Clinton sees Trump ties to 'alt-right' dystopian ideology

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Clinton is ready to call out Donald Trump and his advisers for embracing a "disturbing alt-right" political philosophy that her campaign says presents "a divisive and dystopian view of America."

Trump's campaign counters that the GOP presidential nominee has never used the term "alt-right" and disavows "any groups or individuals associated with a message of hate."

Since the term is new to many in the United States, here's a look at its meaning, its origins, its adherents and how it intersects with the 2016 presidential campaign:

In an interview with The Associated Press at the Republican National Convention last month, Spencer advocated removing blacks, Hispanics and Jews from the U.S. He spoke admiringly of Trump, saying, "I don't think people have fully recognized the degree to which he's transformed the party."

Kevin MacDonald, a former psychology professor at California State University Long Beach and an alt-right thinker, said in an interview this week that "white people in America are becoming a minority that is increasingly being victimized, and there's a cost to multiculturalism and immigration."

Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said in a statement: "Mr. Trump has never used or condoned that term and continues to disavow any groups or individuals associated with a message of hate."

Trump's "America first" campaign pitch has attracted many on the alt-right, drawn in particular to his pledges to deport the estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally and to temporarily bar foreign Muslims from the U.S. Trump has since softened his tone, raising questions about whether he'll backtrack on mass deportations.

Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, faulted Clinton for trying to tie Trump to racists, calling it "a tired old tactic from the past" and comparing it to her claim decades ago that her husband was the target of a "vast right-wing conspiracy."