The popular image, also known on the internet as the “sad frog,” has been used as a versatile base for memes, usually used to express emotions or experiences, since it first appeared in the online cartoon Boys Club in 2005. But recent appropriations of the smirking green frog as Adolf Hitler, a Klansman and numerous racist caricatures have earned him a spot in the Anti-Defamation League's database of hate symbols

"Once again, racists and haters have taken a popular Internet meme and twisted it for their own purposes of spreading bigotry and harassing users," Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO said in a statement . Pepe was manipulated over time to capture the range of the human experience, including Sad Frog, who was often paired with the phrases" Not Good Man," "Feels Bad Man," or "You Will Never..." to Smug Frog, Angry Pepe, Keith Haring Pepe, even Rare Pepes in the form of trading cards in an effort to cash in on the mania. "The mere fact of posting a Pepe meme does not mean that someone is racist or white supremacist," the group said. “However, if the meme itself is racist or anti-Semitic in nature, or if it appears in a context containing bigoted or offensive language or symbols, then it may have been used for hateful purposes.”

Pepe’s popularity has increased during the 2016 presidential campaign, with many supporters of Republican nominee Donald Trump using it for political memes, some of which are bigoted or anti-Semitic. Earlier this month Donald Trump Jr., son of the Republican presidential nominee, posted to Instagram a movie poster parody of himself heroically grouped with Pepe and others deemed “The Deplorables.” Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had said that half of all Donald Trump supporters are what she termed “deplorables.”

“Once again, racists and haters have taken a popular Internet meme and twisted it for their own purposes of spreading bigotry and harassing users,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL’s CEO. “I think he’s on a weird manifestation right now,” Mr Furie told the Washington Post, “It’s unfortunate that he’s peaking nationally in the news in this really negative way, but I think it’s just a phase.”

Because of the popularity of Pepe amongst Mr Trump’s Alt-Right supporters, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has voiced her concern about the use of the meme.
The Anti-Defamation League declares that the "Pepe the Frog" meme is a hate symbol, particularly when used alongside other racially-charged symbolism.