When asked during the first presidential debate whether he would denounce white supremacist groups, President Donald Trump balked, saying "Proud Boys – stand back and stand by."
The Southern Poverty Law Center describes the Proud Boys and their leaders as "white nationalists" who "maintain affiliations with known extremists."
"They are known for anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric. Proud Boys have appeared alongside other hate groups at extremist gatherings like the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville," the SPLC writes on their website.
According to the New York Times, it took mere minutes for the group to celebrate Trump's comments as "historic," via social media.
When asked what Trump meant by "stand by," Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the president's campaign, told the Times, it was "very clear he wants them to knock it off."
But the Times reports that in one social channel, Proud Boy members said they were seeing a spike in "new recruits."
Brian Levin, who heads the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino told KNX he was horrified, adding that the Proud Boys were celebrating all over the Internet and selling tee-shirts.
