Militias and White Nationalists, Possible Post-Election Violence
2,717 views · Published 4 November 2016 · 3:10 · Indexed 19 October 2026
Channel: Vanderbilt University · 2016 · Education
Cooter can discuss why some militia and white nationalist extremists may react violently if Donald Trump loses the presidential election, particularly in light of the recent acquittal of the Bundy gang for their armed occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge.
A sociologist who has conducted in-person interviews within the Michigan Militia as part of her extensive fieldwork, Cooter is one of a few academics who have studied the paramilitary organizations through direct observation.
The Bundy acquittal “sets both a legal and psychological precedent for these kinds of demonstrations,” Cooter says. “I would not at all be surprised to see groups like this organize, take action and maybe even erupt violently in the future.” The members of these groups feel a strong affinity for Trump and endorses many of the same grievances he raises during his rallies.
Even if he unequivocally concedes the election, she says, many may view it as a confirmation that the system is rigged—and potentially even view it as a call to arms. Cooter has published articles on militias, neo-Nazi activity and extremism in Studies in Ethnicity and Nationality and Sociological Inquiry, written a guest post about her experience with militias in Michigan for the Maddow Blog and has been interviewed by national media.
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