It’s no secret that racism is alive and well in the U.S., but as far-right and white supremacist movements continue to surge in 2026, a disturbing new sentiment is catching fire. We are witnessing a rise in extremist rhetoric from the very people and groups you would least expect to be spewing it.
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While the typical face of supremacy is well-known, there is a growing, complex wave of leaders, commentators, and politicians who have been accused of racism—even though they look just like us. From Black and Latino leaders to figures with long-hidden ancestral ties to the communities they now target, these 15 people have sparked outrage for views and policies that many call a betrayal. Whether it’s a Supreme Court Justice or a “playground Karen” backed by MAGA, these individuals prove that in this era, the most dangerous rhetoric sometimes comes from the most unexpected places.
Aside from modern day characters, we will also look back at figures like founding FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who spent his career enforcing systemic racism while reportedly harboring his own hidden African ancestry
Nury Martinez
Former President of the Los Angeles City Council, Nury Martinez, resigned back in 2022, days after a recording leaked of her making racist remarks targeting then-council member Mike Bonin. According to the Guardian, Martinez referred to Bonin, who is a white man, as a “little b***h” before turning her attacks to his Black son. She reportedly said the child was “parece changuito–” loosely translated to “looking like a monkey.”
Martinez denied being a racist, according to NBC News. Still, Mayor Karen Bass and billionaire real estate developer and former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso both condemned her comments.
Black Pastor Threatens ICE Against Hispanic Woman
A pastor in San Diego faced massive scrutiny after he reportedly threatened to call ICE on a Hispanic woman over a parking spot. According to Newsweek, the New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church pastor was allegedly caught on video arguing with the woman he accused of blocking the road by the church.
“She may have paid for it– let ICE, call ICE on them,” the pastor told another man.
“Call ICE?” the woman responds. “Ok, call ICE, I have papers.” Since the Nov. 30 incident, New Shiloh Missionary Baptist has been flooded with negative online reviews.
Clarence Thomas
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ seemingly racist views date all the way back to the ’80s, CNN reported. That’s when he criticized his own sister for benefiting from welfare. “She gets mad when the mailman is late with her welfare check,” Thomas said. “What’s worse is that now her kids feel entitled to the check, too. They have no motivation for doing better or getting out of that situation.”
Thomas, a Black man, has also repeatedly moved to do away with affirmative action and other civil rights protections that will impact the Black community, moves which many Black folks, like sports commentator Stephen A. Smith, have deemed anti-Black.
J. Edgar Hoover
Aside from modern-day figures, we looked back at figures like founding FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who spent his career enforcing systemic racism while reportedly harboring his own hidden African ancestry, which has been widely investigated. Hoover was reportedly a known racist, but considering that he had African ancestry, his discomfort with Black people seems a bit misplaced. “He did all that he could to put up the charade that he wasn’t racist,” wrote Lerone Martin in his 2023 book, “The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover: How the FBI Aided and Abetted the Rise of White Christian Nationalism.”
According to him, Hoover “never saw African Americans as being full citizens” and “was certainly a white supremacist and a racist.”
Karen Siblings Get Their Karma
We previously told you John Chong Uk Moon and Cindy Kim were caught on camera spewing racist slurs and harassing a couple while dining at Panera Bread. “What are you looking at, n****r?” Moon asked the woman recording him. Moon’s sister, Kim, also jumped in telling the victims, “Don’t be a n****r, don’t act n****rly.’”
But karma acted quickly, because after the shocking video went viral, investigators were able to connect the Karen siblings to an unsolved murder. Cuauhtemoc Garcia, a 66-year-old man, was shot and killed back in February. Moon and Kim have since been charged and arrested for the tragic killing.
Mark Robinson
Former N.C. Lieutenant Gov. Mark Robinson is no stranger to controversy, as the MAGA-backed politician is notorious for what many call his divisive and borderline offensive political rhetoric. In 2012, Robinson said he’d “take Hitler over any of the sh*t that’s in Washington right now!”
At the time, he was talking about then-President Barack Obama, a fellow Black man. Of the many racially motivated comments made by Robinson, perhaps the most shocking came after CNN exposed him for allegedly having a secret account on a pornography website. According to CNN, Robinson called himself a “black NAZI” on the adult site… among other things.
Diana Harshbarger
Texas Rep. Al Green made headlines in February when he interrupted Trump’s first joint address to Congress, as The Root previously reported. Tenn. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, who was in the Capitol when it happened, later took to the Christian “F.A.M.E. Ministries” podcast with a few fiery words.
“I wanted to go over there and grab a few of ‘em,” Harshbarger said of Democrats present for Green’s demonstration. She added, “Al Green was over here with his cane, and I’m like, ‘Gosh dang it, boy,’ ” she shockingly said. But if the “boy” comment– reminiscent of the Jim Crow era– wasn’t offensive enough, Harshbarger fueled her own flames with the suggestion that Green’s cane is fake. “He does not need that cane. That cane is a prop,” she alleged. “I swear it’s not real.”
Stephen Miller
Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller was raised Jewish, yet many of his views reportedly align more with the far-right and antisemitism. We previously told you he reportedly inspired Trump’s deportation mandate in his second term. But beyond that, he became a driving force behind Trump’s Muslim ban, southern border wall and family separation plan, according to The Guardian.
In 2019, he was reportedly exposed for allegedly endorsing white nationalist publications but was never held accountable.
Rebecca Latimer Felton
As the first ever female senator in the U.S., Rebecca Latimer Felton was in a unique position in 1922. The Roaring ’20s came at the end of the women’s suffrage movement, which Felton was an advocate for… but not as it related to Black people.
In fact, she was a proud racist, according to Smithsonian Magazine, who even advocated for the lynching of Black men accused of raping white women, “a thousand times a week if necessary.”
Dinesh D’Souza
Dinesh D’Souza is a far-right conspiracy theorist reportedly known for his racist views, despite being an Indian immigrant himself. In his 1995 book, “The End of Racism,” D’Souza argued that racism in America is over and, consequently, Black people and other minorities need to just get over it. He also faced criticism after tweeting racist remarks about former President Barack Obama.
Candace Owens
Folks are constantly calling out conservative podcaster Candace Owens for spewing outrageous and often offensive comments. Owens once attacked Ga. District Attorney Fani Willis, calling her a “ghetto superstar.” Additionally, Owens said “Love & Hip Hop,” a Black-led reality show that debuted on VH1 in 2011, should give her and special prosecutor Nathan Wade a call before mocking Willis’ use of ebonics.
Even in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, Owens became an avid critic of the late-Black father. She even blamed him for his own killing. Since her insensitive comments, Floyd’s family expressed plans to sue in response.
Laura Loomer
Far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer has repeatedly been accused of racism in light of her deep ties to MAGA. We told you back in September that Loomer, a Jewish woman, came for Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett after the congresswoman called out white Democrats, who voted to honor far-right conservative Charlie Kirk.
On X, Loomer called Crockett a “ghetto black b*tch.” Loomer has since deleted her post.
Shiloh Hendrix
After being caught on video spewing slurs at a young Black boy, a white woman named Shiloh Hendrix became known as the “playground Karen.” In the viral video stemming from an April 2025 incident, a man confronts Hendrix for calling the child the N-word.
Immediately afterwards, MAGA supporters rallied behind her and even raised thousands of dollars to help mitigate backlash and accusations of racism coming her way. According to KTTC, Minnesota prosecutors have since charged Hendrix with two counts of misdemeanor disorderly conduct. We told you each count against her carries a maximum penalty of three months behind bars and a $1,000 fine.
Hendrix’s defense attorney, Brian Karalus, argued that her actions, although offensive, didn’t spark any violence. “If she used a different language that was equally as offensive but not a racial slur, they wouldn’t be prosecuting her,” he said.
Marjorie Taylor Greene
Ga. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has been accused of racism several times throughout her career, as POLITICO reported. Most notably, she claimed Black people “are held slaves to the Democratic Party,” adding that, “Slavery is over. Black people have equal rights.”
She admitted to being “proud” to see a Confederate monument if she were Black. And who could forget her racially charged spat with Rep. Jasmine Crockett during a House meeting in May?
Of course, this was all before Greene had a change of heart and turned against President Donald Trump and MAGA. Still, Black folks haven’t forgotten about her dark past.
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