Online Antagonism of the Alt-Right in the 2016 Election

Abstract

The 2016 election evoked concerns over the decline in the level of political discourse. Among these was the lament “Make Trolling Great Again,” by which Emma Green referred to the spiteful provocations emanating from the political fringes.i The “alt- right,” short for alternative right, was both a harbinger and culmination of these tendencies during the election. It includes white nationalists and disillusioned right-wing dissidents who draw from theories like neoreaction, a political theory that is contemptuous of modernism, democracy, and egalitarianism, and favors a form of “nondemocratic system with rule-driven succession.”ii As an online movement, it also has firm links with participatory media networks through websites such as 4chan, 8chan, and Reddit, along with meme and troll culture.iii The alt-right capitalized on the anti- immigration and anti-establishment campaign themes of Donald Trump to thrust its ideas into the political mainstream. Just as Trump made use of social media, the alt-right utilized memes—and like Trump, the movement attracted attention and visibility through provocations and sensationalism.