Who Supports White Nationalism?
NYU researchers found support is highest among young white men and rises with lower income, less education, religiosity and online-only friendships.
- A new study published in the journal Nature reveals that white nationalist support is significantly higher among young white men than any other white demographic group, with over 13% of men under age 30 endorsing these ideas.
- Support for white nationalism is stronger in areas with higher poverty and unemployment, and among those experiencing personal hardships like 'deaths of despair,' including suicide and substance abuse, says Vanderbilt University's James Bisbee, an assistant professor of political science.
- The research surveyed nearly 8,000 non-Hispanic white Americans and found support is especially prevalent among people whose closest friends are known primarily online rather than through offline social connections.
- NYU Professor Patrick Egan, the paper's lead author, explains that "young people typically have more liberal views on racial matters, but the opposite is true for white nationalist beliefs among young white men."
- While support for white nationalism is roughly the same as the share of American adults who identify as vegetarian or vegan, researchers note this extremist ideology remains salient in American public life.
46 Articles
46 Articles
The Conversation
White nationalism’s appeal runs deeper than partisan politics
Members of Patriot Front hold flags on the National Mall in Washington on Jan. 23, 2026. AP Photo/Julia Demaree NikhinsonAs Americans prepared to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday on the morning of July 4, sobering images flashed across their phones and TV screens. Hundreds of masked men marched the streets of Washington carrying flags and chanting “Reclaim America!” It soon became clear from the logos on their identical baseball caps that t…
Who Supports White Nationalism?
By James Devitt-NYU From social media to the streets of Washington, DC, the organized white nationalist movement has become more visible in the United States over the past few decades. But the extent of this extremist movement’s appeal to the broader public is less certain. The findings in the journal Nature show that support for white nationalism is higher among young white men than any other group in the white population that the researchers m…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
