Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Neo-Nazis explain why Donald Trump’s comments on Charlottesville helped them so much

'This is a huge victory for us'

Andrew Griffin
Wednesday 16 August 2017 09:27 BST
Comments
Donald Trump blames both sides for Charlottesville violence

Donald Trump is being celebrated by neo-Nazis for his statements on Charlottesville and the far-right.

The President said that some of the far-right protestors were "very fine people" and that there was "blame on both sides". He was roundly criticised by most of the political spectrum, with the exception of neo-Nazis.

White supremacist websites have hailed the President's comments as a "huge victory" that allows them to "win automatically".

The revived Daily Stormer – which was shut down by tech companies but has re-emerged on the dark web – includes an article with the headline "Trump Defends Charlottesville Nazis Against Jew Media Lies, Condemns Antifa Terrorists". In it, the site explains exactly why Mr Trump's comments were so helpful to neo-Nazis.

"This is huge," it begins, after sharing two videos of Mr Trump's long press conference. It goes on to make reference to the "Jewish media" and the fact that reports had focused on violence "initiated by our side".

"While it seemed like Trump was going to back down and stick to the official story (though halfheartedly), he’s now completely turned around and is attacking the antifa as being the violent terrorists they are," it continues.

The site then goes on to hail Mr Trump's comments as "one of the first times" that a mainstream discussion about whether the Nazis were as bad as their opposition has been instigated. By equating the two sides and portraying both as extremists, Mr Trump has forced people to choose one or the other, it says.

"The Trump condemnation is one of the first times when there is a mainstream debate about who might be the “good guys” between the Communists and the Nazis," the post reads.

"And as soon as you ask the question, our side basically wins automatically.

"All we need for a major cultural victory is an honest comparison.

"This is a huge victory for us."

The page is just one of a range of articles that have emerged on the website after it was pushed into the dark web, meaning that it is now hidden from search engines and can only be viewed using special software. The site had already celebrated Mr Trump's initial response, calling his remarks "really, really good".

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in