Deep Background: From militia to sovereign citizens to alt-right

In the kindest reading, they’re independent thinkers who’ve rejected mainstream interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, international law and even scripture.

More critically, they’re racists driven by crackpot theories that lead to violence.

For years, Star reporter Judy L. Thomas has documented the ups, downs and shifts in the militia, Freemen and sovereign citizen movements — and their sporadic links to domestic terrorism. Now Steve Bannon, who gave a stage for the alt-right and its white nationalist brethren at Breitbart.com, is chief strategist to President Donald Trump as the various anti-government movements that have existed for years move to a new realm.

In the latest “Deep Background” podcast, Thomas talks about covering people who usually circulate beyond the view of mainstream politics.

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