“Very Fine People” : Donald Trump as a Symbol of Political Meaning among Far-Right Extremist Groups

• In Event: Collective Behavior and Social Movements Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 6: Movements in the Face of Authoritarianism

Abstract

The relational loop of tactics, orders, beliefs, and agendas between the Trump administration and far right extremist groups has taken an unprecedented role in the sphere of normative politics. To many, Trump has become more than a man, ascending to the pseudo-mythical role giving elite cues to signal support and connection to far right sociopolitical beliefs. Using the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) between January 1, 2020, and January 25, 2025, analyzing protest events located in the United States of America and contained one or more explicit signals of support for Donald Trump (N = 507), this study explores the variables that best predict the presence of extremist groups at pro-Trump events. Using a Conditional Inference Tree analysis and Variable Importance Plot it was found that the reason, other than displaying support for Trump, for the protest event was the strongest predictor (p < 0.001), followed by the presence of weapons or not for a subclass of protest events (p < 0.001). These findings indicate the sociopolitical and ideological avenues through which in members of far-right extremist groups and their ongoing dialogue with the Trump administration occur.

Author

• Anne Getz Eidelhoch, The Ohio State University