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A Donald Trump supporter repeatedly waved an ‘OK’ hand, which has been adopted by white supremacist groups, during a speech in Florida.
The man also appeared to be wearing a hat with the logo of the ‘Proud Boys’, a far-right group that supports President Trump.
He was standing directly behind the president while delivering a nearly 90-minute speech at The Village retirement community in Florida.
And he made the gesture prominently when President Trump said in his speech: “We have made America proud again.”
Trump drew criticism last month when he was asked to reject the Proud Boys during the first televised presidential debate.
Instead, the president’s message to the group was “back off and wait.”
In a matter of minutes, members of the Proud Boys, founded by Brit Gavin McInnes, accepted his comments and called his words “historic”.
On the right-wing social media site Parler, the group’s leader, Joe Biggs, said he thought Trump was uttering a rallying cry.
“Proud Boys scream in the presidential debate,” he wrote before adding, “President Trump told the Proud Boys to stay out of it because someone needs to deal with Antifa. Well, sir. We are ready.”
The ‘OK’ gesture was originally linked to racism as part of a joke by 4Chan message board users.
Instead of meaning “OK”, it means “WP”: “white power” or “white pride”.
But, according to the Anti-Defamation League, it has become a “sincere expression of white supremacy” and was embraced by far-right groups.
Early in the rally, President Trump attacked Joe Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris, both for her opinions and for being a woman.
He said: “We are not going to have a socialist president. Especially a socialist president.
“We are not going to have it. We are not going to tolerate it. It is not going to happen.”
The president said: “Kamala will not be his first female president.
She will not be his first female president.
“It’s not how it’s supposed to be. We’re not supposed to have a socialist.”
Trump has repeatedly complained at his rallies that he is fighting to win the support of “suburban women.”
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