An international neo-Nazi organization is regrouping in the U.S. after President Donald Trump installed a loyalist to oversee federal law enforcement and look away from policing right-wing extremist groups.
The Base has been the focus of an FBI counterterrorism investigation since its founding in 2018, and more than a dozen members have been arrested before the group seemed to disappear by 2022. However, its founder and leader Rinaldo Nazzaro has recruited and reorganized from his home in Russia since before the November election, reported The Guardian.
The publication was tipped to an audio message released earlier this month from the presumed new leader, who called for covert action and low-key preparations by armed cells throughout the U.S. rather than making splashes like protesting against drag-queen story hours.
“Are we just going to be reactionary or are we going to be part of the solution, The military solution,” said the presumed leader, whose identity hasn't been confirmed but speaks in an American accent. “Because inevitably we’re going to end up in some sort of military situation, what are the choices?”
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Nazzaro, a former U.S. special forces contractor, offered $1,200 a month to former military service members to go through paramilitary training in the Pacific northwest, and the new leader envisioned the Base playing a role in what he describes as a "black scenario" where the U.S. government collapses and members would “provide for your family” and for “white women."
“There is no political solution, only a military solution,” that person said with their voice heavily modulated to protect their identity. "So act accordingly.”
Social media accounts associated with the Base show photos of members brandishing military-style rifles and claiming to be across the U.S. and Europe, and the organization released a photo on Inauguration Day showing the largest number of American members in one photo in over a year and also solicited donations to a Bitcoin wallet to distribute weapons and ammunition.
“The Base has released a slow but steady trickle of propaganda over the past several months that has mostly highlighted their presence in Europe, so this shift in focus towards the US should raise alarms,” said Steven Rai, an analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD).
“The timing of this shift is particularly noteworthy – while neo-Nazi accelerationist groups like the Base have been on their back foot due to intense law enforcement pressure, which disrupted their most integral organizers and propaganda artists, they may sense an opening with the recent change of administration in the U.S.," Rai added.
Trump and his FBI pick Kash Patel have promised major reforms of the FBI, including a shift away from domestic terrorism investigations.
Experts believe right-wing extremists sense an opening.
“I think groups like the Base, far-right extremist groups that are strategic, have been waiting for the right opportunity before reinvigorating their respective organizations,” Colin Clarke, a terrorism expert and director of research at the Soufan Center. “This means that far-right extremist groups likely perceive the re-election of Trump as a green light to rebuild without fear of arrest or prosecution.”
