Days after the deadly violence in Charlottesville, President Trump celebrated white supremacy in an off-the-wall press conference, during which he reportedly “went rogue” while insisting that he didn’t judge because he didn’t have “the facts.” Well, the facts are pretty evident in this mini-documentary from Vice, which embedded reporter Elle Reeve with a group of leading Unite The Right Marchers, who were happy to confirm many of the viewpoints that one would expect from Nazis and white supremacists, and then some.
Vice’s crew provides stunning views of the violence swirling on the streets after the marchers descended upon Charlottesville — the cameras perch upon rooftops and walk right into the swirling chaos at times — and the entire 22-minute episode is a terrifying spectacle to witness. Reeve scores some solid face time with white supremacist leader Chris Cantwell as he gets maced and spews his hatred while sitting at a picnic table. After trashing Trayvon Martin and lashing out when Reeve mentions Timothy McVeigh, Cantwell admits that he wants America to elect someone “a lot more racist than Donald Trump” and warns that he’s prepared to escalate violence:
“I’m carrying a pistol, I go to the gym all the time, I’m trying to make myself more capable of violence. I’m here to spread ideas, talk, in the hopes that somebody more capable will come along and do that. Somebody like Donald Trump, who does not give his daughter to a Jew.”
Reeve also speaks with a Daily Stormer feature writer and former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, who unleashes a rant about the destruction of his preferred way of life. The whole mini-doc, ultimately, provides confirmation that the marchers who lost jobs or became the viral face of American Nazism (while claiming not to be an “angry racist”) couldn’t possibly have walked into this weekend unaware. They’re an integral part of an increasingly frightening uprising against diversity and inclusion in America.
(Via Vice)