Prominent white nationalist Richard Spencer isn’t taking any responsibility for the fear and tension he has spurred in the small ski resort community of Whitefish, Montana, where he lives part time.
“How did I damage the Whitefish community? Please explain to me how I did that,” Spencer told the Missoulian in a Wednesday interview.
Last week, neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer, which is run by Andrew Anglin, called on individuals to take to the streets of Whitefish next month for an armed protest against the Jewish community there.
Spencer told the Missoulian that he didn’t know Anglin, apart from a single phone call, and said that he didn’t think the march would actually take place.
“I do not think he is explicitly or implicitly calling for violence,” Spencer said. “Now, of course, there might be some nut who does something. But you can’t really hold anyone accountable for that. There’s some nut who will attempt to murder Ronald Reagan to impress Jodi Foster.”
“There’s not going to be a pogrom in Whitefish. It’s just ridiculous to think that,” he said.
In Whitefish, the community has been on edge. “Love Lives Here” signs are displayed in storefronts everywhere and the community has organized a rally against hate slated for Jan. 7. The city council and the mayor have also taken action, while the state’s bipartisan congressional delegation published an open letter deriding Spencer’s views and blasting any planned armed protest against members of the community.
For his part, Spencer told the Missoulian that he has no plans to give up his home in the small ski resort town.
