Leader of the alt-right movement Richard Spencer said he is "disappointed" Donald Trump has disavowed the movement, telling The Associated Press he understands why the president-elect made the statement "politically and practically."
Spencer leads the National Policy Institute which describes itself as "an independent organization dedicated to the heritage, identity, and future of people of European descent in the United States, and around the world."
According to CNN, Trump made the comments about the movement in an interview with New York Times reporters and columnists.
"I don't want to energize the group, and I disavow the group," Trump said. "It's not a group I want to energize, and if they are energized, I want to look into it and find out why."
Trump made the statement after Spencer on Sunday night delivered a racist and anti-Semitic address to a gathering of the National Policy Institute's members, in which he declared, "Hail Trump! Hail our people! Hail victory," according to The New York Times.
The Guardian reports that alt-right supporters also expressed their dismay at Trump's comments in Reddit forums for the movement, with one user saying, "Anyone here feeling bamboozled by the Donald?"
GOP Rep. Sean Duffy of Wisconsin on Tuesday condemned the National Policy Institute's actions, calling them "a horrible group — and I don't share the values or the viewpoint."
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