US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has coincided with a significant resurgence in white nationalist organizing and recruitment, with extremist groups citing his rhetoric and policies as a catalyst for their growth, a Reuters investigation has found.

From a small ranch house in Texas, Dalton Henry Stout and his partner run the Aryan Freedom Network (AFN), a neo-Nazi group bearing the insignia of Nazi Germany’s “Death’s Head” SS units. Stout told Reuters that Trump’s hardline stance on immigration, attacks on diversity initiatives, and calls to protect “Western values” have helped the group expand its reach. “He’s the best thing that’s happened to us,” Stout said.

While the AFN remains on the fringe of US politics, Reuters reports that such groups are becoming increasingly visible in far-right demonstrations and incidents of political violence. Interviews with extremist members and political extremism experts and a review of far-right violence data suggest Trump’s re-election, his pardons of January 6 rioters, and a shift in federal law enforcement priorities have emboldened white supremacists.

'Proud Boys don't even seem that scary anymore'

Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, told Reuters that rhetoric once confined to fringe movements such as the Proud Boys has seeped into mainstream Republican discourse, blurring the line between far-right extremism and broader conservative politics. “A Proud Boy doesn’t even seem that scary anymore because of the normalization process,” she said.

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) found that white nationalist groups accounted for just 13% of extremist-related demonstrations and political violence in 2020, but by 2024, they were linked to nearly 80% of such events.

The White House rejected suggestions that Trump’s rhetoric promotes racism. Spokesperson Harrison Fields said the president is “focused on uniting our country” and stressed his rising support among Black voters, which doubled to about 15% in the last election.

Trump has repeatedly denied supporting white extremism, telling rally-goers last year, “I’m not a Nazi. I’m the opposite of a Nazi.” Yet Reuters notes that he continues to draw backing from white nationalist circles while making comments widely condemned as racially divisive, including suggesting certain immigrant groups are predisposed to violent crime.

'Racial Holy War'

Although Stout claimed his network opposes violence, the AFN openly prepares for what it calls a “Racial Holy War” and actively recruits former members of other extremist organizations. According to Reuters, the Trump administration has scaled back domestic extremism countermeasures, reducing staffing at both the FBI’s Domestic Terrorism Operations Section and the Department of Homeland Security’s violence prevention office, while shifting focus toward immigration enforcement.

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Specialists in domestic terrorism warn that recent cuts to US counter-extremism programs could embolden far-right groups by weakening the government’s ability to detect and disrupt threats, Reuters reported. While the FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defend the staffing reductions, saying they continue to combat domestic terrorism based on threat analysis, some analysts see the changes as an opening for extremist networks.

Stout told Reuters in his first media interview that his group is focused on staying within the law, at least for now. Meeting reporters in Hochatown, Oklahoma, with his partner “Daisy Barr", Stout said, “We got to watch our Ps and Qs,” before adding that “when the day comes… that’s when violence will solve everything.” Researchers say such rhetoric reflects a strategy among certain far-right factions: operate legally while openly predicting an eventual moment of upheaval.

Emerging neo-Nazi group

AFN first drew national attention in 2021 for hosting a “White Unity” conference in Longview, Texas, and has since used flyers, protests, and annual “Aryan Fest” gatherings to recruit members. The events often attract figures from the Ku Klux Klan and other extremist groups, according to Reuters interviews with individuals in those circles.

The group’s ideology blends neo-Nazi imagery, including swastika burnings and “white power” chants, with the Christian Identity movement’s belief that white Europeans are God’s chosen people. Stout, 34, and Barr, 48, both come from white supremacist families deeply connected to the KKK. Stout’s father served as a “grand dragon” in the White Knights of Texas, while Barr’s late father was a “grand wizard” in Indiana.

The couple, described by one source as “racist royalty”, divorced in 2022 in what Stout said was a legal maneuver to shield assets from potential civil rights lawsuits. They claim AFN has nearly doubled its chapters since early 2023, though exact membership figures remain unclear. The Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium estimates the network has 1,000 to 1,500 members, while the Anti-Defamation League questions whether the numbers are that high.

Despite uncertainty over its size, Jon Lewis of George Washington University’s Program on Extremism told Reuters that AFN has gained traction among far-right “accelerationists” — white supremacists advocating violence to hasten a race war.

Capitalizing on the decline of opposing groups

According to Reuters, the Aryan Freedom Network (AFN) has capitalized on the decline of the Proud Boys, whose influence waned following high-profile convictions and subsequent pardons by President Donald Trump for roles in the January 6 Capitol riots. Stout described such groups as “civic nationalists” that serve as a gateway for newcomers before they gravitate toward explicitly racist organizations like AFN or the Ku Klux Klan.

While Stout claims AFN rejects violence, firearms, and tactical training are central to its identity. Federal court records reviewed by Reuters detail how a former AFN member, Andrew Munsinger, built untraceable AR-15 rifles, stockpiled ammunition, and constructed explosives. An FBI affidavit described AFN as “an umbrella organization for other white-supremacist organizations,” citing firearms training across multiple states, encrypted weapons discussions, and initiation rituals involving timber swastikas. Munsinger, convicted in April on federal weapons charges, is awaiting sentencing.

Stout acknowledged AFN’s ties to the Klan, which has splintered over the decades but retains pockets of influence. In May, Reuters attended a Klan initiation in Kentucky where leaders praised Trump’s impact on the white nationalist movement. William Bader, head of the Trinity Knights, said, “White people are finally seeing something going their way,” while another Klan official, Steve Bowers, said many nationalists believe Trump will “save the white race in America,” despite his own criticisms of the administration’s ties to the Israeli regime. 

Violent white supremacist group on the rise

Similarly, a violent white supremacist network once dismantled by federal authorities is making a comeback in the United States. Known as "The Base", the organization is now openly preparing for another paramilitary gathering, undeterred by the threat of FBI intervention.

Founded in 2018 by Rinaldo Nazzaro, an American ex-Defense Department contractor now based in St. Petersburg, Russia, The Base had previously attracted close attention from law enforcement. Its network in the US was largely unraveled in a federal crackdown, resulting in numerous arrests. But following the 2024 presidential election and the return of Donald Trump to the White House, the group appears to have found new life.

Analysts believe The Base sees the current administration as more permissive toward far-right extremism. Under new FBI leadership by Trump loyalist Kash Patel, investigations into white supremacist groups have reportedly slowed, allowing The Base to begin rebuilding its US operations.

Now, the group has extended its reach into Ukraine, where it is said to be engaging in sabotage missions against government targets. It is also expanding across Europe, while showing signs of renewed activity in the US, including public calls for donations to support upcoming training.