this is "nightline." >> tonight. >> i'm a proud western chauvinist. >> the self-proclaimed fraternity of proud boys believe that west is best. >> i believe that 95% of women would be happier at home. >> abc's paula fairer sits down with their founder on the controversy, the violence sometimes in their wake, and why he says the group is just misunderstood. plus, furry fame. the animals with celeb status from the buff kangaroo who took the internet and his keepers by storm to the cuddly creatures grazing social feeds, how these wildly famous animals are getting more than just followers. but first, the "nightline" five.

good evening, and thank you for joining us. tonight, we begin with the proud boys, the group making headlines for their controversial beliefs about the supremacy of western culture and the role women should play in our society. called extremists by many, they say they're simply telling it

like it is. abc's paula ferris with the founder and sometime provocateur. >> reporter: a pledge of allegiance. >> i'm a proud western chauvinist. >> reporter: devotion to a common cause. >> i refuse to apologize for creating the western world. >> reporter: and then a bizarre rite of passage. >> cheerios, frosted flakes, cocoa puffs. >> reporter: these initiation ceremonies are played out across the world as men join the ranks of a controversial self-described fraternity called the proud boys. >> proud of your boy. >> reporter: their rallying cry is what they call western chauvinism. >> proud of your boys. >> reporter: their founder is gavin mcginnis, known for what some call incendiary claims like

these from his rebel media show. >> be dubious of muslims. if you see something, say something. the data says that women have become less happy since feminism. okay? and i blame them being ripped out of the kitchen. >> reporter: in the two years since the proud boys founding, fair or not, violence has seemed to follow in their wake. in portland. seattle. and just recently, in new york where after a speech mcginnis gave at the metropolitan republican club, this violent confrontation broke out. the proud boys claim they were attacked by the anti-fascist group antifa but now time. leading mcginnis to make an unofficial announcement. >> i'm officially dissociating myself from the proud boys in all capacities forever. i quit. i'm told by my legal team and law enforcement that this gesture could help alleviate their sentencing. we are not an extremist group

and we do not have ties with white nationalists. >> reporter: are you proud of the proud boys? >> yes. >> reporter: unapologetic, unabashed, mcginnis agreed to sit down with us. >> thanks for having me. >> reporter: you said this a speech last year after a clash with antifa, violence doesn't feel good, justified violence feels great are you inciting violence? >> no. justified violence is protecting some woman who is getting beaten up. >> reporter: but you've also said, "i want violence. i want punching in the face." >> i think the proud boys do enjoy a good brawl. >> reporter: yes or no, are the proud boys racists? >> no. >> misogynists? >> no. >> reporter: is the proud boys a hate group? >> no. >> reporter: hipster nazis? >> no. >> reporter: extremists? >> no. >> reporter: so what do you guys do? you just get together and you drink? >> 99% is meeting in a bar once a month and drinking beer just like everyone else. >> reporter: what's the other 1%? >> escorting conservative

speakers to and from their cars or wherever they're going. >> reporter: a conservative media personality himself, mcinnes formerly of vice media founded the group in 2016. >> i got it. we are called the proud boys. the ten ways to save america. abolish prison. give everyone a gun. >> reporter: he has used his own show to spread the proud boys manifesto. >> outlaw censorship. venerate the housewife. i believe that 95% of women would be happier at home. >> reporter: do you understand how some could interpret that to be misogyny? >> yes. radical hate group, i mean, that's nuts. >> reporter: at the heart of the proud boys is the belief the west is the best. >> russia sucks. china sucks. the middle east is not my cup of tea. i don't have -- i think it's inarguable that the west is superior. the west is built on liberty and meritocracy and busting your

ass. >> reporter: how do you see yourself? >> i'm just a, i guess you could say, provocateur, but i do satirical commentary. i talk about the news. i make jokes. >> reporter: but some believes he uses jokes as a cover for dangerous ideas. citing appearances like this on the joe rogan experience. >> mexico sucks because of mexicans. what have they contributed to society in the past hundred years? >> tacos. >> reporter: you've said things like mexico sucks because of mexicans. >> that was -- we were sitting around talking and someone was bitching about how america and their foreign policy and it's ruined all these countries, it's ruined mexico and i said, america did not ruin mexico. mexico -- mexicans are responsible for mexico. mexicans ruined mexico. that's the tone there. but when it's taken out of context, it sounds like some sort of reverend of hate. this started as a joke. >> reporter: mcinnes claims the proud boys were meant to be nothing more than a benign gathering of politically incorrect conservative men full of sophomoric antics and a lot of beer drinking.

amidst the controversy, mcinnes claims that the movement has grown to more than 10,000 strong worldwide. >> best group that i've ever been a part of. >> reporter: their monthly meetings are closed to the public and women are definitely not allowed but a select group of them agreed to meet us at a bar in new york. >> what do you stand for? what do you stand against? >> we stand against white power, for sure. >> yeah. that's racist. i hate the -- i think the fact that we're here. a black nazi is, like, i don't know. a meat-eating vegan. >> reporter: finish the sentence. the proud boys is -- >> it's an organization that does not care who you sleep with, what god you pray to, all we care is that you have a good time, that you improve yourself. >> we are the most misunderstood group in america. like first it's like, far right group, then it's like far right hate group, far right white supremacist group, far right gang. >> reporter: but the proud boys have been photographed displaying what is perceived by some as the white power hand

symbol. they say it's just a joke, created by the online forum, 4 chan, designed to rile up the left. do you understand that you can't say on one hand, we're misunderstood and on the other hand, flash what a lot of people believe to be a white power hand symbol. do you understand that? >> yes. i'll give you that bone and if i was their boss, i would say, guys, this is causing too much trouble, please stop doing it in photos. >> reporter: but at least one former member says that there is something more insidious taking over the proud boys. >> as soon as i saw what the trajectory was, i had that kind of gut feeling and i started moving myself away. >> reporter: dante is a comedian and relationship guru who has made appearances on mcinnes' show. he's been referred to as the proud boys pope but turned his back on the movement, saying that what happened at the infamous unite the right rally in charlottesville is a cautionary tale. >> and across the country tonight, an outpouring of support for the victims caught in the chaos in charlottesville.

>> reporter: before that notorious mo notorious march, the organizer had appeared on mcinnes see show. he's also reported to have attended proud boys meetings in virginia. >> everybody is not perpetuating violence but the complicitness in knowing this violence is going on, the kplcomplicitness the fact that you're not checking people with racist and violent tendencies makes you part of the problem. so, does the proud boys solely responsible for charlottesville? absolutely not. i mean, there are members who just, i'm quite sure, there are members who just joined because their friend was in it. >> reporter: you think some bad eggs have ruined it a little bit? >> the philosophy emboldens that. it makes a safe haven for those kind of racist ideas. nnes s he quickly disavowed any proud boys that were associated with the

events in charlottesville. >> if anyone showed up at unite the right, they were instantly booted and i made that clear months before. >> reporter: but after his departure, the proud boys elected as its chairman a member named enrique who was a participant of that charlottesville rally, though he told our miami affiliate he had misgivings about the torchlight march. did you participate in that? >> no, i differently didn't. after i heard the tiki torch thing, i decided completely against it. >> reporter: do you think white supremacy exists in the u.s.? ? i not to any measurable degree. >> reporter: what about richard spencer? what about david duke? >> everyone always says those two. >> reporter: and the kkk. >> everyone says those two guys and the kkk, let's get them all together. you're lucky if they fill up a living room. >> i believe that's a federal offense. >> reporter: his wife, who has asked not to be shown on camera due to safety concerns, says it's a relief to no longer have her husband be part of this controversial group. >> this is impeding on the peace

for my opportunity to raise my kids. >> it's my fault. >> it's your fault. well, no. >> i'm not being sarcastic. >> i was raised in a liberal household. i'm a die hard democrat and so your politics having evolved this way in the last few years has been a challenge. but i respect anyone's right to have their opinion. >> reporter: meantime, his account was suspended from twitter in august, banned from facebook in october, and yesterday, terminated from youtube. he was also ousted from blaze tv after less than a week at the conservative network. he responded in a statement by saying he was the victim of lies and propaganda, adding, naut of platforms and able to d. you do have a large mega phone and a large platform. do you bear any responsibility? >> yes, i do bear any responsibility. i mean, i'm not guilt free in this. there's culpability there. i shouldn't have said, you know, violence solves everything or something like that without making the context clear.

and i regret saying things like that. >> reporter: are you apologizing? >> no. >> reporter: would you take any of it back? >> that's a good question. yes. i guess -- well, i don't know. no. that ship has sailed. >> our thanks to paula. turning to a softer subject here, the animals that have captivated the world, how these internet sensations inspire. ji'e room smelling like sweaty odors. yup, he's gone noseblind. he thinks it smells fine, but his mom smells this... -twash fabcs. ...there's febreze fabric refresher. febreze doesn't just mask, it eliminates odors you've... ...gone noseblind to. and try febreze unstopables for fabric. with up to twice the fresh scent power, you'll want to try it... ...again and again and maybe just one more time. indulge in irresistible freshness. febreze unstopables. breathe happy.

ultimate feast time it'sat red lobster.r own pick four of ten favorites to create the ultimate feast you've been dreaming of. like lobster mac & cheese. or tender snow crab. so hurry in before new create your own ultimate feast ends. with the roomba robot vacuum. only roomba uses 2 multi-surface rubber brushes to clean all your floors. and with patented dirt detect technology, roomba finds dirt throughout your home. if it's not from irobot, it's not a roomba. ♪ little girl and boy land ♪ while you dwell within it ♪ you are ever happy there

daddy, it's christmas! ♪ childhoods, joyland never let go of your dreams. the mercedes-benz winter event is back. lease the glc 300 for $459 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. how's your cough? i'm good. i took 12-hour mucinex and sent it far away. hey buddy, have you seen a nice woman with a cough? woahhh! mucinex dm releases fast and lasts 12-hours, not 4. send coughs far away all day.

connecting people... ...uniting the world. ♪♪

now the animals becoming household names for the their triumphs. these critters turned into internet marvels, gained fame that in turn gives back to their sanctuaries and zoos they call home. here's abc's will reed. >> this is my little boy, roger. hey, roger, you're on tv tonight. >> reporter: his physique was astonishing, bulging shoulders, ripped arms and shredded abs. he towered at 6'7" on his hind legs and weighed nearly 200 pounds. this 2015 photo of him crushing a metal can went viral, making him famous around the world as he leapt to stardom. but just days ago, roger the red kangaroo died of old age at the kangaroo sanctuary in australia where he spent most of his life. he was 12 years old. in a tweet, australia's official tourism account called the beloved kangaroo a true icon.

>> it's a very sad day here today. for we have lost our beautiful boy, roger. >> reporter: chris barnes, the founder of the refuge, posting this heartfelt message to facebook. >> roger grew up to be a kangaroo that people from all over the world have grown to love. >> reporter: in 2006, barnes found roger in his mother's pouch, alive but orphaned after a car had struck and killed her. we spoke to barnes about that moment over facetime. >> there's a real cute little baby, a little joey, and like all our joeys, we carry them around in a little pillow case. >> reporter: inspired, barnes created a safe haven for kangaroos in australia's northern territory, seen in the national geographic wild series, kangaroo dundee. he would grow to the sanctuary's alpha male. >> he had a har em of

and when they've got that harem, they want to defend them from everyone. >> reporter: barnes and roger had a turbulent relationship. >> i was roger's mom. and that's why he's got no fear of people. >> reporter: barnes playing the role of the parent at times had to lock roger in a pen to keep him away from other roger, the temperamental son sometimes let his brute strength and alpha aggression get the best of him. >> i was out in the sanctuary and my old mate, roger, clocked eyes on me and he wanted a piece of me. there's no doubt about that. so i bolted. i was running faster than usain bolt and he was right behind me and i turned around, trying to catch a sight of roger, where he was, and at that time, i fell over a termite mound hidden in the grass, and straight away, i

knew i had done some damage. >> reporter: but that didn't stop roger from being adored and ogled by fans across the world online and in person. the sanctuary attracting visitors from around the world, a sign experts say brings awareness to conservation efforts. >> so i think when you have these animals that become these social media giants, people can relate to them. >> reporter: when roger and his biceps burst into the public eye, he joined a long list of internet famous animals who bring attention to good causes and in some cases make big money. like bebe, the famous panda cub born in 2015 at the national zoo in washington, d.c. having the pandas there at the zoo are a huge draw. it drives the gate. the smithsonian does a tremendous amount of research working with pandas, knowledge that we can apply to protecting thowledghe>> reporter: and in a 2017, millions of americans were glued to a live stream waiting

anxiously for april the giraffe to give birth. cincinnati has tho fiona the hippo. fiona first gained popularity in the womb. she was the first nile hippo to be born in the zoo in 75 years. when she made her debut six weeks prematurely. >> her lungs weren't strong enough and neither was her overall muscle control. >> reporter: the zoo documented her struggle to survive on facebook as the world watched her learn to stand. >> big girl. >> reporter: swim, even take her first step. >> there you are. let's put her back. >> when people care about an animal, tugs at their heart strings so they've give money to these organizations that are doing work to preserve those animals. >> roger's favorite food in the whole world. >> reporter: back in australia, roger spent his final years in a more mellow state. >> roger and i were best mates. we used to lie down out in the

grass together and his aggressive days were over because he was getting older and older. >> reporter: relinquishing the alpha role to his son where the legacy of the muscle bound kangaroo will live on. >> you're such a beautiful old boy, roger. and next, one grandma's fearless flight for a good cause. i'm at this wing joint telling people that geico has been offering savings for over 75 years. that's longer than the buffalo wing's been around. dozen wings. and did you know that geico... (lips smacking) offers mo... (coughing) motorcycle insurance? ho-ho... my lips are burning. (laughs) ah... no, my lips are actually burning. geico. over 75 years of savings and service. see how much you could save at geico.com. it's too hot. oh, this is too hot, mate. it's too hot.

i'm missing out on our family outings because i can't find a bladder leakage product that fits. everything was too loose. but depend® fit-flex feels tailored to me. with a range of sizes for all body types. depend® fit-flex underwear is guaranteed to be your best fit. the cold and flu fightings. machine. you put in your machine. press the button to brew up powerful relief. to defeat your toughest cold and flu symptoms fast. new theraflu powerpods. press. sip. relief.

whoa! the mercedes-benz winter event is back, and you won't want to stop for anything else. lease the gla 250 for $359 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. sfx: tsfx: feet shufflingc life can change in an instant. be covered when it does... and all of ...with a healthour plans th include free preventive care. financial help is available, so check for yourself to see what savings you qualify for. for health insurance starting january 1st, enroll by december 15th.

because you never know when life... ...will change. get covered today.

and finally tonight, one big leap of faith. 102-year-old irene becoming the oldest sky diver in the world. she takes the 14,000 foot plunge in honor of her late daughter who died from motor neuron disease ten years ago. the australian resident's big jump raises money to research the disease. she first went sky diving two years ago for her hundredth birthday and has continued the tradition since. good for her. age is truly just a number. thank you for watching

"nightline" and when you're off on your big adventures and you can't be with us, you can always catch our full episodes on hulu. thanks for the company, america. good night. whoa! the mercedes-benz winter event is back, and you won't want to stop for anything else.

lease the gla 250 for $359 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing.