A video has emerged showing the leader of the so-called alt right movement in the US, leading a white nationalist crowd in salutes of "Hail Trump!"

Many of the more than 200 attendees at the conference appeared to give the Nazi arm salute as they echoed Richard Spencer's declaration.

In a speech at the National Policy Institute gathering in Washington on Saturday, Spencer used racist imagery and invoked Nazi terminology as he blasted the media as "Lügenpresse" - the term, meaning "lying press", that the original Nazi Party used in Germany.

In the video, Spencer calls the media "leftists" and "cucks," invoking popular "alt-right" insults for people they disagree with. 

His remarks were filled with racist imagery - including references to "the black political machines" and Latino housekeepers - as he bashed Hillary Clinton's minority supporters.

The video was posted online by The Atlantic magazine, which is making a documentary on the controversial alt-right figure.

In a statement, the Holocaust Memorial Museum said: "The Holocaust did not begin with killings: it began with words. The museum calls on all American citizens, our religious and civic leaders and the leadership of all branches of the government to confront racist thinking and divisive hateful speech."

Trump's transition team responded to the speech in a statement: "President-elect Trump has continued to denounce racism of any kind and he was elected because he will be a leader for every American."