GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump is riding the wave from last week’s convention by hosting a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” forum Wednesday. But instead of hosting the forum on Reddit’s general /r/iAmA thread, Trump is hosting it on the /r/The_Donald subreddit, which is known as a safe haven for Trump supporters and fringe conservatives.
https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/757571159432892416
AMAs are a popular way for the public to initimately engage with celebrities and public figures, including President Barack Obama, and ask them questions that may be off limits during a standard news conference.
Trump’s AMA, much like his presidential campaign, is expected to be a little different. Firstly, it’s scheduled right in the middle of the Democratic National Convention and, secondly, it will be hosted on a thread that openly refers to Trump as the “God Emperor.”
Redditors on the /r/The_Donald are already excited to host Trump’s AMA Wednesday, praising the move as “tremendous” and potentially a good show of momentum for Trump’s campaign. But there is some concern the AMA could be derailed by non-Trump supporters.
The GOP candidate’s AMA comes after he commented that he would consider supporting a Democrat running against former lead Ku Klux Klansman David Duke, who is vying for a U.S. Senate seat on the Republican ticket in Louisiana. “I guess, depending on who the Democrat, but the answer would be yes,” he told NBC’s Chuck Todd on Meet the Press Sunday. Trump went on to say, “I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists.”
In announcing his run for Congress, Duke endorsed Trump’s platform for protecting the rights of Caucasians, saying “I believe in equal rights for all and respect for all Americans… However, what makes me different is I also demand respect for the rights and the heritage of European-Americans… I’m overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues that I’ve championed for years.”
Reddit has especially been popular among Trump supporters who flood subreddits such as /r/The_Donald with gifs and memes that sometimes make their way to Trump’s Twitter. But his showings of gratitude — especially when racist or xenophobic sentiments are expressed by supporters — have garnered intense criticism.
Trump has been repeatedly criticized for his seemingly blasé approach to white supremacists who endorse his candidacy. In fact, white nationalist and white supremacist sentiments have been on the rise since last year and throughout the 2016 presidential campaign season. Google searches of terms such as “alt-right,” “white genocide,” “pro-white,” and “black on white crime” have increased significantly since 2013 with the biggest spikes starting last year, almost in tandem with Trump’s campaign.
But while the candidate has distanced himself somewhat from Duke but not so much from other white nationalists, Trump has continued to openly embrace supporters from the far and alt-right online.
Wednesday’s AMA, timing and all, will be interesting to see.