Experts Available:

Carolyn Gallaher is Associate Professor at the School of International Service. She can comment on extremism and the right-wing, and organized violence by non-state actors. Gallaher is the author of On the Fault Line: Race, Class, and the American Patriot Movement, which tracks the identity politics of the Kentucky State Militia as it experienced rapid growth, internal upheaval and decline with the arrest of its commander.

Gallaher says: “Until recently, the political right has been opposed to identity politics. The rise of the alt-right, however, suggests a turning point. Indeed, the movement has embraced the language and tactics of left-oriented identity politics. This shift is fundamental. The militia movement has traditionally been anti-government. However, in the run up to the 2016 election, some militia groups began to actively defend and advocate for Donald Trump. With a man whom they see as a potential ally in the White House, far right groups are suddenly willing to accept federal power.”

Cynthia Miller-Idriss is Associate Professor of Education and Sociology and Director of the International Training and Education Program in AU's School of Education. Miller-Idriss, author of the forthcoming The Extreme Gone Mainstream (Princeton University Press), can comment on extremism, youth radicalization and violence, educational interventions, and the far right-wing. She is the co-principal investigator of a global research network on youth and extremism (funded by the Economic and Social Research Council); co-chair of a European/North American research network on radicalism and violence (hosted by the Council for European Studies); and an expert on far-right wing German youth culture.

Her op-eds on extremism and the spate of hate incidents in the United States have been featured in both The Washington Post and Fortune magazine. From the Fortune op-ed, Miller-Idriss writes: “Americans—and citizens across the world—have been mesmerized by the passionate response of millions protesting U.S. policies and practices legitimizing hate and violence. But what’s missing in the U.S. is a comprehensive approach that can help coordinate and combat radicalization and racist violence. This is a moment for states and local communities to step up.” --AU--American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation’s capital and around the world.