain’t it.” “We are not OK with this constant hate,” he wrote in a message shared on Instagram. “It’s been abundantly clear that these people have no respect for us.” The singer **Ricky Martin**, who had previously endorsed Harris, was also offended by the comment and said “that’s what they think of us,” on Instagram. More on this shortly, in other developments: * Trump will join National Faith Advisory Board for a faith summit in Atlanta this afternoon and will attend a rally in the city later. * Harris and her vice-presidential pick, Tim Walz, to hold a joint campaign rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Monday. * Barack Obama and [Bruce Springsteen](https://www.theguardian.com/music/springsteen) are holding a campaign rally for Harris in Philadelphia. [Share](mailto:?subject=US%20election%20live:%20Tony%20Hinchcliffe%20defends%20racist%20joke%20at%20Trump%20rally%20with%20jibe%20at%20Tim%20Walz&body=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/oct/28/us-election-live-donald-trump-tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-kamala-harris-obama-springsteen?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-671f3e288f085a5821813ee2#block-671f3e288f085a5821813ee2)

Outrage is continuing to mount following the racist anti-Puerto Rican remarks at [Donald Trump](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump)’s Madison Square Garden [rally](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/27/trump-madison-square-garden-rally) in New York as [Democrats](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/democrats), celebrities and even some Republicans condemned the incident. Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe came under fire for comments made about Latinos and [Puerto Rico](https://www.theguardian.com/world/puerto-rico) at the Sunday rally. “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” he said, among other [controversial remarks](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/oct/28/us-election-live-donald-trump-tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-kamala-harris-obama-springsteen?page=with:block-671f6bce8f08d3f94c2bb607). In the hours following, [Democrats](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/democrats) and Hispanic groups on both sides of the political aisle have condemned the comments as “offensive” and “derogatory”. [Kamala Harris](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/kamala-harris) called the remarks “nonsense” and said: “I think last night, Donald Trump’s event in Madison Square Garden really highlighted a point that I’ve been making throughout this campaign. He is focused and actually fixated on his grievances, on himself and on dividing our country.” [Joe Biden](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/joebiden) said the rally had been “simply embarrassing” and added: “It’s beneath any president, but that’s what we’re getting used to. That’s why this election is so important.” Democratic representative [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/alexandria-ocasio-cortez), born in New York to Puerto Ricans, called out the comments in a series of posts. “This isn’t the comedy store. You’re using your set to boost neo-Nazis like [MTG](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/marjorie-taylor-greene) & stripping women’s rights to the Stone Age. Your ‘sense of humor’ doesn’t change that,” she [wrote in one post](https://x.com/AOC/status/1850649252642591209) replying directly to Hinchcliffe defending his comments. [Tim Walz](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/tim-walz), Harris’s running mate, was also unamused by the racist jokes. “People in Puerto Rico are citizens. They pay tax and they serve in the military at almost a higher rate than anybody else,” he said on a [Twitch livestream](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2024/oct/28/aoc-rebukes-trump-rally-comedians-puerto-rico-joke-video) with AOC. In addition to being immediately criticized by the Harris campaign, the comments drew angry responses from prominent Puerto Rican Republicans including Angel Cintron, the head of the [Republican](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/republicans) party on the island. Republican congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, who represents parts of Miami and has participated in recent Trump events, [criticized the remarks on X](https://x.com/MaElviraSalazar/status/1850660461441613952), writing: “Disgusted by @TonyHinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’ This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values. Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect. Educate yourself!” * **Don’t miss important US election coverage. [Get our free app](https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3) and sign up for election alerts** Rick Scott, a Republican senator from Florida, also used X to call out the comedian. “This joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true. Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans!” he wrote [in a post](https://x.com/ScottforFlorida/status/1850671024204882016). Peter Navarro, a former Trump administration official and loyal supporter, opted for more colorful language: “@tonyhinchcliffe must be the biggest, stupidest asshole that ever came down the comedy pike,” he [wrote on X](https://x.com/realpnavarro/status/1850884211659473287?s=46&t=M-CzMlmhyXUz1whCFwqfhA). Trump’s team is scrambling to contain the backlash. Campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in an interview on Fox News that Hinchcliffe made a “joke in poor taste”, but also suggested that the incident was being overblown. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” Danielle Alvarez, a Trump campaign spokesperson, said in a statement. But the criticism continues outside politics. Puerto Rican music stars Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin [announced their endorsement](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/27/bad-bunny-supports-kamala-harris) of Kamala Harris following the Trump rally. Martin wrote in [a post](https://www.instagram.com/stories/ricky_martin/3488324415886581388/?hl=en) to his 18 million followers on Instagram: “This is what they think of us. Vote for @kamalaharris.” Several political action committees have seized the moment as an opportunity to grow support for the Harris campaign. Nuestro Pac, a Democratic Super Pac focused on Latinos, began sending texts on Monday after raising $30,000 to text all Puerto Rican voters in Pennsylvania following the Trump rally, the [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/28/trump-rally-attacks-puerto-rico-harris/) reports.

Donald Trump reveled in what advisers called his happy place at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, as he enveloped himself in the adulation ahead of the final stretch of campaigning until the November election. The capacity rally at the Garden – something Trump had talked about for years – was essentially a reboot of the Republican national convention this summer, widely seen as Trump’s most confident moment. Trump had the more polished speakers from the convention double down on crude and xenophobic rhetoric, while he had Hulk Hogan rip his shirt on stage again, and got Melania Trump to appear again. The rally was a safe space for Trump and the campaign to lean into their most caustic impulses: speakers falsely saying [Kamala Harris](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/kamala-harris) allowed migrants to “rape and kill” Americans or questioning whether Harris was Black or “Samoan-Malaysian”. There was nothing about trying to broaden his base. The rhetoric of Trump and his speakers was designed to give the crowd what they wanted to hear, doubling down on immigration rhetoric which Trump thinks his supporters love to hear the most. That disinterest to reach undecided voters by moderating the rhetoric also underscored the confidence of the Trump team with fewer than nine days until the election – they have long seen their path to victory as juicing turnout. The Trump team in recent days have in hushed whispers suggested privately they might even get close to winning the popular vote, which Trump lost in 2016, describing him as a comeback story with momentum on his side. Here are the key takeaways from perhaps Trump’s final major rally before election day: 1. Trump’s warm-up speakers appeared to feel particularly emboldened to take shots at Latinos and African Americans at the rally, in an apparent attempt to copy the former president. From the very first speaker, Tony Hinchcliffe, the host of the Kill Tony podcast, there was a push to stoke racial animus. Latinos “love making babies … there’s no pulling out. They come inside, just like they do to our country.” He added: “There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.” The radio host Sid Rosenberg leaned into attacking Democrats, using ad hominem slurs to describe Hillary Clinton – a villain to Trump supporters who lapped it up. “Hillary Clinton. What a sick son of a bitch. The whole fucking party. A bunch of degenerates. Lowlives, Jew-haters and lowlives. Every one of ‘em. Every one of ‘em,” Rosenberg said. And Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host who lost his prime time perch in the wake of the network getting sued for defamation over promulgating false 2020 election fraud claims, went after Kamala Harris. “As the first Samoan Malaysian low IQ, former California prosecutor to ever be elected president,” Carlson falsely said in a mocking tone of Harris’s racial background. “No, she’s not impressive.” 2. Trump himself doubled down on his anti-immigration rhetoric, promising to pursue the death penalty for migrants who kill an American and that he would invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Trump’s actual border plans are filled with rhetoric but light on details. For instance, he has pledged mass deportations without saying how it would logistically happen or how it would be funded. The Alien Enemies Act allows for summary deportations of people from countries with which the US is at war, that have invaded the country or have engaged in “predatory incursions” – but it requires a link to actions by a foreign government. But Trump has noted to advisers his crowds seem most energized when he talks about deporting illegal immigrants, and his speech repeatedly veered back to immigration even as he touched on other campaign messaging. 3. Trump kept himself disciplined enough to throw out a new economic promise as he competes with Harris to increase disposable incomes for Americans: to introduce a new tax credit for family caregivers. He also promised to cut energy prices in half if he was re-elected and to lower corporate tax rates for businesses. Trump was again light on details for his economic agenda, given changes to the tax code would require the approval of Congress and it is unclear whether Republicans will retain control of the House or take the Senate majority.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez likened Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant remarks to the words of Adolf Hitler and sought to rally progressive support for Kamala Harris with Bernie Sanders at a rally on Monday night in Madison, Wisconsin. The New York congresswoman called the election a “precipice” and condemned the former president’s [Madison Square Garden rally](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/28/biden-harris-racist-comments-trump-msg-rally), where a comic referred to Puerto Rico as “garbage”, spurring widespread outrage on the island. “They knew exactly what they were doing; let’s dispense with this idea that this is a joke,” said [Ocasio-Cortez](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/alexandria-ocasio-cortez). She denounced Trump’s guests for saying “absolutely horrific things” about women and minorities. “It’s the same kind of logic that says a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx has no business connecting with the community of Madison, [Wisconsin](https://www.theguardian.com/world/wisconsin),” said Ocasio-Cortez, in a speech that sought to reject Trump’s racist rally and project a vision of unity. “When we hear an individual, whether it’s [Donald Trump](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump) or one of his cronies on a stage, talking about our fellow Americans as a pile of garbage, know that he’s talking about us, he’s talking about you,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “When he calls us, our service members and veterans, suckers and losers, he’s talking about you.” She urged voters to recognize the New York rally not as an aberration but as evidence of the Trump movement’s fascist ideology and accused him of “\[echoing\] the words of Adolf Hitler”. Madison and its suburbs reliably generate broad support for Democratic party candidates – and the [Harris](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/kamala-harris) campaign is especially focused on turning out as many voters as possible there to help deliver the swing state to the vice-president on 5 November. “A win in this state, if you haven’t yet heard, is decided by around three votes in every single ward,” said Gaby Schmidt, regional organizing director for Wisconsin’s Democratic coordinated campaign. Schmidt described Wisconsin’s nail-bitingly narrow electoral margins and urged audience members to text 10 friends or family members to get out the vote for Harris before the event ended. “We all know that’s the difference between winning and losing.” * **Don’t miss important US election coverage. [Get our free app](https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3) and sign up for election alerts** “Tonight is about making a progressive case for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” said Mark Pocan, a progressive US congressman who represents Dane county voters. For Pocan – and the speakers who followed – this meant underscoring Trump’s authoritarian rhetoric and impulses and casting Harris as open to the bold policy measures of the progressive left. “Trump is taking the role of the fascist authoritarian, and he wants to scare the shit out of you,” said Pocan. [skip past newsletter promotion](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/28/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-bernie-sanders-kamala-harris#EmailSignup-skip-link-12) Sign up to The Stakes — US Election Edition The Guardian guides you through the chaos of a hugely consequential presidential election **Privacy Notice:** Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our [Privacy Policy](https://www.theguardian.com/help/privacy-policy). We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. after newsletter promotion Bernie Sanders opened on a similar note. “You have Mike Pence saying I can’t support the guy I worked with for four years,” said Sanders. “We cannot allow someone to be president of the United States who is a pathological liar and who is working night and day to undermine American democracy.” For the rest of his speech, Sanders focused on his bread and butter issues: protecting the working class and his vision for a social safety net for Americans. He walked through the Biden administration’s efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs and stack the National Labor Relations Board with union-friendly administrators, and called for bold measures to address poverty and inequality. He denounced the student and medical debt crises and called for tax hikes on the ultra-wealthy. “We have got to cancel all medical debt in America,” said Sanders, noting that many Trump supporters had legitimate reason to be upset. “There are a lot of angry people in America, and you know what, people have a right to be angry.” Sanders accused Trump of misdirecting legitimate anger over “corporate greed” toward minority communities, calling Trump’s rhetoric a form of demagoguery. “What we have got to do is bring our people together,” concluded Sanders, “to create an agenda that speaks to the needs of the working class of this country.”

Nov 1, 2024 12:30 PM With bombs, brawls, and stolen mail-in ballots already in play, the 2024 election is shaping up to be exceptionally chaotic. WIRED is tracking these incidents as they unfold.  Photo Illustration: WIRED Staff; Getty Images A man in a white van circled an early voting site in Loxahatchee, Florida, and shouted antisemitic and racist slurs at a group of people campaigning outside. A man who went to vote in Orangeburg, South Carolina, brawled with election workers after he was asked to remove his Trump hat. A man in Tempe, Arizona, was arrested for shooting up a DNC office three times. These are just some of the disturbing incidents that have taken place in the last 10 days alone. WIRED is tracking how [disinformation](https://www.wired.com/story/election-fraud-conspiracies-flooding-social-media/) and heightened political rhetoric is spilling out into the real world as Election Day nears, manifesting in acts of sabotage, intimidation, and violence. Please reach out via [this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1EnAI6gIsvKLCmOQENTKdRrc8ct_-zi659gm_yF4aWwg/viewform?edit_requested=true) with tips. Authorities are on high alert for election-related violence this year. Since 2020, election workers have faced a constant barrage of threats, harassment, and stalking at such a level that the DOJ formed a special division just to investigate those types of threats. A series of intelligence memos reported by WIRED indicate that officials are bracing for potential chaos and sabotage from [“insider threats,](https://www.wired.com/story/insider-threats-election/)” as well as [possible attacks](https://www.wired.com/story/dhs-election-denial-violent-attacks/) on voting infrastructure for the 2024 US election. The V-Dem Institute, a political-science think tank based in Sweden that takes a data-driven approach to evaluating democracies around the world, [put out a report](https://www.v-dem.net/media/publications/WP_150.pdf) predicting a “relatively high likelihood of electoral violence” for the election. We’ve compiled a total of 13 recent confirmed incidents so far, and we’ll keep updating as we go.

[Donald Trump](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump)’s aides are bullish about their prospects with their internal polls showing them ahead of his rival [Kamala Harris](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/kamala-harris) during the final weekend of the campaign before the [election](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-elections-2024), even as they also concede they actually have no idea how America’s election will ultimately break. The confidence is mainly coming from two places: some polls that show the former US president ahead in every battleground state and [Republicans](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/republicans) holding onto early vote leads in places like Nevada, which they extrapolate to read that the Sun Belt states may be increasingly out of reach for Harris. The Trump campaign leadership is also taking solace in their polls showing a majority of the country thinks the country is on the wrong track – what they see as a leading indicator for momentum – and election forecasters like Nate Silver putting Trump’s odds of victory at 55% to Harris at 45%. The picture that emerges from interviews with multiple Trump advisers, pollsters, aides and others close to the former president is that they feel comfortable but restless about their position. However, a public display of confidence by the campaign – which has also involved Trump aides saying his recent one-off rallies in New Mexico and Virginia are because they are expanding the electoral map even though the New Mexico trip is understood to have been at the request of a donor – is also softening the ground to contest the results if Trump loses. Trump and his many campaign surrogates have been engaged in a [strategy of publicly raising expectations](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/01/republicans-donald-trump-polls-us-election-lawsuits) among their followers which may create a well-spring of discontent should Harris win, especially if her victory is narrow or propelled over the line by a late-breaking wave of [Democratic](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/democrats) ballots. “If we could bring God down from heaven and he’d be the vote counter, we’d win this, we’d win California, we’d win a lot of states,” Trump said last week in a typical piece of bombast about his prospects. But internal sources tell the Guardian they are universally jittery about the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, through which most of Trump’s paths to 270 [electoral college](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/01/election-electoral-college-votes-explained) votes run. Internal polls show Trump ahead but some of those numbers have been so rosy in recent weeks that aides have grown distrustful about their accuracy. The Trump campaign has also been nervous about [North Carolina](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/28/north-carolina-election-votes-hurricane-helene) – a state they really have to hold this year – evidenced by the multiple trips Trump is making to the state in the final weekend. Trump had two rallies in North Carolina on Saturday, one on Sunday and another on Monday. And despite their elation at record numbers of [Republicans](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/republicans) voting early this cycle, it has been difficult to gauge whether those Trump supporters who voted early were people who would have voted anyway, thereby cannibalizing the election day vote, or if they are new voters, according to two people familiar with the data. The anxiety comes with Trump aides having no way to gauge the impact of his rally at [Madison Square Garden rally](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/27/trump-madison-square-garden-rally) last weekend where speakers used [racist and crude tropes](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/31/six-racist-bigoted-comments-trump-madison-square-garden) about Puerto Rico, Latinos and African Americans that generated instant [backlash](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/28/biden-harris-racist-comments-trump-msg-rally) from officials and voters alike. The first speaker, the comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, told a series of jokes that drew little laughter but may have alienated those key constituencies. He suggested Latinos loved to have sex, Black people carved watermelons and in the most damaging line, called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage. The complaints and condemnations poured in before Trump even got to his speech later that evening. In a sign that the campaign knew how damaging the moment had become, the campaign quickly issued a statement distancing Trump from the Puerto Rico comments. But the news cycle about the Puerto Rico rhetoric continued for days, prolonged by Trump being unable to resist trying to call the rally a “[love fest](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2024/oct/29/donald-trump-defends-his-madison-square-garden-rally-as-love-fest-video)” at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, while aides have fretted that it might have offended thousands of Puerto Rican families in Pennsylvania. In the final months of the campaign, Trump has been even more freewheeling in his dark rhetoric than ever, shifting from [accusing](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/28/trump-wisconsin-immigration-speech) undocumented immigrants of raping and killing Americans to saying they are running sex slave rings, as he tries to beat into the public consciousness that Harris [was to blame](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/29/trump-harris-campaign-of-hate) as a failed border czar. The Harris campaign has used Trump’s remarks to cast him as divisive and fascist, believing the [fascist label](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/23/harris-trump-fascist-hitler-comments-election) is helping her sway moderate Republicans as they hone in on trifecta of messages that also includes support for abortion rights and promising to lower cost of living.

Authorities are investigating racist text messages sent to black Americans across the country telling them to report to a plantation "to pick cotton". Black Americans, including school and college students, were among the recipients in states including Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania. “The FBI is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter,” the agency said. The messages appear to have started on Wednesday, the day after election day. Some of the messages mentioned the Trump campaign – which strongly denied any connection. Steven Cheung, a campaign spokesman, said: “The campaign has absolutely nothing to do with these text messages.” The source of the anonymous messages and the total number sent are unclear. A 42-year-old mother in Indiana sent a copy of the texts her high-school-aged daughter received to the BBC. The messages said that the daughter had "been selected to become a slave at your nearest plantation" and would be "picked up in a white van" and "searched thoroughly once you’ve reached your destination". The woman, who asked to remain anonymous for her safety, called the messages “extremely, extremely alarming” and made her feel "really vulnerable". “It’s because of America’s history, but the timing is specific to the day after the election,” she said. “This had to be a strategised effort.” Another recipient, Hailey Welch, [told a University of Alabama student newspaper](https://thecrimsonwhite.com/117349/news/black-students-receive-racist-text-messages-after-trumps-win-part-of-apparent-nationwide-trend/) that several students on the campus had also received the messages. “At first I thought it was a joke, but everyone else was getting them. People were texting, posting on their stories, saying they got them,” Ms Welch told The Crimson White. “I was just stressed out, and I was scared because I didn’t know what was happening.” The wording of the messages varied but generally instructed recipients to report to a “plantation” or wait to be picked up in a van, and referred to “slave” labour. The texts were sent from numbers with area codes in at least 25 different states, according to CBS News, the BBC's partner network in the US. TextNow, a mobile provider that allows people to create phone numbers for free, said it found one or more of its accounts were used to send text messages "in violation of its terms of service". The company disabled the accounts within an hour of discovering the misuse, it said in a statement. "We do not condone the use of our service to send harassing or spam messages and will work with the authorities to prevent these individuals from doing so in the future," it said. Civil rights group NAACP condemned the messages saying they were a consequence of President-elect Trump’s election. "These actions are not normal, ” said the group's chief executive Derrick Johnson. “These messages represent an alarming increase in vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist groups across the country, who now feel emboldened to spread hate and stoke the flames of fear that many of us are feeling after Tuesday's election results.” Jessica Rosenworcel, chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, which is also investigating the messages, said: "These messages are unacceptable. We take this type of targeting very seriously.” In several states, top law enforcement officials said they were aware of the messages and encouraged residents to report them to the authorities if they received them. The office of Nevada’s attorney general said it was working to “probe into the source of what appear to be robotext messages”. In a statement, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said Louisiana Bureau of Investigation officers had traced some of the messages to a virtual private network – a method of masking the origins of electronic communications – based in Poland. Murrill said investigators “have found no original source - meaning they could have originated from any bad actor state in the region or the world”. The Indiana mother responded to reports the messages could have originated abroad, telling the BBC: “It doesn't make it any safer or better that it could have been foreign.” “They know the mindset of America,” she said.

Racist text messages [targeting Black people across the US](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/08/racist-text-messages-trump-win) just hours after Donald Trump won a second presidency have now expanded to the Hispanic communities – and homophobic versions have been aimed at LGBTQ+ people, the FBI said on Friday. Authorities say they are investigating the messages – which now include emails – and that they have not received reports of violent acts stemming from the hateful messages. The recipients of the messages include high school students being told that they have been “selected for deportation or to report to a re-education camp”, the FBI [said in a statement.](https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-statement-regarding-offensive-text-messages) After the 5 November US presidential election saw Trump returned to the White House, Black Americans reported receiving racist text messages telling them they had been “selected” to pick cotton and needed to report to the “nearest plantation”. Black people in states including Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, New York, New Jersey and Nevada, and in Washington DC and elsewhere, reported receiving the messages. The messages were sent to Black adults and students. Some of the texts were signed [“a Trump supporter”](https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2024/11/07/racist-text-messages-black-students-cotton-plantations-florida/76112615007/). Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, said the campaign “has absolutely nothing to do with these text messages”. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) condemned the messages, saying that they “represent an alarming increase in vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist groups across the country, who now feel emboldened to spread hate and stoke the flames of fear”. “The unfortunate reality of electing a president who historically has embraced, and at times encouraged hate, is unfolding before our eyes,” the NAACP president and chief executive officer, Derrick Johnson, said in a statement last week. The [FBI](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/fbi) said it is contact with the US justice department and other federal authorities on the racist and homophobic messages.

Galatasaray have accused [José Mourinho](https://www.theguardian.com/football/jose-mourinho) of making “racist statements” and said they would initiate criminal proceedings against the Fenerbahce manager over his comments after their 0-0 Super Lig draw on Monday. Although it was not clear which statements [Galatasaray](https://www.theguardian.com/football/galatasaray) were referring to, Mourinho said the home side’s bench had been “jumping like monkeys” and that the match would have been a disaster if a Turkish referee had been in charge. Monday’s game was refereed by the Slovenian Slavko Vincic after both clubs requested a foreign official take charge. Galatasaray said on X that Mourinho had “persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people” since taking up his role in the league. “Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric,” the club said. Quick GuideShow * Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'. * If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version. * In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications. * Turn on sport notifications. Thank you for your feedback. “We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by José Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to Uefa and Fifa.” Mourinho and [Fenerbahce](https://www.theguardian.com/football/fenerbahce) did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters sent outside normal business hours in Turkey. Mourinho has previously been fined and suspended for his comments about Turkish match officials. The Portuguese was again critical of Turkish referees in a press conference after Monday’s match. “I went to the referees’ dressing room after the game,” he said. “Of course, the fourth official was there, a Turkish referee. I told him \[Vincic\]: ‘Thank you to come here because you come for a big match and you are responsible for a big match.’ “And I turned myself to the fourth official and I \[said\]: ‘This match, if you are the referee, this match would be a disaster.’ And when I say him, I say the general tendency.” Mourinho also praised Vincic for not giving a yellow card to the defender Yusuf Akcicek early in the match despite the animated reaction of the Galatasaray bench to a challenge. “I have also to thank the referee because with a Turkish referee after the big dive in the first minute, their bench jumping like monkeys on the top of the kid, with a Turkish referee you would have a yellow card after one minute and after five minutes I would have to change him,” he said. [skip past newsletter promotion](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/feb/25/galatasaray-accuse-jose-mourinho-racist-statements-legal-action#EmailSignup-skip-link-11) Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football **Privacy Notice:** Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our [Privacy Policy](https://www.theguardian.com/help/privacy-policy). We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. after newsletter promotion Fenerbahce said in a statement that Mourinho’s comments had been “deliberately distorted by being completely taken out of context”. The club also said: “Attempting to portray this statement as a racist remark is an entirely malicious approach. We present to the public that we will exercise our legal rights regarding this feeble slander, which has been thrown to take the competition off the field, shift the agenda, and manipulate it.” Earlier the club’s vice-president, Acun Ilicali, had defended Mourinho in an interview with Sky Sports News. “José Mourinho is just describing the emotion of the bench by using the word monkey – that’s all,” he said. “When I say you are running like a rabbit, I don’t say that you are a rabbit. So when I say you are jumping like a monkey, it doesn’t mean you are a monkey. “You can clearly understand that José Mourinho had no intention to be racist, in the words or behind the words or around the words. That’s a very clear situation that is trying to be manipulated by Galatasaray’s board, and we are used to it in Turkey. “José is very important for us, we are very happy to be with him, and as a club I can clearly say that we are behind our coach, we are supporting him 100%.”

Trump’s appointee as interim US attorney for the District of Columbia and [nominee](https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/02/21/us-attorney-ed-martin-trump-prosecutor-podcast/) to hold the position permanently, Ed Martin, has repeatedly made derogatory and racist comments in past social media posts and columns. Martin’s rhetoric includes falsely claiming Kamala Harris is “self-identified” as Black and calling her the new Rachel Dolezal, claiming Planned Parenthood targets Black communities for abortions, claiming that the supreme court justice Sonia Sotomayor made racist comments to white males about her own identity and invoking false claims about Dr Martin Luther King Jr to affirm support for the Republican party and the Tea Party movement. Trump appointed Martin to be interim US Attorney in January 2025 Last week, Martin [wrote a letter](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/06/ed-martin-us-attorney-dei) to the dean of Georgetown law school, telling the school to end any diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, claiming his office would not hire anyone associated with a university with DEI programs. In recent weeks, he has also [tried to initiate](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/03/us/politics/us-attorney-justice-dept-schumer-inquiry.html) a grand jury investigation into the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, over 2020 comments about supreme court justices and [wrote letters](https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/02/19/ed-martin-dc-letters-schumer-garcia/) threatening to prosecute Schumer and Congressman Robert Garcia over their criticism of billionaire Elon Musk and the so-called “department of government efficiency”. He has also [referred t](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/24/us-attorney-trump-lawyers)o himself and other US attorneys as “President Trump’s lawyers” rather than an independent, law-abiding officer sworn to uphold the US constitution. Senate Democrats have [asked](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/us/politics/ed-martin-us-attorney-washington-trump.html) the DC bar association to investigate Martin for using the office to threaten political opponents and pardon past clients, January 6 defendants. The US attorney’s office for the District of Columbia declined to comment. “President Trump was given a resounding mandate by the American people to restore law and order. His nomination of Ed Martin underscores his commitment to making America safe again, starting with our nation’s capital,” said Liz Huston, assistant White House press secretary. Leading up to the 2024 presidential election, Martin repeatedly [referred](https://x.com/EagleEdMartin/status/1838689160254898670) to Harris as a “self-identified” Black woman [and as](https://x.com/EagleEdMartin/status/1823031999033929816) “the DEI candidate.” “Hillary Clinton must be kicking herself that she didn’t do it,” he [wrote](https://x.com/EagleEdMartin/status/1819350067196702969) on social media in August 2024. “Move over Rachel Dolezal. Why Kamala Harris can never be Black,” he [wrote](https://x.com/EagleEdMartin/status/1818823714240123122) twice in July 2024, linking to an unrelated NPR article about Dolezal. The Guardian obtained copies of columns Martin wrote for the Evening Whirl, a non-digital, crime tabloid in St Louis, Missouri, as he was a leader in the local Tea Party that emerged and grew in response to Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential election win. In a 2010 column entitled “What would MLK Say?”, Martin, criticized a Martin Luther King Jr event at Harris Stowe State University, a historical Black university in St. Louis, because he said the attendees and speakers didn’t criticize “racist tendencies” of the Democratic party. He argued “the truth that few will say out loud”, is entitlements, invoking King to perpetuate [racist stereotypes](https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/image-of-typical-welfare-recipient-linked-with-racial-stereotypes.html) of welfare recipients, and ignoring how King [advocated](https://projects.seattletimes.com/mlk/words-going.html) for guaranteed income to address poverty. “America has – for over 40 years now – engaged in a ‘war on poverty’ that has created an underclass of men and women who have too little education and too little family structure to ever make it out of poverty. Most are black and brown,” Martin wrote, falsely, as [most Americans](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-americas-poverty-rates-differ-by-race/) under the poverty line are white. “Welfare and other entitlements encouraged young men to leave their kids, your women to never marry but have many kids, and both men and women to not work (and collect payments),” Martin added. He lamented in a later column, claiming King and the Tea Party movement were aligned. Even recently, Martin [falsely](https://www.cnn.com/2016/01/15/us/mlk-myths/index.html) [claimed](https://x.com/EagleEdMartin/status/1764828218316423258) King was a registered Republican. “I wonder what Martin Luther King Jr might think of the Tea Party movement. I can’t help but think he would appreciate their desire to rally, strive for change, and peaceably force the folks in power to listen,” Martin wrote. In a 2009 column titled “If Sotomayor was a white man,” Martin claimed her supreme court nomination would be over, claiming a comment she made about her experiences as a Latina woman was racist against white men. “In 2001, she said this: ‘I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.’ Wow. Imagine if a white male nominee had said ‘a white guy like me will make better decisions that some Puerto Rican woman.’” Martin’s columns were written in the wake of his resignation as chief of staff to the Republican governor of Missouri in 2007, following a [scandal](https://www.law.com/dailyreportonline/almID/1202551750469/) in which a staff attorney was fired by Martin for trying to enforce public email records laws. Also before his resignation, Hispanic groups [called](https://web.archive.org/web/20070921161559/https://www.kansascity.com/115/story/269728.html) on the Missouri governor to fire Martin after he said during an August 2007 Missouri housing development commission meeting that in a work force where there are “Mexican-looking people they are likely illegal”. The governor of Missouri Matt Blunt dismissed the calls, claiming the comments were taken out of context. He became a leader among the Tea Party in Missouri in 2008, attempted to get elected to Congress and then the state attorney general’s office in 2012. He was [elected](https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2013-01-05/ed-martin-elected-new-chairman-of-missouri-republican-party-in-anti-establishment-victory) chair of the Missouri Republican party in 2013 to 2015. At a 2016 Tea Party rally, Martin [told](https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/ed-martin-says-muslims-blow-things-up/article_d2188d85-2ef7-5bd6-9946-e27cc8a83671.html) the crowd: “You’re not racist if you don’t like Mexicans. They’re from a nation. If you don’t think Muslims are vetted enough, because they blow things up, that’s not racist.” In 2018, he was [fired](https://www.mediamatters.org/cnn/cnn-finally-fires-pro-trump-commentator-ed-martin) as a CNN contributor after audio revealed him calling panelists on CNN he appeared with “black racists” and “rabid feminists”. He spoke at a “Stop the Steal” rally in 2021, echoed false claims about the 2020 election being stolen from Trump, and has represented some January 6 defendants in court. He has repeatedly [used](https://x.com/search?q=from%3A%40EagleEdMartin+wwg1wga&src=typed_query&f=live) the QAnon conspiracy theory [slogan](https://x.com/search?q=from%3A%40EagleEdMartin+wwg1wga&src=typed_query&f=live) in support of the election fraud claims. “What they’re stealing is not just an election. It’s our future and it’s our republic,” Martin [said at a rally](https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-jan-6-dc-us-attorney-9418cccb045d64c65b7ce85a220c45ac) in Washington DC on 5 January 2021. In 2021, Martin [appeared](https://web.archive.org/web/20210402155827/https://vdare.com/videos/book-club-podcast-a-choice-not-an-echo-w-ed-martin-hosted-by-james-kirkpatrick) on the VDare book club podcast hosted by James Kirkpatrick, an [alias](https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/kevin-deanna/) of white nationalist blogger Kevin DeAnna. Martin hosted VDare’s founder Peter Brimelow, a [leading activist](https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/peter-brimelow/) in white nationalist movements, several times on his podcast in 2018 and 2019. He served on the 2024 Republican national convention platform committee. His rhetoric throughout his columns was often insidious toward crime, Democrats, abortion and teachers’ unions. In a column about public safety in December 2008, Martin suggested “send in the National Guard” or “hire Blackwater to clear the streets,” in reference to the private military contractor that [incited](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/23/trump-pardons-blackwater-contractors-jailed-for-massacre-of-iraq-civilians) international outcry in 2007 when contractors with the firm killed unarmed civilians in Iraq. Martin frequently falsely claimed tax dollars were being used to fund abortions. He had previously worked at an anti-abortion group and has [recently supported](https://www.cnn.com/kfile-ed-martin-rnc-platform-committee-anti-abortion-exceptions/index.html) a national ban on abortions without exceptions and entertained the possibility of jailing women who get abortions and doctors who perform them. He has also repeatedly [pushed](https://x.com/EagleEdMartin/status/1728423608773439601) a [false claim](https://x.com/EagleEdMartin/status/1629937274824605699) that [Planned Parenthood](https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/08/14/432080520/fact-check-was-planned-parenthood-started-to-control-the-black-population) targets Black communities for abortions. “Since Planned Parenthood has successfully positioned their abortion services targeting Black Americans, when is it okay to call them white supremacists?” he wrote on X in February 2023. In July 2024, he [posted](https://x.com/EagleEdMartin/status/1811035135086649761) a cartoon comparing slavery to abortion. In criticizing teachers’ unions, Martin claimed they were “fiddling while Rome burns and too many of our children end up ignorant or dead”, in a December 2008 column. “Drill everywhere and for all we got,” Martin wrote in a 2010 column, adding the Arctic Wildlife Refuge should be opened up for oil drilling. “We are told as Americans we cannot drill there because we will disturb ‘nature’ and impact the caribou. I say choose our kids’ future over caribou and drill.” In a January 2009 column on Obama’s inauguration, Martin claimed Joe Biden had “obvious plastic surgery” and “looks like Joan Rivers in a dark suit”. He [claimed](https://x.com/EagleEdMartin/status/1777799704497041636) on X in 2024 that Obama and Biden are both racists. In a [2008 column](https://web.archive.org/web/20081011022229/http://www.circularletter.com/column.aspx?id=95), Martin criticized [pushbacks](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/opinion/12rich.html) over the derogatory use of Obama’s middle name. “They want to make Hussein off-limits and they want to attack people who say the name. This is the worst kind of imposition of speech regulation and it is plainly un-American,” Martin said. “This silliness should stop; after all, it may soon be President Barack Hussein Obama leading our country.”

Earlier this week, we learned that a senior State Department official called Secretary of State Marco Rubio [stupid](https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/10/politics/darren-beattie-marco-rubio-deleted-tweets-kfile?cid=ios_app). The insult was delivered using peculiar phrasing — “low IQ” — that’s actually quite telling about the nature and ideas of the American right today. The official in question, Darren Beattie, is the acting under secretary of state for public diplomacy — a fairly important job. He is also a [creature of the internet fever swamps](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/darren-beattie-trump-musk-dei-competent-white-men.html) with a history of offensive behavior: He was fired from his speechwriting job in the first Trump administration for [giving a talk at a white nationalist conference](https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/19/politics/darren-beattie-mencken-club/index.html). On Monday, [CNN’s KFile](https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/10/politics/darren-beattie-marco-rubio-deleted-tweets-kfile?cid=ios_app) went through some deleted tweets from Beattie’s X account. Among many inflammatory statements the reporters uncovered, one stood out as especially embarrassing — a 2021 post where he insulted his now-boss in a number of vivid and explicit ways. On the list: a claim that the current secretary of state was “low IQ.” For a normal person whose brain has not been poisoned by the internet, “low IQ” just sounds like an overly complicated way of calling someone stupid. But for those of us familiar with the online world from which Beattie hails, it rang a very specific bell. In those spaces, there is an obsession with the concept of IQ — not just intelligence in general, but this particular means of measuring it. This preoccupation, is at its heart, about race: the idea that genetic racial inequalities in everything from income to incarceration are best explained by Black and Latino people having lower IQs than white and Asian people. This racism, recently repackaged as “race realism” or “human biodiversity,” was once mostly a province of the fringe right — so controversial that Jason Richwine, a researcher at the Heritage Foundation, was forced to resign in 2013 after his history of race-IQ theorizing [came to light](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/08/09/jason-richwine-doesnt-understand-why-people-are-mad-at-him/). But in the Trump era, this kind of thinking has become more mainstream — so commonly accepted, in fact, that insults like “low IQ” are part of the lingua franca of the online right. This is why Trump appointed Richwine to [a government post in 2020](https://www.science.org/content/article/proponent-using-iq-tests-screen-immigrants-named-senior-nist-post), and why race-IQ theorists believe they’re winning the war of ideas in Trump’s second term. “It is an open secret that \[the tech right\] is aware of race differences. Elon Musk frequently promotes HBD (human-biodiversity) X accounts,” [writes Nathan Cofnas](https://ncofnas.com/p/was-i-wrong-about-woke), a Cambridge philosopher who was [sanctioned by his college](https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/28014) for his openly racist beliefs last year. “Among young (most millennial, virtually all zoomer) intellectuals on the right, race realism isn’t controversial.” Scientific racism is hardly a new thing, long predating even the infamous eugenics movement of the late 19th and early 20th century. In a 1787 essay, [Thomas Jefferson bizarrely argued](https://faculty.uml.edu/sgallagher/ThomasJefferson.htm) that Blacks were a “distinct race” because they “secrete less by the kidneys, and more by the glands of the skin.” These arguments seek to naturalize social inequality: to point to a social arrangement, be it slavery or the racial wealth gap, and argue that it reflects deep and unchangeable truths about humanity rather than the contingent choices of social actors who [_create_ a hierarchy within humanity for their own (nefarious) purposes](https://www.amazon.ca/Racecraft-Soul-Inequality-American-Life/dp/1781683131). A central conceit of the modern race-and-IQ revival is that a right-wing position on race is intellectually _indefensible_ without an appeal to biology. Mainstream conservative arguments blaming racial gaps on welfare or minority culture simply can’t survive serious scrutiny; the only intellectually serious right, they argue, is a racist right. “All non-racism-based cultural explanations for race differences have fatal problems that most intelligent people immediately recognize,” [Cofnas writes](https://ncofnas.com/p/why-we-need-to-talk-about-the-rights). “If it were true that the races were on average psychologically equal, the best explanation for disparities would be the continued existence, or the legacy, of white racism.” To be clear: IQ is a legitimate scientific concept. There is [a large body of psychological evidence](https://www.amazon.ca/Intelligence-That-Matters-Stuart-Ritchie/dp/1444791877) showing that IQ tests do measure aspects of intelligence, and that people with high IQs are more likely to have higher incomes and succeed in cognitively demanding fields like academia or the law. However, there is [no real evidence](https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/6/15/15797120/race-black-white-iq-response-critics) for a genetically rooted IQ difference between racial groups — let alone a genetic gap large enough to explain persistent social inequalities. Whatever IQ gaps do exist between these groups are most likely [_products_ of inequality rather than _causes_ of it](https://archive.thinkprogress.org/the-inside-story-of-the-harvard-dissertation-that-became-too-racist-for-heritage-3a14238f662e/). We have been having this debate [in public for decades now](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/09/13/can-progressives-be-convinced-that-genetics-matters), since at least the publication of Charles Murray and Richard Herrnstein’s _The Bell Curve_ in 1994, and the evidence has [increasingly pointed away](https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/5/18/15655638/charles-murray-race-iq-sam-harris-science-free-speech) from [biological explanations](https://x.com/StuartJRitchie/status/1092194376829362177). Yet in the Trump era, this reality hardly serves as a constraint. The modern reject rejects the academic consensus on everything from the science of vaccines to the benefits of free trade. The same arguments about “woke academia” and “liberal bias” used to effectively dismiss established medical and economic research are now deployed against the biological and psychological evidence for human equality. The Trump era has also demolished the moral constraints limiting the spread of these ideas. What was once career-ending at even a conservative institution like Heritage — Richwine’s dissertation alleging that Hispanic immigration should be restricted because they were a low-IQ group — is now reasonably similar to the rhetoric you hear from the president of the United States. Just last year, for example, Trump argued that immigrants coming across the southern border were likely to become murderers because they had “[bad genes](https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/07/politics/trump-undocumented-immigrants-bad-genes/index.html).” The decline of the right’s moral guardrails against racism did not just encourage anonymous racist trolling, but also helped acceptance of gussied-up racist thinking among its elite. “I’d say that maybe half of the smartest conservative and libertarian writers at least suspect that there are genetic racial differences in IQ, or even take it for granted,” writes Richard Hanania, an [influential tech-right pundit](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/08/richard-hanania-racist-message.html) who used to post anonymously on white nationalist websites (a past for which [he has apologized](https://www.richardhanania.com/p/why-i-used-to-suck-and-hopefully)). This is not the kind of sentiment you’ll see in columns by conservatives at the New York Times or the Washington Post. But behind the scenes, in right-wing group chats and salons, a race science renaissance is underway on the right. The use of “low IQ” as a common insult is merely the visible tip of the iceberg. See More: