Pete Tefft marches in the Charlottesville White Nationalist rally. Credit: unicornriot.ninja
By Hannah Parry
The father of a white nationalist who was caught on camera protesting at the violent Charlottesville rally has publicly disowned his son.
Pearce Tefft, whose youngest son Pete was among a group of white supremacists who marched in Virginia on Saturday, says his son is no longer welcome at family gatherings unless he changes his beliefs, according to Daily Mail.
"I, along with all of his siblings and his entire family, wish to loudly repudiate my son's vile, hateful, and racist rhetoric and actions," Tefft, of Fargo, North Dakota, wrote in an open letter to the Inforum.
Pearce Tefftthe father of white nationalist Pete Tefft who was caught on camera protesting at the violent Charlottesville rally has publicly disowned his son. Photo / Pearce Tefft Facebook
"I have shared my home and hearth with friends and acquaintances of every race, gender, and creed. I have taught all of my children that all men and women are created equal. That we must love each other all the same,' he continued. However, he acknowledged, that Peter "chose another path".
Pearce Tefft, who is in is 60s, insists he doesn't know where his son picked up his extremist beliefs.
While he was reluctant to speak out about his own son, Tefft acknowledged: "It was the silence of good people that allowed the Nazis to flourish the first time around, and it is the silence of good people that is allowing them to flourish now.
"My son is not welcome at our family gatherings any longer. I pray my prodigal son will renounce his hateful beliefs and return home.
"He once joked, 'The thing about us fascists is, it's not that we don't believe in freedom of speech. You can say whatever you want. We'll just throw you in an oven.'
Tefft posted a picture of himself with a statue of Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville. Photo / Pete Tefft Facebook
"Peter, you will have to shovel our bodies into the oven, too. Please son, renounce the hate, accept and love all."
He also urged people not to harass other members of the Tefft family who reject Pete's hateful rhetoric.
Pearce Tefft isn't the only family member to speak out about Pete's nationalism.
His niece Jo, who described Pete as "my Nazi uncle", tweeted: "Pete Tefft literally had a psychotic break while high on acid and turned into a Nazi one day. That's it. That's the story."
Pete Tefft literally had a psychotic break while high on acid and turned into a Nazi one day. That's it. That's the story.
Pete's nephew Jacob Scott also denounced him, telling WDAY 6 that the whole family, who he described as "bleeding heart liberals" were horrified by Tefft who had made threats against his own family.
"Peter is a maniac, who has turned away from all of us and gone down some insane internet rabbit-hole, and turned into a crazy Nazi. He scares us all, we don't feel safe around him, and we don't know how he came to be this way. My grandfather feels especially grieved, as though he has failed as a father."
The younger Tefft, who is listed as owning a drywall business in Fargo called Dodeca Drywall, was photographed at the Charlottesville rally which swiftly turned violent on Saturday. One woman was killed at the event after a white supremacist ploughed his car into the crowd, also injuring 19.
White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville. Photo / AP
Tefft previously admitted he was "100 per cent pro-white" after posters were plastered around his home town, naming him as a Nazi.
The posters were displayed in January after an activist noticed Tefft's extreme political views online, including a Tinder account that reads "We must secure the existence for our people and a future for white children".
Tefft, who was reportedly married but lists himself as single on Facebook, told the Inforum his post reflected his desire for a white wife and children.
White nationalist demonstrators clash with a counter demonstrator as he throws a newspaper box at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville. Photo / AP
"I'm a white Christian and 100 per cent pro-white. 'White Supremacist' is a word used to intimidate Christians and to stifle discord when all of us should be communicating," Tefft said.
"I'm interested solely in legal political action to further pro-white interests. We as white people have a right to exist, our own identity, and a right to campaign politically and legally for our own interests," Tefft said via email, adding he plans to respond to the posters by starting a newspaper or newsletter with the help of "many associates".
