Exposed: Trump's biggest troll

No Images? Click here         Trump’s Most Influential White Nationalist Troll Is A Middlebury Grad Who Lives In Manhattan Who is Ricky Vaughn? That was one of the big questions for anyone following far-right politics during the 2016 presidential election. The Twitter troll who took his name and avatar from Charlie Sheen’s character in “Major League” was everywhere on social media, an indefatigable circulator of edgy memes and rah-rah Donald Trump boosterism. And anti-Semitism and white nationalism. There was no mistaking Ricky Vaughn’s influence. He had tens of thousands of followers, and his talent for blending far-right propaganda with conservative messages on Twitter made him a key disseminator of extremist views to Republican voters and a central figure in the “alt-right” white supremacist movement that attached itself to Trump’s coattails. The MIT Media Lab named him to its list of top 150 influencers on the election, based on news appearances and social media impact. He finished ahead of NBC News, Drudge Report and Stephen Colbert. Mainstream conservatives didn’t know they were retweeting an avowed racist and anti-Semite, but they liked what Ricky Vaughn had to say. “He did this thing that people connected to organized white nationalism have not been able to do ― walk both sides of the extremist line in the sand,” said Keegan Hankes, a data intelligence expert at the Southern Poverty Law Center. READ MORE     WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING? At least 22 ethical issues are plaguing EPA administrator Scott Pruitt. It’s a lot deeper than his $50-a-night rental from industry lobbyists. READ MORE A Trump devotee charged with a terrorist plot texted an undercover FBI agent about a Muslim "cleanse." Patrick Stein, a Kansas militiaman whom the feds say planned to slaughter Somali refugees, opened up to a man he thought was an arms dealer. READ MORE Everyone got the Pulse massacre story completely wrong. And another, smaller injustice was obscured: the sadistic prosecution of Noor Salman. READ MORE    .     ICYMI The striking teachers' biggest supporters are their own students. As schools close due to walkouts, kids are standing with teachers to demand more school funding.   Black Parkland students want their peers to "share the mic." “It hurts, because they went all the way to Chicago to hear these voices when we’re right here,” one student said.   Trump's trade rhetoric is unhinged, but his tariffs aren't. The president is a bad messenger for a reasonable idea.    . Want more?  Here’s Don Jr. Talking About How It Sucks To Be At The Playboy Mansion With A Pregnant Wife Watch Ted Cruz’s Reaction When Asked To Take A DNA Test To Prove He’s Human Woman Fired After Flipping Off Trump’s Motorcade Sues Former Employer     How will Trump’s administration impact you? Sign up for our email and find out. Did a friend send you this? Subscribe here. Like what you see? Share it. Want more? Here are two other newsletters you'll love: The Morning Email and Must Reads. ©2018 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe    . - - Preferences  |  Unsubscribe