Overview
- Rob Smith, a black, gay Republican influencer and Army veteran, was allegedly subjected to racist and homophobic slurs at a Republicans for National Renewal event in Phoenix, Arizona.
- Smith shared a video of the incident on social media, where he claimed he was surrounded by 'white supremacists' who hurled slurs at him.
- In an interview with CNN, Smith described the perpetrators as 'soulless dead-eyed white supremacists' and expressed his belief that such individuals have infiltrated conservative organizations.
- Smith chose to de-escalate the situation with humor, despite feeling that the encounter could have turned deadly.
- Smith clarified that he does not believe this hate is widespread among Trump supporters or the Republican Party.