There’s new controversy for the man who earned YouTube fame for getting punched in the face during a TV interview on inauguration day, and previously for a rally at which supporters offered him a Nazi salute.
White nationalist Richard Spencer is the head of the National Policy Institute and according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, “one of the country’s most successful young white nationalist leaders.” According to Twitter, he’s a Boston native who expressed his pride for the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in a tweet befitting his racist, Aryan outlook:
I was born in Boston, Mass. I'm proud of the NFL's Whitest team!#superbowl
— Richard 🌊 Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) February 6, 2017
When his online opponents jumped at the bait, followers of Spencer responded in kind with suggestions for a ban of “Black History Month” — which President Trump last week dubbed, “African American History Month.” It should be noted, he is hardly the first president to include mention of “African Americans” in that annual proclamation, as Snopes outlined in a post.
Leave it to a negro to take credit for a victory by the whitest team in the NFL
— Michiru (@MichiruMichiMi) February 6, 2017
The Patriots even call their Blacks "White." #SuperBowl2017 #Trump#Brady pic.twitter.com/UR4YCs7xcH
— Richard 🌊 Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) February 6, 2017
When it seemed as if the Falcons could not lose, a writer for NBC’s Tonight Show engaged Spencer with an uncensored tweet full of vim and vigor as well as vulgarity:
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.@RichardBSpencer how does it feel to be losing to America's blackest gayest city you nazi piece of fucking garbage
— Chase Mitchell (@ChaseMit) February 6, 2017
But Spencer dismissed the taunt once the Patriots succeeded in their historic comeback to win Super Bowl LI.
Your tweet aged like a fine wine. https://t.co/LZsb5Kas6r
— Richard 🌊 Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) February 6, 2017
And amid all the ugliness, Spencer celebrated his Aryan hero, quarterback Tom Brady.
Tom Brady: Aryan Avatar#superbowl pic.twitter.com/06DmHyjxQ7
— Richard 🌊 Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) February 6, 2017
Spencer was not above the race baiting, however, tweeting before the game a “birthday wish” to the unarmed black teenager whose 2012 murder by a white man sparked national outrage.
Happy birthday Trayvon Martin! #Patriots #Super Bowl
— Richard 🌊 Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) February 6, 2017
And as Spencer’s tweet resurfaced in headlines around the world, some on Twitter called on opponents of the so-called Alt-right to stop feeding the monster:
https://twitter.com/yair_rosenberg/status/828458389223129089
Spencer, however, was undeterred.
For the White race, it's never over.#SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/NrQ7YgkzgP
— Richard 🌊 Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) February 6, 2017
Editor’s note: this story was updated to include a link to Snopes that showed President Trump did not rename Black History Month “African American Month” but that was one of several presidents to use the terms interchangeably.