Nationally syndicated radio host Glenn Beck said Tuesday that the alt-right movement is “truly terrifying,” adding that while leading Breitbart News, Stephen Bannon gave a voice to white nationalists.
“He has given a voice and power to that group of people,” Beck told Anderson Cooper on “AC360.” “You don’t empower people like that. You just don’t. It’s not smart.”
The alt-right movement has been accused of white nationalism, racism, misogyny and anti-Semitism. In July, Bannon told Mother Jones that his site had become “the platform for the alt-right.”
Beck refused to say whether Donald Trump should rescind Bannon’s appointment as the chief strategist and senior counselor within his administration.
“We have to have a discussion aside from politics about this small group of people and how this European and really pro-Russian nationalism is seeping into our country,” Beck said.
Beck believes the majority of Trump voters are not part of the alt-right movement, but says “they are being influenced without knowing it.”
“I just saw a new study today that said 5% of people who voted for Donald Trump said there were some disturbing things said in the media, but they didn’t believe them,” Beck said. “If they would have believed them, they would have voted for Hillary Clinton or against Donald Trump. We have this lack of transparency, honesty, integrity and this message about the alt-right must be heard by the conservatives. They must take it seriously.”
