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By Katya Schwenk | Phoenix New Times
When Joe Arpaio took the stage at the America First Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, he told the crowd that he was often called the “biggest racist in the country.”
The crowd of hundreds erupted in applause and cheered loudly.
Arpaio appeared taken aback by the clamoring response.
“What are you clapping for?” he asked the crowd. “That I am [the biggest racist] or that I’m not?”
He might have anticipated such a reaction at AFPAC, an annual conference founded by pundit Nick Fuentes, frequently described by news outlets as a white nationalist.
For the last three years, the conference has been a hub for extremists, white supremacists, and followers of Fuentes, who are often called “groypers.” The word was first used online to refer to an iteration of “Pepe the Frog,” an internet meme co-opted by the alt-right.
Now, Sheriff Joe is among their ranks.
