Zhao Minghao: Restless Hegemony: The U.S. Far-Right Political Movement and Its Impact
In recent years, against the backdrop of intensifying social division, ethnic antagonism, and political polarization, the Far Right political movement in the United States has become increasingly violent. Far-right political ideology has shown a trend toward mainstreaming, while far-right political forces such as the "Proud Boys," "Vanguard America," and "Patriot Front" continue to grow. Events such as the "Occupation of Capitol Hill" [1] centrally embody the profound shock the far-right political movement has brought to the United States, serving as a vivid mark of the country’s political shifts and chaos. The American far-right political movement has a profound international impact, maintaining close linkages with far-right political forces in Europe and other regions. Furthermore, the American far-right movement carries a strong anti-China hawkish character, playing a major driving role in the process of America’s strategic adjustment toward China, which will bring more negative spillover effects to China-U.S. relations.
The U.S. Far-Right Political Movement has Become a National Security Threat
When expounding on the severe internal crises facing the country, U.S. President Biden emphasized that "political extremism, white supremacy, and domestic terrorism" pose significant challenges. These challenges are all closely related to the far-right political movement. It is evident that the far-right movement has become a major threat in the United States. Biden explicitly requested that government agencies, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), conduct a joint assessment of the threat of domestic violent extremism and formulate corresponding countermeasures on this basis. The Biden administration also reinstated the position of Homeland Security Advisor to the President, whose primary responsibilities include addressing security threats posed by domestic far-right political forces. The White House National Security Council also attaches high importance to the issue of the far-right political movement. In June 2021, the Biden administration released the first "National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism," declaring far-right violence to be the greatest domestic security threat facing the United States.
Far-right thought is a miscellany of various political concepts such as white supremacy and anti-federalism. Although the far right emerged from conservatism, it views both liberalism and left-wing political thought as adversaries, while also fiercely opposing moderates and the establishment within conservatism. The membership of the American far-right political movement is relatively heterogeneous and lacks a single organization. Its representative figures include Richard Spencer, head of the National Policy Institute; Andrew Anglin, founder of the neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer; media commentator Mike Cernovich; writer John Derbyshire; and Kyle Chapman, founder of the paramilitary "Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights." Representative organizations include "Patriot Front" and "Vanguard America."
In summary, the positions and propositions of the American far-right political movement include the following aspects: First, advocating white nationalism and white supremacy, claiming that America faces a "genocide" [2] against white people, and demanding the reclaiming of the country that belongs to whites. Second, anti-globalization and anti-immigration, believing that economic globalization has led to the existential plight of the lower-and-middle-class American whites, and that foreign immigrants are "competing for the rice bowls" [3] of white people. Third, anti-elite and anti-establishment, believing that political and business elites who uphold globalist concepts disregard the survival of ordinary American people and promote agendas like free trade for their own interests, leading to the increasing decline of the United States; they accuse these elites and the establishment of attempting to hold onto political power through the "Deep State" and the "Administrative State." Fourth, opposing groups such as feminists, LGBTQ+ individuals, and Jewish people, believing these groups destroy the social stability and order valued by conservatives.
Compared with traditional conservatism and right-wing forces, the far-right political movement possesses the following distinct characteristics: First, it advocates the use of violence and paramilitary means to achieve its political demands. Some far-right organizations explicitly propose preparing for a civil war to overthrow the government, such as the "Boogaloo movement." In view of this, the far right is also called the "radical right," "extreme right," or "Alt-Right"; scholars such as Jerry Harris regard it as "fascism." The Homeland Security Threat Assessment report released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that "white supremacist extremists" are the "most persistent and lethal threat" within the United States. Second, the far-right political movement is a product of American identity politics and a manifestation of culture wars, possessing a distinct socio-psychological tragedy. It is defined by identity-related issues such as "Who are we?" The far-right forces believe that over the past few decades, left-wing forces in the U.S. have continuously grown, while conservatism has failed to respond effectively to issues such as anti-abortion and anti-homosexuality; coupled with the significant increase in immigrants from Latin America and Asia, the American demographic and social structure faces the challenge of the "Great Replacement." They believe this will fundamentally change the lifestyle in which white people and white culture occupy a dominant position and that radical means must be taken to defend the "white nation." Third, the far-right political movement promotes various conspiracy theories such as "Jewish thugs controlling the world"; for instance, far-right organizations like "QAnon" claim that the secret war launched by Trump was to combat a global Satan-worshipping liberal pedophile cult.
During Trump's term in office, the American far-right political movement and the extreme violence it brought about intensified. In August 2017, in Charlottesville, Virginia, during a "Unite the Right" rally held by far-right forces, a vicious incident occurred in which a white supremacist drove a vehicle into a crowd, causing death. Organizations like the "Proud Boys" carried out a series of violent actions during the "Black Lives Matter" movement and the 2020 presidential election. The FBI once uncovered a plot to kidnap the Democratic Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, and violently overthrow the state government; the suspects involved were all from far-right organizations, and some were former members of the Marine Corps. In fact, within the U.S. military, National Guard, and police forces, there are many members or sympathizers of far-right organizations, and these personnel have a high degree of concealment. In January 2021, to ensure the security of President Biden's inauguration, tens of thousands of National Guard members were deployed to Washington. The FBI and other agencies found that dozens of these National Guard members had close ties to far-right political organizations.
In recent years, the impact of the far-right political movement has increased rather than diminished, and its ideology has become more mainstreamed. Trump received support from numerous far-right organizations, some of which even styled themselves as "Trump's warriors." "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) Republicans attempted to utilize the powerful mobilization capabilities of far-right political forces to strike a heavy blow against Biden and the Democratic Party in the 2024 U.S. election. According to assessments by U.S. government agencies and experts, the far-right political movement may pose an even greater threat in the future: First, there may be more "lone wolf actions" carried out by far-right elements, exacerbating the challenge of domestic terrorism. Second, far-right forces may intensify the planning and implementation of paramilitary operations, utilizing white militia organizations to launch armed rebellions and seize power from relevant local governments. Third, far-right forces will carry out retaliation and attacks against liberal media figures; if the Biden administration further pressures social media to restrict far-right voices, attacks by far-right organizations on media figures and institutions may increase. Fourth, far-right forces in states where conservatism is strong, such as Texas, may promote "independence referendums" to pressure the Democratic-controlled federal government through relatively legal and peaceful means.
Why the U.S. Far-Right Political Movement Continues to Grow
The American far-right political movement has deep historical roots, which can be traced back to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) that appeared during the American Civil War in the 1860s. The KKK was primarily composed of Confederate veterans opposed to the emancipation of slaves, advocating for the maintenance of white social dominance over Black people, Jews, Asian immigrants, and other immigrants through violent action. The relationship between organizations like the KKK and the contemporary far-right political movement is quite close. Whether it is the ideology of racism and white supremacy or the tradition of political violence, both have been preserved within American society for a long time, especially in the Southern and Western components of the United States. The Civil War is considered a major source of domestic political violence. "The North won the war, but the South won the peace" [4]—the Civil War did not resolve the difficult problems triggered by racism that cause domestic political violence. By the 1960s, the rise of the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. was actually accompanied by serious political violence. Many American scholars are concerned that the far-right political movement significantly increases the risk of the United States falling into civil war once again.
[Image: On January 21, 2022, in Washington D.C., the white nationalist group "Patriot Front" marched alongside the 49th "March for Life" anti-abortion protest. (Photo: redux/IC photo)]
The current far-right political trend is primarily a product of the profound changes in American politics under the influence of globalization in the post-Cold War era. After the Cold War ended, with Clinton and the Democratic Party in power, processes such as economic globalization and political liberalization accelerated, and domestic conservatism in the U.S. was suppressed by the Democratic Party and left-wing forces. Against this background, far-right political forces with figures like Richard Spencer as standard-bearers attempted to launch a forceful counterattack. By the time of the Obama administration, the influence of far-right political thought further expanded, and the "Tea Party" movement emerged. Far-right forces were quite resentful of policies promoted by the Democratic Party, such as healthcare reform and equal rights for sexual minorities; they also found it difficult to accept Obama serving as president. "Right-wing extremists exploited the election of the first African-American president to mobilize existing supporters, focus efforts on recruiting new members, and expand their range of influence and appeal through propaganda means." After Trump took office in 2017, he appointed Steve Bannon as White House Chief Strategist; additionally, individuals upholding far-right political concepts, such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, became members of Congress. This marked the successful intrusion of far-right political forces from the social fringes into mainstream politics.
The main reasons for the continuous growth of U.S. far-right political forces lie in the following: First, the gap between the rich and the poor in American society is widening daily, and the anger and dissatisfaction of the lower-and-middle-class white population toward political elites continue to rise. The difficult economic situation of low-income white Americans provides the basic conditions for the expansion of the far-right political movement. According to research by Professor Danny Quah of the London School of Economics and others, over the past 30-plus years, the U.S. has been the only developed country where the average income of the bottom 50% of the population has continuously declined. An investigation led by UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston pointed out that the U.S. is the most unequal society among developed countries, with tens of millions of people living in poverty, including a large number of white people. The economic plight of white people is mainly caused by three factors: one is the loss of jobs caused by economic globalization, especially in fields such as manufacturing and energy; the second is the increasingly serious unemployment problem caused by technological progress such as automation, which has a major impact on whites in rural areas with lower education levels; third, the financialization of the U.S. economy has resulted in only a few people, such as Wall Street elites, benefiting, while the irrational social distribution mechanism has brought about the chronic malady of "the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer." Far-right organizations like "Patriot Front" claim that white people are the "victims" of globalization and globalism, and the anti-globalization views they advocate have gained the approval of many white Americans.
Second, ethnic conflicts in the U.S. are intensifying, and factors such as the high birth rate of people of color have led to a continuous rise in "existential anxiety" among white Americans. The white supremacist concepts preached by far-right political forces have received increasing support. Since the 1960s, driven by the Civil Rights Movement, the U.S. government has implemented "affirmative action" for Black people and other ethnic minorities, giving them special consideration in education, employment, and other areas. This is regarded as "reverse discrimination" against white people, triggering dissatisfaction within the white community. Furthermore, with the continuous growth in the number of immigrants, especially illegal immigrants, the numerical disadvantage of white Americans has become increasingly prominent. According to projections by the U.S. Census Bureau, by around 2044, the number of non-white Americans—including African Americans, Latinos, and Asians—will exceed that of whites. Far-right forces claim that if the American electoral system is not adjusted and if policies that support whites and suppress immigration like those of Trump are not firmly adopted, the fate of white people will become increasingly tragic. They believe that only by "Making America White Again" can they "Make America Great Again." Supporters of the far-right political movement are basically lower-and-middle-class whites who firmly believe that figures like Trump are the "saviors" of white Americans.
Third, the development of technologies such as the Internet and the popularization of social media have caused American politics to exhibit characteristics of "tribalism," enabling far-right political forces to achieve more powerful dissemination of their ideas and political mobilization. Digital technology is a double-edged sword for the American democratic system; as Francis Fukuyama, a senior fellow at Stanford University, has noted, while people can speak freely online, conspiracy theories and slander are also rampant. Social media has effectively trapped a large number of Americans in "information cocoons" where they only pay attention to and accept information and viewpoints close to their own political ideas. This causes the populace to become more prejudiced and extreme in their politics. "Tribalism" in American politics has become increasingly evident, and "hate speech" related to politics is ubiquitous online, for which the social media platforms hosting such remarks are not held responsible. A core strategy of American far-right political organizations is to utilize technical means like the Internet to manufacture and spread various types of disinformation, using automated programs to create fake likes and reposts to stimulate and manipulate the fears of the white American population. Far-right political media outlets such as American Daily [5] abuse "freedom of speech" to wildly spread extremist ideologies and various conspiracy theories through Internet technology. For example, during the 2020 U.S. presidential election, far-right organizations incited their supporters by claiming that Biden and the Democratic Party were the "radical left" and would destroy America if they won the election and took power.
Fourth, the inherent ailments of the American political system, especially the electoral system, have caused American politics to trend overall toward "polarization." This has provided an essential environment for the growth of far-right political movements, and the influence of the specific factor of Trump's administration cannot be ignored. Since the 2008 international financial crisis, the struggle between the Democratic and Republican parties has become increasingly fierce. Factors such as gerrymandering have intensified the "struggle between left and right," and vicious partisan infighting has reduced American democracy to a "vetocracy." Consequently, the government lacks the ability to resolve contradictions in economic and social fields, and the sense of trust that the American people have in the government and political elites continues to decline. The existing party system in the U.S. finds it difficult to respond to the challenges facing economic and social development, and the ability of the American electoral system to regulate domestic political contradictions is also waning. Looking at the 2020 election, the flaws of the Electoral College system became more prominent, and the resulting political disputes eventually led to events like the "occupation of Capitol Hill." According to statistics from American political scientists, there are already over 900 specific proposals for reforming the Electoral College, yet such reforms remain difficult to advance in the United States. Far-right political forces demand a comprehensive and thorough reshaping of the American political system, advocating for "draining the swamp of Washington politics" and the "deconstruction of the administrative state." At the same time, the American political system's capacity to limit and control far-right political violence is insufficient, as seen in the numerous legislative and judicial loopholes in dealing with domestic terrorism. The Trump administration blatantly indulged and shielded far-right organizations such as the "Proud Boys." Then-Attorney General William Barr and others intentionally demanded that U.S. judicial and law enforcement departments increase investigations into the "radical left," with the aim of distracting the American public's attention from far-right forces and reducing the pressure of American government agencies on the far right. It can be said that the four years of the Trump administration created favorable conditions for the expansion of far-right political forces.
The Increasing International Influence of the American Far-Right Political Movement
While the development of the American far-right political movement is profoundly changing the domestic political ecosystem, it also focuses on expanding its influence abroad. It is linking closely with far-right political forces in Europe and other regions, attempting to weave an international network for the far-right political movement. American far-right political forces harbor intense anti-China sentiments, pushing the U.S. government to adopt hardline policies toward China and, to a certain extent, affecting the stability of China-U.S. relations.
1. Constructing an international network for the far-right political movement
The growth of the American far-right political movement is a manifestation of the strengthening of right-wing populist forces globally following the 2008 international financial crisis, and it possesses prominent international characteristics. American far-right forces focus on outward expansion of their influence while seeking external support, attempting to build an increasingly tight international network. This trend is particularly prominent between the U.S. and Europe. After leaving office in August 2017, Steve Bannon, a key strategist for Trump and former White House Chief Strategist, established a foundation in Europe called "The Movement." Its primary purpose is to cheer on and encourage European far-right political forces, striving to facilitate mutual linkage and reliance between American and European far-right political actors. Figures courted by Bannon and others include Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party; Matteo Salvini, leader of the Italian League party; Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom; Lorenzo Fontana, a key member of the Italian right-wing Northern League; and Filip Dewinter, leader of the Belgian Vlaams Belang party. Bannon frequently participates in the activities of European right-wing populist parties, such as when he personally went to Italy to observe the general election and promoted the coalition government between the "Five Star Movement" and the "League." At the national congress of the French "National Front," he called on people to "wear racism as a badge of honor." Bannon also played a significant role in the British "Brexit" process. Senior fellows at the Brookings Institution, like Kemal Derviş, have pointed out that Bannon is attempting to establish a kind of "new nationalist international."
The continuous expansion of American far-right influence in Europe occurs against a distinct contemporary background. In recent years, the strength of right-wing populist parties in European countries has risen steadily, gradually gaining important status in mainstream politics and increasing their influence over the state power of relevant nations. For instance, Marine Le Pen, leader of the French "National Front," claimed that there are actually only two political factions in France: one that supports the "National Front" and another that opposes it. As the French political arena faced increasing shocks from right-wing populist parties, similar trends appeared in Germany. Recent polling results show that support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which advocates for anti-immigrant and anti-euro policies, has risen significantly, while support for traditional parties like the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) continues to fall. In fact, beyond the French "National Front" and the AfD, right-wing populist parties such as the UK Independence Party, the Danish People's Party, and the Finns Party have made significant gains in recent elections, with some even becoming the second-largest party in their respective national parliaments.
The demands of the American and European far-right political movements share many points of consensus. Their mutual interactions help enhance the legitimacy and influence of far-right ideology. First, they all possess an anti-elite, anti-mainstream posture, as well as strong nationalism and xenophobic tendencies, advocating for the establishment of a "homogeneous society" in ethnic, ancestral, and cultural terms. Second, they target minority groups, practitioners of non-mainstream religions, and foreign immigrants, viewing the latter as the root cause of domestic economic, social, and political crises. Third, they all emphasize the maintenance of "national sovereignty." American far-right political forces advocate for "taking back our country," are extremely averse to international organizations and multilateralism, and preach the "theory of the supremacy of national sovereignty." European far-right parties generally have similar tendencies; they openly oppose European integration, loathe those political elite groups who support the "More Europe" concept, advocate for their countries to leave the European Union to regain sovereignty, and call for powerful "protection" for their own citizens.
The American far-right employs several strategies to expand its influence in Europe. First, it focuses on intensifying the sense of insecurity and fear among the European populace. In recent years, Europe has faced severe shocks from multiple crises, including the European debt crisis, the refugee crisis, and the Ukraine crisis. These have significantly increased the insecurity of people in European countries, providing a "breeding ground" for American far-right political forces to spread concepts such as populism and nationalism. Second, they help European far-right parties compete for voters from mainstream parties. These include parties like the People's Party in Austria and the Socialist Party in Spain. Because many traditional major parties in European countries have performed poorly in governance, they are depicted by far-right parties as corrupt, incompetent, and indifferent "political elites." Far-right parties seize the opportunity to gain political capital and strive to win over voters. Third, they compel mainstream parties to absorb the policy propositions of the far right, including restricting immigration, controlling Islam, and reducing the EU's constraints on national sovereignty. Fourth, they promote the increased influence of far-right parties in the European Parliament. Far-right parties in many European countries have successfully challenged traditional mainstream parties and have begun to "enter the halls" of Brussels, utilizing EU mechanisms, platforms, and MEP allowances to propagate their anti-integration policy propositions and influence the EU's agenda-setting on immigration and other policies.
Furthermore, groups like the "Beyond the Movement" and other American far-right forces promote "neo-fascism" and maintain close ties with organizations such as Ukraine's Azov Battalion and the Japanese right-wing group "Issuikai." They have traveled to Japan to "discuss cooperation" and intentionally visited the Yasukuni Shrine en masse. The Azov Battalion, which carries neo-Nazi characteristics, has also provided training to white supremacists in the United States. American far-right forces have also had in-depth contact with right-wing forces in Latin American countries such as Brazil and Argentina. In the post-pandemic era, factors such as weak global economic development will translate into political destructiveness, and the influence of the far-right political movement may expand further. Their policy propositions are highly inflammatory; they rely heavily on cyberspace for dissemination while also focusing on developing grassroots strength and strengthening transnational linkages in secretive ways. The issue of the American far-right political movement and its international collusion deserves more in-depth research, as it helps us better grasp the characteristics and trends of global ideological evolution.
2. Negative impacts on China-U.S. relations
The "internalization of great power competition" [6] is an important perspective for examining the evolution of U.S. strategy toward China; domestic political factors in the U.S. are exerting an increasingly deep and complex influence on China-U.S. relations. Some American politicians tend to seek "scapegoats" for America's own difficulties, and China is the primary target. American far-right political forces generally hold hawkish anti-China and anti-communist positions, and they aggressively shape the American voters' perception of China. In turn, voters with increasingly negative attitudes toward China reshape American politicians, who become accustomed to using the "China card" to seek advantages in domestic politics, gaining support from voters and relevant interest groups by projecting a tough stance against China. This vicious cycle will cause lasting and significant damage to China-U.S. relations.
In recent years, a series of public opinion polls have shown that Republican voters in the U.S. have a more severe negative perception of China, which is closely related to the anti-China propaganda of far-right political forces like Bannon. Furthermore, the negative perception of China driven by the far right is also linked to factors such as race and religion. University of Delaware political scientist David Ebner and Vladimir Medenica found that white Americans who express higher levels of racial resentment are more likely to view China as a military threat. Peter Beinart, a professor of political science at the City University of New York, argues that the John Birch Society—a religiously-affiliated organization that historically promoted anti-communist fanaticism and conspiracy theories—was a "preview" for today's right-wing populism. Currently, white American evangelicals hold the greatest hostility toward China; many Republican voters not only see China's rise as a threat to American power but also as a threat to white Christian power.
Particularly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, American far-right political forces deliberately hyped conspiracy theories such as the "China virus," inciting greater hostility among the American public toward Asian Americans, especially the Chinese community in the U.S. There has been a significant increase in activities by white-dominated "hate groups" and "hate crimes," which has also brought new and serious challenges to China-U.S. relations. Furthermore, we must remain highly vigilant against the collusion between American far-right political forces and "Taiwan independence" and "Xinjiang independence" forces, who are jointly promoting an anti-China agenda.
In summary, for the current and future period, the influence of far-right political forces in American domestic politics deserves high attention. Factors such as the judicial investigations into Trump promoted by Biden and the Democratic Party may further stimulate domestic far-right political forces. If Trump wins the 2024 election, the influence of the American far-right political movement may reach a new peak. The intensification of the American political mess will have spillover effects on China-U.S. relations. China needs to proactively take precautions and properly respond to the increasingly reinforced inherent turbulence of American hegemony.