The Russian Connection.

• Author: Ryan, Melissa
• Position: American alternative right movement's affinity for Russia - Brief article

Donald Trump's often baffling affinity for Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, has a parallel at home among members of the alt-right, a loose collection of white nationalists and neo-Nazis.

"Russia is our friend," is a common chant for American neo-Nazis. Organizers of the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, had known sympathies and ties to Russia, including white supremacist leader Richard Spencer, who is married to a Russian propagandist. Russian bots and trolls on social media frequently amplify rightwing media, especially Breitbart. Several well-known social media accounts associated with the so-called alt-right have since been exposed as Russian in origin.

"Russian-linked networks on...