Hillary Clinton launched into a new line of attack against Donald Trump on Thursday, accusing him during an address in Reno, Nev., of helping foment racial hatred and refashioning the Republican Party as a welcome home for white nationalists.
Clinton took aim at Trump’s affiliations with the so-called alt-right movement, a loosely organized network of anti-establishment activists on the right that helped fuel the GOP presidential nominee’s rise. The movement includes legions of openly racist and anti-Semitic activists who operate in what Clinton described as the “far dark reaches of the internet.”
“There’s always been a paranoid fringe in our politics, a lot of it arising from racial resentment,” Clinton said. “But it’s never had the nominee of a major party stoking it, encouraging it and giving it a national megaphone until now.”
During his own speech in Manchester, N.H., just before Clinton spoke, Trump accused her of making a desperation play as she seeks to deflect attention from the controversies involving her private email server and questions about whether big donors to the Clinton Foundation got special access to her when she was secretary of state.
“When Democratic policies fail, they are left with only this one tired argument: You’re racist, you’re racist, you’re racist,’’ Trump said. ‘‘Hillary Clinton isn’t just attacking me. She is attacking all of the decent people of all backgrounds who support this incredible, once-in-a-lifetime movement.”
Trump met Thursday morning with participants in a Republican Party initiative meant to train young — and largely minority — campaign volunteers. More than a dozen members of the Republican Leadership Institute were meeting with him at Trump Tower in New York City.
“I’ve always had great relationships with the African-American community,” Trump told the group, which included his former rival Ben Carson and South Carolina Pastor Mark Burns.
Many minority leaders and voters continue to dismiss Trump’s message.
“It’s all about the white vote,” said Kica Matos, director of Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice at Center for Community Change Action, who said minority communities remain unconvinced Trump is trying to appeal to them.
“The GOP presidential candidate has done a remarkable job of making it clear he doesn’t like us,” said Cesar J. Blanco, interim director of the Latino Victory Fund, a PAC that supports candidates aligned with Latino priorities.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.