Sorry, ‘Alt-Right,’ Most Americans Haven’t Heard of You

Image by Nikki Casey
Sign up for Forwarding the News, our essential morning briefing with trusted, nonpartisan news and analysis, curated by Senior Writer Benyamin Cohen.
Even as the “alt-right” revels in the election of Donald Trump, most Americans still don’t know about the white identity politics movement, finds a recent poll from the Pew Research Center.
The “alt-right” is the label preferred by contemporary white nationalists.
17% of Americans said they knew “a lot” about the “alt-right”; 54% of United States adults report they have heard “nothing at all” about the “alt-right,” while 28% indicate they know “a little” about it.
But there were stark divides in awareness, along lines of partisanship an education. Almost two-thirds of liberal Democrats said they knew “a little” or “a lot” about the “alt-right,” compared to less than half of self-identified conservatives. Meanwhile, well over half of those with college and postgraduate degrees know at least “a little” about the “alt-right,” while only a third of those with a high school education know about it.
Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon