Trump's Proud Boys debate shoutout energized the entire far right. The damage is done.

Corrections & clarifications: An earlier version of this column inaccurately attributed a description of the Proud Boys to the FBI.

Far-right online platforms exploded with gleeful posts, celebratory statements and calls to action Tuesday night after President Donald Trump said “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by,” just before noting that “somebody has got to do something about antifa and the left.” T-shirts displaying a new Proud Boys logo incorporating the slogan were already for sale the next morning.

There is no doubt that the Proud Boys — a far-right group with a history of white nationalist ties and violent confrontations — were invigorated by Trump’s statement. The self-described, men-only “Western chauvinist” group had already been energized by the Trump administration’s attacks on antifa, ramping up street protests in efforts to create a “show of force” in Portland and other cities. Oregon’s governor declared a state of emergency last week ahead of a planned Proud Boys rally in Portland, warning residents of the increased risk of violence.

But it wasn’t only the Proud Boys who were mobilized by Trump’s words. It was the entire far-right spectrum.

Deadly far-right extremism on the rise

The far right is made up of a wide range of disparate groups, including white supremacist extremists and neo-Nazis, right-wing militias, and anti-government seditionists. The groups don’t all agree, and are often at odds. Indeed, the whole point of the 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right Rally was to try to bring together the wide range of fringe groups under a single, more powerful umbrella.

Since then, by every measure we have available, domestic far-right extremism has grown. From record-breaking circulation of white supremacist propaganda to increased terrorist plots foiled by the FBI, far-right extremist acts have risen dramatically. Last year was the deadliest year for domestic extremist violence since 168 people were killed in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

In this light, its important to understand how far-right groups and individuals react to elected officials’ words and statements. During the debate, members of far-right channels online saw Trump’s words to “stand by” as validation, legitimization, and a call to action. “He just defended us,” wrote one person, using the “OK” hand signal emoji that white supremacist extremists use to signal “white power.” Above an image of Trump making the same hand signal, another person wrote “Proud Boys: Standing down and standing by sir.”

From the perspective of the far right, in other words, Trump’s admonition to “stand by” could not have been a clearer call to action.

During the pandemic, with extreme isolation, anxiety and extraordinary amounts of time spent online, we already face a perfect storm for the kinds of conditions that lead to extremist mobilization and spontaneous violence. Empowering any far-right, vigilante or militia group that promotes violence is the opposite of the kind of de-escalation and de-legitimation we need to hear from elected officials and other authorities.

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The words of elected officials matter. Studies have shown that incendiary or hateful rhetoric from politicians both deepens political polarization and increases support for political violence. In Germany, researchers showed that that when politicians use incendiary language, violence increases. But when they use different words, violence drops.

Condemn violence to keep people safe

Since Charlottesville, we have made broad civil society, private sector and government progress to stem rising far-right extremism. Social media companies have banned individuals with ties to far-right extremism. Online payment companies like Visa and Paypal restricted, suspended or banned card payments, reducing extremists’ ability to fundraise on websites. Just Wednesday, the House passed a bill that will require a terrorist threat assessment of foreign violent white supremacist extremist groups.

But these efforts are significantly hampered when political leaders fail to condemn far-right and white supremacist extremists, or at worst, are perceived as legitimizing them.

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President Trump walked back his words Wednesday in a statement to reporters. "I really don’t know who they are," he said. "I can only say they have to stand down, let law enforcement do their work." He did it again on Thursday, telling Fox News' Sean Hannity: "I condemn all white supremacists. I condemn the Proud Boys. I don’t know much about the Proud Boys, almost nothing. But I condemn that."

From the kinds of chatter we saw online Tuesday night, however, it is hard not to think that the damage may already be done.

As we head into the final month of a volatile election, there is nothing more important to the security and safety of local communities than hearing every elected official clearly and unequivocally condemn extremist violence. Anything less puts members of targeted groups — and first responders on the ground — at risk. And that is something that none of us should stand for.

Cynthia Miller-Idriss is an education and sociology professor at American University and runs AU's Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab. Her latest book, "Hate in the Homeland: The New Global Far Right," will be published Oct. 27. Follow her on Twitter: @milleridriss

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump Proud Boys shoutout galvanized far right and the damage is done