The far-right group the Proud Boys celebrated Tuesday night after President Trump refused to denounce white supremacy and mentioned them during the first presidential debate.
When asked by debate moderator Chris Wallace if he’d denounce the violence from white supremacist groups, Trump replied: “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left.”
The Proud Boys immediately shared a new logo online that included the phrase “stand back and stand by.”
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden responded on Twitter, sharing an image of Proud Boys praising the president’s remarks as well with the caption: “This. This is Donald Trump’s America.”
The Proud Boys, which has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, describe themselves as “a pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists.”
They have been tied to violent protests and are known to show up to counter anti-Trump protests with their own demonstrations.