UPDATED: RI Radio Host Declares Himself a "White Nationalist" on WNRI

Rhode Island radio show host John Dionne — the former President of the Woonsocket City Council — declared himself “white nationalist” on air this week on WNRI. 

WNRI, which calls itself “The Voice of Blackstone Valley Since 1954,” also includes John DePetro as a midday radio host. 

In a clip of the show posted to YouTube, Dionne says the following while discussing the second anniversary of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville that saw protester Heather Hyers killed.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

“Well, I would consider myself a white nationalist. I consider white nationalist as somebody that’s proud of being American, proud of our country’s heritage,” said Dionne. “That’s what a nationalist is. Proud of America.”

The two-minute clip of Dionne’s show — which runs weekdays from 2 to 4 p.m., following Depetro was posted to YouTube on Monday by Amanda Marie, who wrote the following:

This is acceptable? Definition Ex: White nationalist groups espouse white supremacist or white separatist ideologies, often focusing on the alleged inferiority of nonwhites. Groups listed in a variety of other categories - Ku Klux Klan, neo-Confederate, neo-Nazi, racist skinhead, and Christian Identity - could also be fairly described as a white nationalist.

Steve Ahlquist with UpriseRI was first to report the story. 

Roger Bouchard, General Manager of the station has refused to respond to questions about Dionne's comments.

Dionne’s Comments

The two-minute clip starts with Dionne saying the following

“I think on Charlottesville….what happened was, I can see, if you’re reading many of the comments, like at the end, there are some people yelling, chanting, ‘The Jews won’t replace us,'" said Dionne. 

"You know, the problem you have with something like this is, let’s suppose I went to that rally, okay? And whatever side — I clearly would not want to take down Robert E Lee‘s statue. Whether I’d fight about, I certainly would not," Dionne continued.

"But if I’m standing there...with my wife or I’m standing there with you, okay, and somebody next to us starts chanting that or says that, it doesn’t mean that we agree with the person, because we happen to be in the same group. We’re all there for different certain reasons. That’s wrong, okay? And I think that the President was trying to say, okay?” said Dionne. 

Then Dionne says based on what he believes is the definition — that he is a white nationalist. 

"In the article, they called them white nationalists. Well, I would consider myself white nationalist," said Dionne. "I consider white nationalist as somebody that’s proud of being American, proud of our country’s heritage. That’s what a nationalist is. Proud of America.”

Station managers at WNRI have also not responded to request for comment. 

429 Too Many Requests

---

openresty