Former WSU college Republicans president joins group labeled by some as hate group

SPOKANE, Wash. – The former president of the College Republicans at Washington State University, James Allsup, has taken an active membership within “Identity Evropa,” a group labeled by some as being white nationalists.

The announcement about his joining appeared on some flyers posted around Spokane recently. Allsup has said he took part in that. Organization leaders said they are not supremacists, but some national organizations have labeled them as a hate group.

If you look at Identity Evropa’s website you’ll see a banner that says, “America First. End Immigration.” Allsup said he took part in hanging a similar banner in Spokane.

He was recently elected as a GOP official, but he still has to be confirmed by the executive committee the Whitman County GOP.

On the group’s official podcast this weekend he said, “The banner was, I believe, the 'No sanctuary, build the wall' banner. Which is a very popular sentiment up here."

In that podcast, Allsup discussed posting these flyers around Spokane and feeding the homeless. He also commented on refugees being resettled in Spokane.

"This is not exactly – especially in the months September through March – it's very cold. It's not exactly conducive to people who are coming from Africa or other places in the third world. So, one has to ask the question, 'why?' Why are they doing this? Why are they bringing these people up here," he said in an Identitarian Action podcast.

On its website, Identity Europa calls itself an "American Identitarian" organization with an objective to create a better world for people of European heritage. They said they are non-violent and reject what they call a "progressive morality" of diversity. However, they have been labeled as a white supremacist hate group by others. Namely, the anti-defamation league and the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit legal organization that tracks hate groups. The SPLC calls Identity Europa at the forefront to "recruit white, college aged men and transform them into the fashionable new face of white nationalism."

Allsup has not responded to KREM 2's request for comment. His actions have been denounced by both the Spokane County GOP and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers.