A nation divided: Hate groups alter the face of America
To be classified as a “hate group” is a serious distinction — and one that most organizations would vigorously deny holding. While the most notorious examples (Ku Klux Klan, Westboro Baptist Church, etc.) are quite outspoken about their beliefs, thousands of others are more discreet in their operations. From blatant violence to subtle rhetoric, hate groups in the United States can generally fit into a few different categories:
White Nationalist
One of the most well-known types of hate groups in the United States, white nationalists claim that people of color are inherently inferior. Believing themselves to be under attack from the prevalence of other races, and often buying into the “replacement theory” that their race will eventually cease to exist, white nationalists ultimately advocate for a white ethnostate. The most infamous example is the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Originating after the Civil War in 1865, the KKK incited frequent racial violence in the Jim Crow era, reaching peak membership in the 1920s with upwards of 3 million members. Today, white nationalist groups remain influential across the United States. The Patriot Front is a prominent example with chapters in nearly every state. Established in 2017 after the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va., this group is characterized by exclusionary rhetoric, arguing for the abolition of democracy and the exclusion of minorities to preserve America’s “newly realized pan-European identity, which has allowed it to succeed.”
Neo-Nazi
While overlapping with white nationalists in some ways, neo-Nazi groups are distinct in their antisemitism and appreciation of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. These groups have less support and are, in fact, condemned by the Patriot Front and similar organizations. They are less frequent in the United States, largely because the government is more proactive in stopping them. To adapt to federal resistance, many neo-Nazi groups have spread through the “Terrorgram Collective.” This online network has connected various neo-Nazi groups, providing an outlet to spread propaganda and share plans for a government takeover. In 2023, Dallas Humber of California and Matthew Allison in Idaho were arrested in connection with the distribution of neo-Nazi materials online. Thus, while these groups are still able to exist in some capacity, federal authorities remain more motivated to stop them in their tracks.
Antigovernment
Antigovernment groups are characterized by a belief in a tyrannical American government. Arguing the country is compromised, the movement aims for an abolition or hostile takeover of the federal government. These groups have persisted for decades in the United States. One of the most infamous examples is the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, where Timothy McVeigh blew up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168. Many antigovernment groups have gained traction over the last few years as claims of election fraud spread in the 2020 and 2024 United States presidential elections. Groups such as the Proud Boys peaked around the January 6 United States Capitol attack, but have since declined in numbers and influence. While local leaders have pushed for small-scale militias, these have largely failed to materialize.
Anti-Immigrant
Becoming significantly more prominent in the last decade, anti-immigrant groups promote xenophobia and resist the assimilation of immigrants into the United States. In the past, these groups have held national political influence. The “Know-Nothing” party of the mid-19th century protested against the influx of Catholics and Eastern Europeans entering the United States, and even managed to win several gubernatorial races. A second wave of these groups hit in the 1920s, as a post-World-War-I “return to normalcy” saw support behind legislation establishing quotas on the number of non-WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) that could enter the country. Currently, these groups have seen a resurgence amid the rise of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. Groups along the U.S.-Mexico border have intervened in migration efforts, while others advocate for mass deportations without due process. In a controversial environment where immigration has become a key national topic, anti-immigrant nativists have emerged in larger numbers than ever before.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) latest report, there are currently 1,371 hate and anti-government groups operating across the U.S. that target immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, women, Jewish people and other religious minorities.
While the overall number of active hate groups has steadily declined over the past few years, their influence on politics and local communities continues to increase. The SPLC attributes this shift to dwindling incentives to formally organize due to expanding political sway, rather than a reduction in extremist activity. Hate groups have utilized state legislatures, school boards, and social media platforms to shape government policies and public discourse, pushing for book bans, eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and threatening election workers. Extremist ideas, once confined to limited spaces, have now become more mainstream, infiltrating public debates and official governance.
The acceptance and normalization of hate group ideologies have direct political consequences. Rhetorics that once circulated primarily within hate groups now strongly influence immigration policy and legislation and debates over LGBTQ+ rights, while anti-government movements have gradually eroded confidence in democratic institutions, from public health systems to elections.
However, the most immediate effects of hate groups are experienced at the local level, which then ripple outward. Specifically, hate crimes, the most visible and violent expression of hate group ideologies, affect communities across the country. Their impact extends far beyond the individual victim of a hate crime, altering how entire communities perceive their safety and sense of belonging. When violence is motivated by race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability, it threatens the safety of everyone who shares — or is perceived as sharing — an aspect of their identity with the victim.
Even those who were not direct victims of a hate crime can experience severe psychological effects. Members of targeted communities may become anxious and overly aware of their surroundings, constantly looking for potential threats out of fear of becoming the next victim. Even everyday public spaces — like schools, public transportation, or places of worship — can begin to feel unsafe. Hate crimes force individuals to weigh risks in spaces they shouldn’t feel compelled to, which can lead them to entirely avoid locations where they feel they may be targeted, depriving them of their right to fully engage in their communities.
As the harmful beliefs of hate groups continue to gain legitimacy through politics, it becomes increasingly clear that their declining numbers aren’t an indicator of the amount of danger they pose; rather, their danger lies in the political diffusion and acceptance of their extremist ideas that infiltrate local communities. When hate groups’ ideologies manifest into hate crimes, they leave an enduring impact, instilling fear and altering communities nationwide.
Since its inception, social media has been a space for millions of people to meet and collaborate through common interests. It’s a wholesome idea. Individuals from across the world can form bonds and work towards shared goals. Just like in the real world, however, some people’s goals aren’t wholesome or beneficial to anyone.
In recent years, social media has become a cesspool of pure, unadulterated hatred. Political polarization has brought out the worst in people. People are no longer afraid of publicly sharing their often discriminatory views — and often, their posts are met with raging support. In the noise, organized hate groups have been able to spread their hateful lessons across the internet.
By convening on popular, unrestricted, anonymous websites like 4chan, hate groups are able organize specific campaigns that are propagated across all of social media. Instead of having individuals attempt to convert others to their hateful beliefs, they are able to generate movements that reach the entire internet.
On X, there are a multitude of pro-Nazi accounts that popularize harmful conspiracies and ideas about Jews and other minorities. Many of them pay X for verification, making the algorithm prioritize their content over others. Additionally, the accounts take to comment sections in order to advertise themselves.
While it’s difficult to find official hate group accounts on other, more censored social media platforms, they are very much present. They commonly distribute their messages through organized disinformation campaigns. A popular method is called “race-based disinformation.” The groups create tons of fake accounts to go undercover as minorities. These accounts then post content that directly reinforces stereotypes about their respective minorities. Some hashtags associated with minority groups are completely artificial — created entirely by fake accounts to better blend in with real minorities.
Of course, hate groups also use more traditional forms of misinformation. Their accounts regularly use fake news to spread their messages. They will post intentionally misleading headlines or completely false stories to manipulate people. Hateful individuals create entirely false or exaggerated stories to support their ideologies and make stereotypes appear more valid.
Sometimes hate groups use satire to get their messages across on social media. They’ll post discriminatory jokes or memes with the intention of ingraining stereotypes into the minds of others — even those who don’t believe them. Although most people will not start believing stereotypes because of satirical posts, it still builds an association in their minds.
Social media is a key tool for hate groups to spread their messages and persuade others to join their respective causes. They create fake accounts and stories to reinforce their hateful ideas and ingrain them into the minds of innocent users.
There were a total of 152 antisemitic incidents that occurred in New Jersey in 2025, according to the Anti-Defamation League. In 2024, the Southern Poverty Law Center found 20 hate and anti-government groups located in New Jersey.
The United States has been accustomed to a circulation of hate, propaganda and radical extremism for decades. From the dehumanizing tactics of the Ku Klux Klan to the conflicts surrounding ISIS, hate groups in history and the present day still take on large forms in American society.
There are a number of prominent organizations that have risen to diminish the spread and power of these hate and extremist groups. A primary example of this is the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL was founded in 1913 to prevent antisemitism and help secure justice for all groups.
Andrea Heymann, an Associate Regional Director for their Philadelphia office, emphasized the ADL’s mission to focus on all kinds of hate groups, to ensure that the people they are targeting are represented and are able to seek support by reaching out by phone or website. While antisemitism holds a large focus point, she makes it clear that the justice and equality of all other groups hold the same priority within the ADL’s mission.
“You can’t fight one form of hate without addressing other ones,” Heymann said.
The ADL works to fight this extremism by collecting reports from individuals, constituents and law enforcement. While there are over 40 staff members who are hyper-focused on analyst work and investigative research, there is also an Artificial Intelligence tool that scans the work across thousands of websites and social media pages to identify and report on hateful and targeted content.
“These folks are sitting in some of the darkest parts of the internet and looking at some of the most horrific content that we could ever think about,” she said.
When credible threats are found in the media or within people’s stories, the ADL notifies law enforcement, who gradually take this case to the next level. Heymann explains that it is her job to contact the people who share stories of being scared or feeling attacked, and help them in any way she can through the ADL’s expansive research and mission.