With just weeks to go before November’s midterm elections, on Wednesday, NBC’s Today show devoted over five minutes of air time to a report that promoted the notion that the Republican Party was slowly be taken over by white nationalists. Correspondent Peter Alexander provided a media platform to the leader of one fringe group to push a racist agenda and share delusions about seizing control of the GOP.
“With the midterm elections just 20 days away, this morning, a rare look inside a fringe group hoping to capitalize on deep divisions within our country,” warned co-host Savannah Guthrie as she introduced the segment. Fellow co-host Hoda Kotb declared: “NBC National Correspondent Peter Alexander investigates how some white nationalists claim they are quietly gaining momentum.”
Claiming that the purpose of the story was to “pull back the curtain so parents and college students are aware that these groups are out there,” Alexander proclaimed: “The Southern Poverty Law Center calls Identity Europa one of the most active new hate groups in America. Their members are clean cut, they are conservatively dressed, and they’re recruiting on a campus near you.”
Talking to the head of the white nationalist organization, Patrick Casey, the reporter asked him to explain his offensive views. In the midst of that discussion, Alexander sounded the alarm and connected the group to Republicans:
In addition to hosting anti-immigration demonstrations like this one at the Mexico border, Casey’s deploying some of his 800 members to post recruitment signs on college campuses nationwide from San Diego State to NYU. Experts warn these groups are trying to lure students by blending into the mainstream....Among Identity Europa’s goals, Casey told us, covertly taking over the GOP.
Casey touted his plan: “We encourage our guys to go to young Republicans, college Republicans meetings, to go to local GOP meetings as well, to network with people, to perhaps somewhat discreetly, at first, start broaching identitarian and nationalist ideas.” After Alexander asked about the deceptive nature of the effort, Casey explained: “You want to make an effort to blend in, right? These ideas are a bit controversial, but we are convinced that the logical conclusion of Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda does need to address demographics.”
The headline on screen throughout the report blared: “Hate on the Ballot?; White Nationalists Trying to Lure Members, Voters.”
Alexander claimed to have evidence of the plan working: “One example, 23-year-old James Allsup, a current member of Identity Europa, who spoke at a Trump rally during the campaign.” A soundbite ran of Allsup speaking at a 2016 rally for Trump in Washington State, but only identifying himself as “the Washington College Republican Federation Chair,” having clearly concealed his extreme political views.
Alexander noted: “He’s since been elected, as a Republican, to a county office.” While its disturbing that Allsup would be elected to any office, him becoming a local precinct chair hardly reflects on the national Republican Party.
Following the taped report, Kotb worriedly asked: “Peter, these are such disturbing allegations. You get to thinking what the Republican National Committee is saying about this group.” Alexander was eager to tar the entire GOP:
Yeah, Hoda, it’s a good question. We did reach out to the Republican National Committee. They declined to comment on Identity Europa. A spokesman for the RNC sais they didn’t want to elevate the group, instead directing us to the party’s statements after Charlottesville, where they condemned racist beliefs of Nazis, white supremacists, other like-minded groups. Still, to be clear, Patrick Casey is playing the long game here. He’s trying to get his members into College Republican clubs early so they can move up the ranks, he hopes, into positions of power.
Back in May, MSNBC similarly attempted to tie white supremacists to the Republican Party ahead of the midterms, arguing such racists were “just a little bit more extreme” than President Trump.
The clear purpose of Wednesday’s Today show story was to use fearmongering to frighten voters away from Republicans before Election Day. In its crusade to accomplish this, NBC smeared young conservative activists across the country as people easily susceptible to vile political extremism.
Here is a full transcript of Alexander’s October 17 report:
7:42 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: We are back with In Depth Today. With the midterm elections just 20 days away, this morning, a rare look inside a fringe group hoping to capitalize on deep divisions within our country.
HODA KOTB: NBC National Correspondent Peter Alexander investigates how some white nationalists claim they are quietly gaining momentum. Hey, Peter, good morning.
PETER ALEXANDER: Hey, Savannah, Craig, Hoda, good morning to all of you. We are telling this story to pull back the curtain so parents and college students are aware that these groups are out there. The Southern Poverty Law Center calls Identity Europa one of the most active new hate groups in America. Their members are clean cut, they are conservatively dressed, and they’re recruiting on a campus near you.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Hate on the Ballot?; White Nationalists Trying to Lure Members, Voters]
The man with the megaphone is Patrick Casey, executive director of Identity Europa, one of the groups last year at Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville that would turn deadly. The group’s image, clean cut, no visible tattoos, no criminal records. Its message, pro-white.
PATRICK CASEY [IDENTITY EUROPA]: I do think that we need to maintain a super-majority in this country.
ALEXANDER: Identity Europa makes it clear, to join, you have to be of European heritage, whites only.
So you have to be white and you can’t be Jewish, I imagine?
CASEY: Right.
ALEXANDER: Why isn’t that racist? Wouldn’t most say that, that’s simply racist?
CASEY: Well, we’re trying to move beyond the paradigm that includes, you know, buzz words like racist.
ALEXANDER: So what is it? If not racist, what is it?
CASEY: Identitarian.
ALEXANDER: It’s how watchdogs say groups like this often disguise white supremacist views. Casey runs Identity Europa out of his home a few hours outside Washington. He’s asked us not to identify exactly where he lives. In addition to hosting anti-immigration demonstrations like this one at the Mexico border, Casey’s deploying some of his 800 members to post recruitment signs on college campuses nationwide from San Diego State to NYU. Experts warn these groups are trying to lure students by blending into the mainstream.
CYNTHIA MILLER-IDRISS [AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR]: These are very smart, very savvy groups. And that’s one of the things that differentiates them from groups in the past, is you can’t just write them off as ignorant thugs.
ALEXANDER: Among Identity Europa’s goals, Casey told us, covertly taking over the GOP.
CASEY: We encourage our guys to go to young Republicans, college Republicans meetings, to go to local GOP meetings as well, to network with people, to perhaps somewhat discreetly, at first, start broaching identitarian and nationalist ideas.
ALEXANDER: Why discreetly at first?
CASEY: You want to make an effort to blend in, right? These ideas are a bit controversial, but we are convinced that the logical conclusion of Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda does need to address demographics.
ALEXANDER: Why the need to blend in if these views, you think, are ones that would be widely embraced?
CASEY: Right, well, they’re controversial at this point, but that doesn’t negate their validity. Quite often controversial ideas start off as being very taboo and people have to be very careful with them, but they can skillfully insert them into the mainstream.
ALEXANDER: One example, 23-year-old James Allsup, a current member of Identity Europa, who spoke at a Trump rally during the campaign.
JAMES ALLSUP: I am the Washington College Republican Federation Chair.
ALEXANDER: He’s since been elected, as a Republican, to a county office. Here he was promoting President Trump’s response to Charlottesville at Identity Europa’s national conference last spring.
ALLSUP: Remember that press conference where he said that, you know, some – there were good people on both sides?
DONALD TRUMP [AUGUST 15, 2017]: You also had people that were very fine people on both sides.
ALLSUP: We were defended by the President of the United States because he knew that our ideas are, in fact, normal. [Applause]
ALEXANDER: Identity Europa has allies in Europe, where far-right nationalist parties are gaining power.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I’m right wing and I’m proud of it!
ALEXANDER: Nationalism’s been cheered by President Trump’s former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon.
STEVE BANNON [MARCH 10, 2018, LILLE, FRANCE]: Let them call you racist. Wear it as a badge of honor. [Applause]
ALEXANDER: Back at home, Casey and others insist they’re pro-white movement is gaining steam.
CASEY: Ethnic diversity has been proven time and time again it’s just not a good model for society.
ALEXANDER: But isn’t America’s diversity its biggest strength? You’re suggesting its, its greatest weakness.
CASEY: That’s just a mantra that people repeat because it makes them feel good.
ALEXANDER: What should happen to the black families, the Indian families, Latino families that live on your block?
CASEY: Again, you’re wanting me to say something like really profound here, yes you are.
ALEXANDER: You’re welcome to say something profound, I’m just asking –
CASEY: They’re already citizens, so they should stay here.
ALEXANDER: You want no additional citizens to come in from elsewhere?
CASEY: We do want to return our immigration laws to what have historically been America’s immigration laws, which are laws that favor European immigrants.
ALEXANDER: In other words, white immigrants. Chilling words for the millions of people who’ve come to America to find a better life.
KOTB: Peter, these are such disturbing allegations. You get to thinking what the Republican National Committee is saying about this group.
ALEXANDER: Yeah, Hoda, it’s a good question. We did reach out to the Republican National Committee. They declined to comment on Identity Europa. A spokesman for the RNC sais they didn’t want to elevate the group, instead directing us to the party’s statements after Charlottesville, where they condemned racist beliefs of Nazis, white supremacists, other like-minded groups. Still, to be clear, Patrick Casey is playing the long game here. He’s trying to get his members into College Republican clubs early so they can move up the ranks, he hopes, into positions of power. Hoda?
KOTB: Alright, Peter Alexander in D.C. Peter, thank you.
