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Tag: james edwards
Why Did Donald Trump Jr. Post A Nazi Frog On Instagram?

Why Did Donald Trump Jr. Post A Nazi Frog On Instagram?

On Sunday, Donald Trump Jr. posted a meme on his Instagram account in response to Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” gaffe. Trump Sr. has repeatedly said his kids are some of his closest political advisors, and as with his own posts on social media, this one deserves some attention.

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If the elder Donald has turned racial dog whistles into dog… megaphones, this is Donald Jr.’s version of a white supremacist shofar, sounded to awaken America’s slumbering bigots and draw them to his Instagram presence.

Why? Look over Donald Trump’s left shoulder. Images of that green frog first appeared on the internet years ago, as a harmless drawing on off-color message board sites like 4chan. This year, “Pepe the Frog” symbolizes something much more sinister.

Olivia Nuzzi explained the meme’s transformation in The Daily Beast in May:

It began in late 2015 on /r9k/, a controversial 4chan board where, as on any message board, it can be difficult to discern how serious commenters are being or if they’re just fucking around entirely. Nevertheless, /r9k/ has been tied to Elliot Rodger—the UC Santa Barbara shooter who killed six people in 2014—who found fans there, and GamerGate. There, Pepe transformed from harmless cartoon to big green monster.

“We basically mixed Pepe in with Nazi propaganda, etc. We built that association,” @JaredTSwift said.

He sent me a “rare Pepe,” an ironic categorization for certain versions of the meme: Pepe, his eyes red and irises swastika-shaped, against a trippy rainbow backdrop. “Do with it what you will,” he said.

Building the Trump association came next, after which @JaredTSwift said the images got crossover appeal. They began to move from 4chan to Twitter, which is when “journalists were exposed to it via Trump memes.”

On Jan. 7, Cheri Jacobus, a Republican consultant and pundit who is suing Trump for defamation and has been harassed by Trump supporters, tweeted, “The green frog symbol is what white supremacists use in their propaganda. U don’t want to go there.”

R/pepethefrog (NSFW) is a Reddit community devoted to variations on the image where Pepe has been drawn as various Europeans, one Finnish and one Hungarian, “protecting” their home countries from Syrian refugees; a Jewish stereotype; and of course, President Trump with his finger on the nuclear trigger.

Images of Pepe make frequent reference to “normies” and “kill all normies” — normies being anyone outside the alt right, white supremacist political ecosystem, as The Daily Stormer, the world’s largest white supremacist message board, explained recently in a post called “A Normie’s Guide to the Alt Right.” In the post, the site’s founder and editor, Andrew Anglin, explains that “Pepe became the mascot (he wasn’t ‘chosen’ by anyone, except the meme-mob, which is everyone) because he embodies the goal of couching idealism within irony.”

So when Donald Trump Jr. — and Roger Stone and David Duke — re-publishes this image, to borrow a Trumpian turn of phrase: He gets it better than anybody understands.

It’s not the first time Donald Jr. has gotten mixed up in the white supremacist crowd.

In March, after it was revealed that the Trump campaign gave press credentials to white supremacist radio show host James Edwards, Donald Jr. gave a brief interview to Edwards. He insisted afterwards that he hadn’t known at the time to whom he was speaking.

He then retweeted a well-known white supremacist, Theodore Beale, falsely claiming that a viral photo of a woman giving a Nazi salute outside of a Trump rally was really a Bernie Sanders supporter.

In July, when the Republican National Convention came to Cleveland, James Edwards was mysteriously granted press credentials for the event.

In August, Donald Jr. re-tweeted well-known white supremacist Kevin MacDonald, whom the Southern Poverty Law Center called “the neo-Nazi movement’s favorite academic.”

Given the sheer number of white supremacists Donald Jr. follows on Twitter, he could hardly be blamed for being such a successful mouthpiece for their hate speech — if his father wasn’t running for president.

Alas, the Republican nominee hasn’t presented much of a higher bar, hiring perhaps the most influential businessman on the alt right, Stephen Bannon, to be the CEO of his campaign. Since then, white supremacists say, Trump is the greatest hope they’ve ever had for creating a white entho-state in which racial and religious lines are openly marked as a matter of law and culture.

Photo: Instagram user donaldjtrumpjr.

Trump Adviser And GOP Congressmen Gave Pro-Trump Interviews To White Nationalist Radio Host At The RNC

Trump Adviser And GOP Congressmen Gave Pro-Trump Interviews To White Nationalist Radio Host At The RNC

Published with permission from Media Matters for America.

Several members of Congress and a Trump campaign official gave pro-Trump interviews to white nationalist leader James Edwards and his “pro-white” radio show The Political Cesspool during the Republican National Convention. Edwards is a David Duke acolyte and “has probably done more than any of his contemporaries on the American radical right to publicly promote neo-Nazis, Holocaust deniers, raging anti-Semites and other extremists,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Edwards pointed to his attendance at the convention as evidence that he and his radio program are going “mainstream.”

The Political Cesspool Is A White Nationalist Radio Show That Is “Unequivocally Pro-White”

The Political Cesspool States It Represents “A Philosophy That Is Pro-White.”The Political Cesspool is a Tennessee-based radio program hosted by James Edwards. The program’s statement of principles says it represents “a philosophy that is pro-White.” One of its principles reads, “We wish to revive the White birthrate above replacement level fertility and beyond to grow the percentage of Whites in the world relative to other races.” [ThePoliticalCesspool.org, accessed 7/24/16]

Edwards During RNC Show: “We’re Unequivocally Pro-White. This Is A Show That Advances The Interests Of European-Americans.” [Liberty News Radio, The Political Cesspool, 7/23/16]

Edwards’ Racist Views: “MLK’s Dream Is Our Nightmare,” “Interracial Sex Is White Genocide.” Edwards has written numerous racist posts on his Political Cesspool website. He’s written that “For blacks in the Americas, slavery is the greatest thing that ever happened to them. Unfortunately, it’s the worst thing that ever happened to white Americans”; “MLK’s dream is our nightmare”; it’s “perfectly legitimate” to believe that “interracial marriage should be illegal”;  and “Interracial sex is white genocide.” [Media Matters, 3/1/16]

Civil Rights Groups: Edwards Promotes “Neo-Nazis, Holocaust Deniers, Raging Anti-Semites And Other Extremists.” The Anti-Defamation League wrote that Edwards and his program showcase “a variety of anti-Semites, white supremacists, Holocaust deniers, conspiracy theorists and anti-immigrant leaders.” The Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “James Edwards has probably done more than any of his contemporaries on the American radical right to publicly promote neo-Nazis, Holocaust deniers, raging anti-Semites and other extremists.” [Anti-Defamation League, 6/6/08; The Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed7/24/16]

Edwards Is An Acolyte Of David Duke. Edwards says he is a “friend” and admirer of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, writing: “I can honestly tell you that there is not a single negative thing that I can say about the man.” Edwards has recorded media with Duke and said the pro-Trump radio host has “been supporting and collaborating with our radio show since its very inception.” [Media Matters, 3/1/16; YouTube.com, 8/11/13]

Edwards: “Trump Will Be The First Republican Nominee That I Have Ever Voted For.” [Media Matters,3/1/16]

Edwards Interviewed Donald Trump Jr. And Attended February Trump Rally “As A Fully Credentialed Member Of The Media.” Edwards boasted in February that he had “attended a Donald Trump rally in Memphis on Saturday night as a fully credentialed member of the media and enjoyed the unique experience of being able to air a live broadcast of The Political Cesspool Radio Program from inside the press pen while the event was in full swing.” He also taped an interview with Donald Trump Jr. which aired on Liberty Roundtable with host Sam Bushman, with Edwards appearing as a guest and questioner. Bushman is Edwards’ syndicator and friend, and he guest-hosted The Political Cesspool on February 27 while Edwards reported from the rally. The Edwards interview and credentials sparked a media firestorm. The Trump campaign subsequently ran for cover and claimed no knowledge of Edwards’ views. [Media Matters, 3/1/16, 3/2/16, 3/3/16]

James Edwards Goes “Mainstream” By Appearing At Republican National Convention With “All-Access” Media Credentials

White Nationalists Have Endorsed Trump And His Policies. The white nationalist movement has been celebrating the Republican National Convention and nominee Donald Trump. They attended his convention and other campaign events and have used Trump and the RNC to recruit followers, fundraise, and spread their message. The Trump campaign has had a series of troubling interactions with the white nationalist movement, including giving Edwards press credentials, failing to condemn white nationalist support, and retweeting them. The Republican convention also repeatedly promoted white nationalist tweets on the arena ticker. [Media Matters, 7/21/16; Time, 7/22/16]

Edwards Celebrated That The Political Cesspool Is Going “Mainstream” By Attending Events Like The RNC. [Liberty News Radio, The Political Cesspool, 7/23/16]

Edwards Says He Received An Invitation To “Join Us And Broadcast Live From The 2016 Republican National Convention.” Edwards said he was personally invited to attend the RNC:

JAMES EDWARDS: It all started back on April the 26th of this year, I received an email entitled, “Please join us and broadcast live from the 2016 Republican National Convention.” [Liberty News Radio, The Political Cesspool, 7/23/16]

Edwards Said He Had “All-Access” Media Credentials For The Convention. [Liberty News Radio, The Political Cesspool, 7/23/16]

Edwards Claims His Guests “Didn’t Know Who We Were,” Says Media Will “Attack” His Interviews With “Lies.” He also predicted that the “ludicrous, malicious, disgusting maggots, the sniveling little worms” in the media will “come down” on him for his interviews with members of Congress. Edwards claimed that he had also been invited to the Democratic National Convention but declined. [Liberty News Radio, The Political Cesspool,7/23/16, 7/23/16, 7/23/16]

Trump Surrogate And Four GOP Congressmen Appeared On “Pro-White” Radio “To Sell People On Voting For Donald Trump”

Edwards: “The Political Cesspool Interview[ed] A Half A Dozen Members Of The United States Congress.” Edwards stated that his show interviewed “a half a dozen members” of Congress at the RNC. During his three-hour program, Edwards aired interviews with Reps. Rob Bishop (R-UT), Tom Cole (R-OK), Warren Davidson (R-OH), and Ted Yoho (R-FL). All of the Republican officials promoted Trump’s candidacy toThe Political Cesspool audience. Edwards later indicated he wasn’t able to air all of his recorded interviews due to time constraints. [Liberty News Radio, The Political Cesspool, 7/23/16, 7/23/16]

Edwards Interviewed Trump Adviser Gary Berntsen, Who Was There “To Sell People On Voting For Donald Trump.” Edwards conducted an interview with Gary Berntsen, a former CIA officer who said at the start of the interview that he is “a surrogate for the campaign” and he’s “working with their policy shop.” Berntsen promoted Trump’s positions on immigration. He concluded that he’s on Edwards’ program “to sell people on voting for Donald Trump right now” and asked Edwards’ listeners for donations to the campaign and urged them to vote:

GARY BERNTSEN: Look, the point is I’m not here to sell books. I’m here to sell people on voting for Donald Trump right now and I would ask everybody who’s an American citizen anywhere in the world, donate to the cause. Make sure you get your absentee ballots in. Do everything you can to help us make America great again. [DonaldJTrump.com, 2/12/16; FoxBusiness.com, 7/22/16; Reuters, 3/15/16; Liberty News Radio, The Political Cesspool,7/23/16]

Edwards Interviewed Rep. Rob Bishop About His Support For Trump. Edwards’ interview with Bishop was part of his co-hosting duties with Sam Bushman for Liberty RoundTable and also aired on that program. [Liberty News Radio, The Political Cesspool, 7/23/16; LibertyRoundTable.com, accessed 7/24/16]

Edwards Interviewed Rep. Tom Cole About His Support For Trump. During the interview, Edwards and Cole agreed that this election is the most important one of their lifetime and it’s critical to vote for Trump. [Liberty News Radio, The Political Cesspool, 7/23/16]

Edwards Interviewed Rep. Warren Davidson About His Support For Trump. During the interview, Edwards and Davidson criticized the media for purportedly covering for Hillary Clinton. [Liberty News Radio, The Political Cesspool, 7/23/16]

Edwards Interviewed Rep. Ted Yoho About His Support For Trump. Yoho pitched Edwards’ audience on the merits of voting for Trump. [Liberty News Radio, The Political Cesspool, 7/23/16]

Yoho Defended Steve King’s Pro-White Remarks. As The New York Times noted, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) recently “questioned the historical contributions of nonwhite ‘subgroups’ during an appearance on MSNBC on Monday, igniting swift backlash online.” Edwards asked Yoho if the media took his remarks out of context; Yoho defended King and claimed his remarks were taken “out of context, absolutely.” Edwards responded that he was happy King didn’t apologize for praising “the founding stock of this nation.” [The New York Times, 7/18/16; Liberty News Radio, The Political Cesspool, 7/23/16]

White Supremacist Gets Trump Press Credentials, Interview With Trump Jr.

White Supremacist Gets Trump Press Credentials, Interview With Trump Jr.

Radio show host, author, and political commentator James Edwards — who, I should note, rejects the label “white supremacist,” despite some overwhelming evidence to the contrary — has attended three Trump rallies in recent months, most recently as a fully-credentialed member of the press. According to his website, he will release a recorded interview with Donald Trump Jr., Donald Trump’s son and a surrogate for his campaign, on Saturday.

This past Saturday, Edwards broadcast live from the press pen of a Trump rally in Memphis. Towards the end of an article summing up the event, he reflected on his place as a white supremacist, yes, at a Trump rally:

“I firmly believe that everything for which I stand is both natural and healthy, but it wouldn’t bother me if Donald Trump himself denounced me and all of my friends. He can denounce me until the cows come home so long as he follows through on his pledge to build a wall and ensures that the aliens self deport. I am supporting him because immigration is the single biggest problem that our nation needs to solve. Demographics is destiny. He doesn’t need to support me.“

When asked for comment, Trump campaign spokesperson Hope Hicks said in an email that the campaign provided press credentials to “everyone that requested access to the event,” including “close to 200 reporters.”

She said the campaign “had no knowledge of [Edwards] personal views and strongly condemns them.”

In 2008, the Anti-Defamation League wrote of Edwards,

[He] has interviewed a variety of anti-Semites, white supremacists, Holocaust deniers, conspiracy theorists and anti-immigrant leaders. A list of former guests includes veteran anti-Semite and Holocaust denier Willis Carto; Prussian Blue, a neo-Nazi singing duo; anti-Semite Ted Pike; Mark Weber, the director of the Institute for Historical Review; and Frank Roman, a founding member of the neo-Nazi European Americans United group.

In the past, the Trump campaign has tightly controlled who is and is not allowed to cover their events:

In July, reporters from the Des Moines Register were prevented from covering a Trump event after their paper published an editorial calling for Mr. Trump to leave the race.

In October, Jorge Ramos and his Univision staff were prevented from covering a Trump event because Trump was suing Univision at the time.

A Buzzfeed reporter was denied entry to a Trump event in November because he had previously stepped outside of the designated “press pen.”

As for the previously-recorded interview that Edwards said is scheduled to air on Saturday, Hicks wrote that “to [Donald Trump Jr.’s] knowledge and that of the campaign, [he] did not participate in an interview with this individual.”

Hmm. We’ll see about that.

I’ve reached out to Edwards for clarification and will update this article as soon as more information becomes available.

3/2/2015: Earlier this afternoon, Trump Jr. told Bloomberg Politics that he did in fact do the interview with Edwards, contrary to his campaign’s previous statement. 

Photo: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Dallas, Texas, in this file photo taken September 14, 2015.   REUTERS/Mike Stone/Files