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"Donald Trump's statements this morning are just the latest in a string of incidents where he has used his massive media presence, especially his Twitter account with over 6 million followers, to elevate extremist ideas and individuals. Despite being called out by journalists and organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center, these incidents continue."

For his part, Rick Wilson says: "... probably 50 percent are just assholes on 4chan ... but half of them genuinely believe we're in some sort of white power moment in our history, and race is the single defining characteristic of being an American ... Trump is the white father figure who's going to turn the country into something they want."

4chan

4chan

And what they mostly want is for their enemies -- of whom there are so, so many -- out of social media and away from the public sphere. And their strategy usually works. Said Laila: "... this kind of mass harassment has happened to other women I know, and it's effectively silenced them."

Even supporting victims makes you a target: "... on the really bad days, every time I would retweet a supporter, 10-15 trolls would harass them, and they'd be forced to private their account ... report and block those trolls that are sending harassment ..."

Rick is worried about the effect mobs like this can have on free speech. A dyed-in-the-wool conservative, he's afraid the alt-right could stop new voices from rising up in politics. Is it worth speaking out at all, if you know it's instantly going to net you constant harassment, threats, or worse?

Rick Wilson

The vast majority of people from all walks of life think these folks are terrible. The fact that two of our sources for this article were a Republican political strategist and a female Muslim journalist should highlight that. But as Laila pointed out, knowing the masses are behind you doesn't help if they don't do anything: "In an instance of mass harassment and bullying, it's not really consoling to know that there's a silent majority [supporting you]. Because it's silent ... I really think that silence and apathy is more destructive than the hate comments I received."

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5 Things You Learn Being Attacked By The Alt-Right ...