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By Sam Kestenbaum September 28, 2017

An older generation of white supremacists are piggybacking on the “alt-right” as a way to stay relevant — but the tactic might not work out in the long run, according to a new blog post from the Anti-Defamation League.

Former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan David Duke, for example, has latched himself to the “alt-right” through affiliations with internet celebrities like Richard Spencer. And Kyle Rogers, the longtime webmaster for the Council of Conservative Citizens, created a new site featuring alt-right memes like Pepe the Frog, presumably in the hopes of drawing new followers. Others have adopted the internet slang “alt-right” — like the concept of “red-pilling,” the “awakening” of the masses to their movement’s doctrines.

This isn’t the first time an older generation have tried to bolster their ranks with younger white nationalists.

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In the 1980s, white supremacists tried to appeal a new generation of racist skinheads — with mixed results.

While many racist skinheads absorbed concepts and ideas from these would-be tutors and leaders, the ADL writes, more often than not, they formed their own separate groups. The same thing could happen today.

“If the ‘alt-right’ survives, it may well evolve similarly,” the ADL writes, “disappointing older white supremacists hoping for a supply of new recruits to their groups.”

Email Sam Kestenbaum at kestenbaum@forward.com and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum

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