Matthew Heimbach was the youthful face of white nationalism — a character just as comfortable kissing the rings of racist right luminaries as he was touting the glories of a white homeland to violent Golden State Skins, or his ideological brethren abroad.

For many, he was indispensable as the racist “alt-right” sought mainstream prominence in the era of President Trump — an era that has seen the ideologies of hate and extremism move swiftly from the margins to the mainstream. But all that changed in March when, confronted with allegations he was having an affair with his mother-in-law, Heimbach attacked his wife and long-time associate Matthew Parrott, with whom he founded the Traditionalist Worker Party (TWP).

The whole thing was a tawdry affair, even for a movement that has been no stranger to scandal. But in the weeks and months that followed, the racist boy wonder who was dubbed “The Little Führer” quickly lost allies and friends. TWP disbanded and Heimbach, once an ever-present fixture at public alt-right events, went into hiding.

Earlier that month Richard Spencer, head of the white nationalist National Policy Institute, visited the Michigan State University campus to deliver a speech — another provocative testament to white nationalism designed to “rustle the jimmies” of liberal students. While attendance was sparse, the scene outside the venue erupted into violent skirmishes.

The violence wasn’t new, and the interest in what Spencer had to say on March 5 was lackluster at best. A week later, Spencer announced he would stop giving speeches altogether.

“They aren’t fun,” Spencer said in a video announcing the cancellations. “Until the situation changes, we are up a creek without a paddle.”

While Spencer was characterizing the state of the racist “alt-right” in the wake of dozens of appearances marked by violence that rocked college campuses nationwide – a dynamic that had been developing for more than a year as anti-fascist protesters and alt-right extremists engaged in violent skirmishes — Spencer’s assessment had far-reaching implications.

In fact, since the fatal “Unite the Right” rally last August — an event organized by white nationalist Jason Kessler — the alt-right has been afflicted with widespread problems. There were financial difficulties as big tech began cracking down on the alt-right’s use of online platforms. Numerous influential figures have abandoned the movement, sometimes after their identities have been revealed through dozens of high-profile doxxings. There have been several arrests stemming from Unite the Right, including those who participated in a brutal attack on Deandre Harris in a parking garage during the rally. Perhaps most damaging, a lawsuit filed against Spencer, Kessler and many others for their roles organizing the rally.

For any observer, the irony is apparent: a rally intended to show the world that white nationalists could unite in the public square now stands as a testament to the violent nature of the alt-right — a movement built on contrarianism and conflict. What’s more, the rally seems to represent a zenith in the rise of the alt-right, and the beginning of a shift.

Not quite two years after declaring victory with the election of President Trump, the original cast of racist extremist characters who were determined to capitalize on the Trump era seem hobbled. But as these racist “alt-right” leaders struggle in the aftermath of “Unite the Right,” other new faces and movements have begun to take shape — and have taken to the streets in Washington and Oregon.

Since early last year, the far-right groups Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys (an SPLC-designated hate group) have held more than a dozen rallies throughout the Pacific Northwest under the banner of “freedom.” These events have always been about exhibiting machismo, but — as political divisions in the country have grown — they’ve developed a more targeted purpose: far-right activists taking out their aggression on political opponents. As Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes once put it, “Fighting solves everything.”



The racist right has struggled to find its way after the violent and deadly rally in Charlottesville. Pictured, from left, Jared Taylor, Richard Spencer and Brad Griffin.

Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson, who is seeking a U.S. Senate seat in Washington state, and his followers claim they are standing up for "conservative speech," which has always translated into a lot of immigrant-bashing, Islamophobia, "constitutionalist" gun nuttery straight from the Bundy Bunch and a heavy dose of Deep State/globalist conspiracy theorizing.

What is clear is that although the battleground and the players may have changed, the radical right still has considerable energy.