Resurgence of White Nationalism in U.S. Politics: A Critical Analysis Example

While the United States culture's nefarious characteristics have for decades and shaped the politics, the rise of the Alt-Right in 2016, which is an entity comprised of ultra-conservative, white nationalists, and individuals in the political realm, was new (Denton). The groups were prominent throughout the Trump campaign in 2016 as they rallied behind racially divisive rhetoric and promises ‌(Smith and Desmond). Although the members share different ideologies on diverse issues, the members collectively supported Trump since, unlike many previous candidates, Trump failed to cloak his racist appeals using more acceptable terms, thus resonating with their primary idea of retaining white supremacy (Donley). Therefore, the Trump administration's victory was reflective of a win for the white nationalists whose actions and ideology idealized a policy formulation that would make their ideas practical.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Ideally, rather than concentrating on the issues that separated these groups, Trump took advantage of the substantial political power and built on their common ground. Statistics indicate that roughly 10 percent of US citizens identify as white nationalists showing a firm footing for Trump (Donley). Thus, by prioritizing the Alt-Right's primary goal Alt-Right, Trump managed to unite a group that was increasingly become divided since the 50s by inspiring them and subsequently gaining supporters (Donley).

The Trump administration has also offered leeway for white nationalism by making it easy for them to practice their racist ideas. The election of the most diverse congress in 2018 was also followed by the demonization of the women of color's progress, via tweets with some containing derogatory remarks such as they need to back to their crime-invested regions, further idealizing the ideas of the white supremacists. Again, on the onset of COVID-19, Trump consistently associated it with the Asians, creating a notion that it was the Asians against the superior West.

Besides the rhetoric, the Trump administration furthered the white nationalists' ideas through his staffing and policy choices, giving them an unprecedented platform in the modern political era. For a start, an analysis of Trump's senior advisor for policy and the primary speech writer Stephen Miller is critical to determine how the staffing has contributed to white nationalism. In 2019, the Southern Poverty Law Center's Hate-watch published a cache of approximately 900 emails containing what Miller wrote to his contacts before the 2016 elections. Within the emails, Miller advocated for the white nationalists' most radical ideas, including the great replacement theory, and fear of the white genocide, through ways like immigration, eugenics, and race science. Miller also associated the immigrant with extremities of crimes, elevated confederacy, and promoted a publication termed as, The Camp of Saints as a strategy for the American policy. The only thing that was missing in the published emails was antisemitism.

Alternatively, during the campaign period, terms such as racist, white supremacist, and white nationalism were interchangeably and frequently used in the mainstream political conversation, where the Democrats consistently termed Trump as employing divisive politics with the recent riots and crime being linked to the white nationalists. As much as it is critical to address the issue, such terms were often used interchangeably and openly, an action that may desensitize and normalize what should be considered disgusting behavior.

The just-concluded election in the United States saw the first black woman in the highest political seat. This has been associated partly with the continued lack of faith in the current administration and the transformative agenda that America is pushing forward of inclusivity, leading to the administration with a more national outlook having more support. However, this is another avenue that has the white supremacists ramping up and recruiting all the possible efforts and public activism, including the Trump Twitter handle that is constantly discrediting the win even when the election officials, official results, and recounts have proved otherwise depicting the fear that is already within the white nationalists. This, among others, is an indication of how each nationwide drive for transformational America is accompanied by an elevated, hate-related activity reflecting the same patterns observed even during the drive to abolish slavery.

Most Americans, however, understand the patterns and remain optimistic, that this wave of the resurging white nationalism will be defeated and draw the US closer to the reality of equality. The only challenge in tackling the situation is, that as people become more progressive, others become more paranoid, creating the urge to recruit, radicalize, and support any initiative that promises to restore an America full of inequalities. As evidence, there is increased embracing of these ideas from the politicians, businesses, and the white majority like never before. This means that it has spread to other sectors, including the police force, as evidenced by their continued excessive use of force on people of color, which in some cases led to death or fatal injuries like it was witnessed in the murder of George Floyd. Thus, America lies in one of the great social issues of developing a successful multiracial democracy and critical sectors that are not biased by color when enforcing the law.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the United States has witnessed the return of the olden political approaches in many ways, but it has taken on a new form and language that needs a critical analysis if it has to be addressed successfully. However, it cannot be termed as a return, but suppression and reemergence as the United States political systems have been shaped by a clash between the rival racial orders and alliances since the Nation's birth. For the last half a century, the contest has been elevated between the color-blind and the race-conscious. Since the election of Obama, the political battles between these groups have shifted to significantly new themes centered on the whites playing the victim card, against the minorities. The election of Trump in 2016 elevated the hopes of the already enraged white supremacist, as it was deemed as the one that would promote white protectionism. However, the public attitude has turned for the better in recent years meaning such ideas are continually losing meaning.

Works Cited

Clark, Simon. "How White Supremacy Returned to Mainstream Politics." Center for American Progress, 1 July 2020, www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/reports/2020/07/01/482414/white-supremacy-returned-mainstream-politics/.

Denton Jr, Robert E., ed. The 2016 US Presidential Campaign: Political Communication and Practice. Springer, 2017.

Donley, Genie A. The Gathering Storm: The Role of White Nationalism in US Politics. Diss. Cleveland State University, 2018.

Haynes, William. "The Dangers of White Nationalism: The Rise and Normalization of Online Racism in the United States." Georgetown Security Studies Review, 4 Dec. 2016, georgetownsecuritystudiesreview.org/2016/12/03/the-dangers-of-white-nationalism-the-rise-and-normalization-of-online-racism-in-the-united-states/.