Two conservative journalists have sparked outcry on social media by making what some have interpreted as a white supremacist hand symbol at a recent visit to the White House.
Freelance journalist Mike Cernovich and Cassandra Fairbanks, a reporter for Russian news outlet Sputnik, posed for a picture behind the podium in the White House briefing room. In the photo, they are making a hand sign that can be used to signify “white power.”
“Just two people doing a white power hand gesture in the White House,” Fusion senior reporter Emma Roller tweeted, alongside a screenshot of the picture.
Ms Fairbanks, however, claims the hand gesture was not a reference to the white power movement. She pointed to her partial Puerto Rican heritage as evidence that she is not a white supremacist.
“White power!!!!!!! Except I'm Puerto Rican. Can it be PR power?!” she tweeted.
Ms Fairbanks’ supporters point out that the hand symbol is also used to mean “OK.” Photos show people of all races using the symbol to signify that everything is “alright.”
The symbol, however, has become more contentious with the rise of the alt-right – a far-right contingent in the United States that rejects both mainstream conservatism and liberal ideologies. The self-proclaimed founder of the alt-right, Richard Spencer, is a well-known white supremacist.
Alt-right journalist Lucian Wintrich, a writer for The Gateway Pundit, sparked outcry when he flashed the symbol in a similar picture at the White House in February. Notorious alt-right personality Milo Yiannopoulos also frequently flashes the symbol.
The resurgence of the symbol may be traced back to a popular alt-right meme, known as “smug Pepe,” which began circulating on alt-right, pro-Trump message boards in 2015. Mr Trump often uses the symbol when speaking, explaining its significance with the president’s supporters.
Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons
Show all 33
Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons
1/33
Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists
2/33
Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea
3/33
Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un
4/33
Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe
5/33
Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt
6/33
The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group
7/33
Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals
8/33
Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership
9/33
Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy
10/33
Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere
11/33
The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state
12/33
Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states
13/33
One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party
14/33
Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows
15/33
A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House
16/33
Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office
17/33
The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism
18/33
The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President
19/33
Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed
20/33
Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country
21/33
Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally
22/33
Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia
23/33
North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power
24/33
Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK
25/33
When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge"
26/33
A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House
27/33
Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban
28/33
Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests
29/33
Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President
30/33
British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President
31/33
One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts"
32/33
British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's
33/33
Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad
1/33
Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists
2/33
Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea
3/33
Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un
4/33
Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe
5/33
Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt
6/33
The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group
7/33
Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals
8/33
Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership
9/33
Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy
10/33
Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere
11/33
The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state
12/33
Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states
13/33
One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party
14/33
Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows
15/33
A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House
16/33
Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office
17/33
The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism
18/33
The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President
19/33
Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed
20/33
Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country
21/33
Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally
22/33
Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia
23/33
North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power
24/33
Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK
25/33
When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge"
26/33
A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House
27/33
Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban
28/33
Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests
29/33
Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President
30/33
British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President
31/33
One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts"
32/33
British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's
33/33
Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad
Ms Fairbanks joined notoriety when she moved from supporting Senator Bernie Sanders to supporting Mr Trump for president. She now frequently speaks out against Islamic terrorism and the Black Lives Matter movement. Her employer, Sputnik, applied for White House press credentials last month.
Mr Cernovich is the founder of the men’s rights blog Danger & Play, and author of the book “MAGA Mindset: Making YOU and America Great Again.” He received White House press credentials on 25 April.
Update: This article originally indicated that the Anti-Defamation League had characterised the gesture under discussion as a “racist hand sign”. The piece went on to describe a “two-handed hand sign in which one hand forms the letter ‘W’ and the other hand forms the letter ‘P,’ to represent WP or ‘White Power,’”. The ‘W’ in this two-handed gesture is the same as the single-handed ‘OK’ symbol. Subsequently, the ADL has suggested the one handed ‘OK’ symbol alone is not a sign indicting white supremacy. 4/5/17