The alt-right’s high school drama reveals a bigger struggle

The alt-right's high school drama reveals a bigger struggle. We're still a hair over three weeks from the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump and the controversial alt-right movement that helped lift him to power is experiencing high school level infighting. Like a Degrassi High storyline, the alt-right is up in arms about who gets to hang out with the cool kids. Specifically, over who gets invited to the DeploraBall, a big to-do playing off Hillary Clinton's "basket of deplorables" comment, which is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2017 to coincide with Trump's inauguration (although it's not an officially sanctioned inauguration event). But beyond the invite drama is a growing struggle over leadership as some attempt to, on the surface, distance the movement from its more nefarious elements. The seeds of disunity The drama surrounds the prominent alt-right Twitter personality "Baked Alaska" (also known as Tim Gionet or Tim Treadstone, but his given name is unclear) and his apparent feuding with other prominent members of the alt-right. Baked Alaska was among several people originally advertised as making an appearance at the DeploraBall before being removed on Monday. Another prominent alt-right leader, Mike Cernovich, a pro-trolling men's rights activist, confirmed that Baked Alaska was no longer part of the DeploraBall, but notorious alt-right raconteur Milo Yiannopoulos would be attending. Baked Alaska is not a member of the Deploraball committee and will not be attending the event. — Mike Cernovich