MSNBC national security analyst, former FBI special agent Clint Watts said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Deadline” that far-right groups in America are neo-fascists that resemble the Nazi Party.
Watts said, “When President Trump was there, he united a lot of different extreme and far-right positions under his umbrella. Now you’re seeing all of those positions really fall to a collective of politicians around the country. My biggest concern is that because there has been no real repercussions to the political leaders for the big lie about voter fraud that did not occur, there’s been no repercussions for the extremists that stormed their own house, you will see them again begin to embrace violent rhetoric or incitement which will lead to violence, not just at a federal location but state and local locations. I’m also concerned as we see things start to unfold through the summer where we have two nations that are one vaccinated, one not. Do we hit a variant, or do we need to implement controls again? Will doctors, will public health officials, will certain elected officials be targeted again by this sort of extremist rhetoric?”
He continued, “The individuals that are more committed to white nationalism and white supremacy have moved in a more violent direction. And that’s why it was very appropriate you showed that Patriot Front march from Philadelphia this past weekend. That is a younger collective, they were not as forward presence in past years, and you’re starting to see them show up more. And I would also tell you that that is a group that is going to be more likely to move towards some sort of separatist or white supremacist type of violence. You can tell by the organization in terms of their outfits. You can tell by their organization in terms of what they’re doing. That’s not a Proud Boys collective of people in misshapen gear and sort of setting up for rowdy drinking parties. This is a very different sort of collective that we’re seeing forming in the streets. It’s a neo-fascism that we’ve not seen in this country and more reflective of what we saw in the 1940s and ‘30s in a place called Germany. So I find great concern with that.”
Watts added, “The other dynamic that’s super important to look at, which it’s very hard to discuss which is the online environment. You’ll hear Director Wray, aside from the militia violent extremists will talk about online white supremacy, and it is potent. It is out there. It is pushing for an acceleration of a type of civil war or race war. I think that’s where our biggest concern will be going through the rest of the summer into fall.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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