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The head of the controversial Proud Boys has denied that they are white supremacists, saying it was a “great time” to be mentioned by President Trump in the presidential debate.
The proud boys – which has been called an “extremist group with ties to white nationalism” by the FBI – became one of the big talking points in Tuesday’s chaotic debate.
Trump was widely criticized for not explicitly condemning white supremacist groups in the debatewhile his opponent, Democrat Joe Biden, did.
When pressed by the moderator, the president responded, “You guys proud, stand back and stand up” and blamed left-wing activists for the recent violence in cities like Portland.
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Enrique Tarrio, the group’s international president, told Sky News that he did not see the president’s words as endorsement of his group and that Biden had made a “crucial mistake” in naming them racists.
“They have called us by many names, but probably the most inaccurate name they can call us is white supremacists,” he said.
The group says they are ‘Western chauvinists who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world’
Tarrio added: “I am a ‘person of color’, I am a dark person, I am the president of the organization [and] They voted me in … “
He added: “I think it was a great moment to be mentioned on stage … if someone recognized us, Biden recognized us.”
Guns are a common feature of Proud Boys gatherings
He defended the Proud Boys as peaceful, pointing to their rally in Portland over the weekend, the Oregon city that has seen months of often violent protests over police brutality and racism since George Floyd’s murder.
“We’ve always done that, we did this in Portland, we fell behind and we stayed in Portland on the 26th, and we had a great event,” he said.
“And basically I think what [President Trump] it meant letting the police do their job, which is what we have. “
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Just hours after the debate, the president distanced himself from the group on Wednesday saying: “I really don’t know who they are.”
“They have to withdraw. Let the forces of order do their job,” added the president.
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Biden again accused the group of racists, telling them: “My message to the Proud Boys and all other white supremacist groups is: cease and desist.”
“The American people will decide who the next president is. Period.”
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