Nicholas Fuentes hosting his weekly livestream "America First with Nicholas Fuentes"

1. Nicholas Fuentes is a white supremacist leader and organizer and podcaster who seeks to forge a white nationalist alternative to the mainstream GOP.

Nicholas Fuentes first gained widespread notoriety in 2017 when he left Boston University after he reported receiving threats tied to his attendance at the white supremacist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

He has since become a prominent white supremacist pundit and organizer who has united disparate groups within what was until recently known as the alt right. In 2017, Fuentes began hosting his livestream show America First with Nicholas J. Fuentes, which attracted a cult-like following. Fuentes refers to these supporters as Groypers or the Groyper Army, who see their bigoted views as necessary to preserve white, European-American identity and culture. They believe that the mainstream conservative movement is just as responsible as liberals and the left for destroying white America, and that Groypers are the true future of the conservative movement.

Fuentes seeks to carve out a space that deliberately and publicly challenges the mainstream conservative movement while doubling down on themes central to the white supremacist movement. Fuentes and his America First adherents vocally support the closure of the U.S. borders to immigrants, while opposing liberal values such as feminism and LGBTQ+ rights. Fuentes views these societal changes as the bastardized Jewish subversion of the American creed. The Founders never intended for America to be a refugee camp for nonwhite people. He often uses his platform to further conspiracy theories about the impending destruction of the white race, also known as white genocide. In one Tweet, Fuentes stated, Our civilization is being dismantled, our people are being genocided, and conservatives cant think past what will play well with liberal media in the next election.

His podcast, titled America First, was initially inspired by the speeches and platform of former President Donald Trump. However, Fuentes later adopted the term for his own purposes after distancing himself from the GOP platform to attract young conservatives. Fuentes and his followers angrily objected to the Trump administrations embrace of Israel, as well as mainstream conservatives support for globalism, (a right-wing slur/theory about a cabal of elites who are controlling the world), endless wars and other issues they felt ran counter to a truly America First agenda.

In an effort to further distance himself from the mainstream GOP, Fuentes founded the America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC) in 2020. AFPAC ostensibly serves as a counterweight to the annual CPAC event held at the same time, which is largely attended by mainstream conservative activists and elected officials. In 2021, AFPAC included a variety of right-wing pundits, including Michelle Malkin and Steve King, along with white supremacists like Vincent James Foxx of the Red Elephant. Speakers expressed contempt for the Republican Party, describing members as sell-outs willing to betray their constituents.

2) Nicholas Fuentes believes that he is working to defend against leftist cultural changes that are destroying the true America: a white, Christian nation.

While Fuentes promotes white supremacist beliefs, he adamantly claims not to be a white supremacist, calling the term an anti-white slur. Rather, Fuentes positions himself as Christian conservative who opposes societal shifts on immigration, abortion and more -- as nefarious efforts, led by the left, to fundamentally erode Americas Christian values. This cloaking of ideology is a ploy to attract mainstream support and distract from the groups fundamentally white supremacist ideology.

Fuentes often pulls on themes prevalent in the white supremacist Great Replacement Theory, or what Fuentes calls Great Replacement REALITY. This idea focuses on the belief that native white Europeans are being replaced in their own countries by non-white immigrants from Africa and the Middle East, with the end result being the extinction of the white race. Fuentes tweeted in June, If you are a White male zoomer, remember that the people in power hate you and your unborn children and they will try to genocide you in your lifetime. Fuentes attempts to streamline his extreme ideology by aligning himself with Christianity and traditional values. During his AFPAC keynote speech, Fuentes asserted that even though adherents of the America First movement are sheep among the wolves and the snakes, they will ultimately prevail as they have the protection of God and Jesus.

Fuentes rejects the mainstream Republican Party, claiming that many Groypers, including himself, were once strong Trump supporters but are now angry that the Republican Party is not doing enough to deal with demographic and cultural changes that affect the white population in the U.S. According to Fuentes, the new Republican Party is the party of climate change, universal health care and black lives matter. Fuentes and his followers often dress in suits and ties to project a mainstream conservative image, highlighting the Groypers central goal of disrupting and replacing the established GOP. Fuentes says his vision is to redefine the right-wing by solidifying the political realignment that Donald Trump initiated in 2016 under the banner, slogan and principles of America First.

Like many other right-wing extremists, Fuentes often blankets his bigoted beliefs in sarcasm and ironic humor; he uses cartoonish memes and just joking banter, all while spreading white supremacist propaganda. During an April taping of his show, Fuentes responded to an audience members question about how to respond to his wife getting out of line, saying, Why dont you give her a vicious and forceful backhanded slap with your knuckles right across her face disrespectfully and make it hurt?...Just kidding of coursejust a jokeI would never lay a hand on a women, unless she had it coming. Fuentes often uses terms like culture as substitutes for more divisive terms such as race, and promotes American values as a code for white culture and identity. Fuentes largely avoids blatant white supremacist language, and instead focuses on anti-establishment thinking targeting the GOP, mainstream media and leftists. This strategy, along with adoption of mainstream meme culture like Pepe the Frog, allows the America First movement to attract younger, mainstream conservatives, who are then exposed to the groups extremist ideology.

3) Fuentes has used his platforms to make numerous antisemitic and racist comments.

Fuentes has made a number of racist and antisemitic comments under the guise of being provocative and ironic. For example, he has referred to Daily Wire columnist Matt Walsh as shabbos goy race traitor because he works for Jews (Ben Shapiro, a Jewish conservative, runs the Daily Wire). On a livestream episode, Fuentes jokingly denied the Holocaust and compared Jews burnt in concentration camps to cookies in an oven. On May 24, 2021, Fuentes participated in a debate on right-wing conspiracist Alex Jones InfoWars with Robert Barnes, a man described as a constitutional lawyer who has legally defended both Jones and Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse. During the debate, Fuentes made numerous antisemitic remarks, including, "I dont see Jews as Europeans and I dont see them as part of Western civilization, particularly because they are not Christians. In April, Fuentes appeared to urge mainstream Republicans to champion an antisemitic focus on Jewish control, tweeting, The next big frontier for populist and conservative inc [sic; this is the America First term for establishment GOPers] to coopt [sic] is discussing Jewish Power. Somehow I dont think theyll broach that one!

Fuentes asserts that whites are under attack and that minorities are changing the texture of life in America. Fuentes often speaks about the white supremacist ideas of race realism, a belief that ones race governs traits such as behavior and intelligence with non-whites being inferior to whites. For example, Fuentes tweeted, Any serious person thinking about globalization and demographic changes should actually care a lot about racial differences in intelligence. But this subject doesnt interest you because its not convenient for your trojan horse brand of kosher nationalism.

Recently, Fuentes used the aftermath of the Derek Chauvin verdict as proof that minorities are being put at the top of a racial caste system. During the 2021 AFPAC, Fuentes remarked further on the rising civil rights movement championed by Black Lives Matter, stating White people founded this country. This country wouldnt exist without white peoplepeople are done being bullied. Fuentes has also made racist comments asserting that segregation and policies in the pre-civil rights-era American South was better for them, its better for us, its better in general.

Fuentes has repeatedly been suspended from a number of social media and video and audio sharing platforms, including YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, Spotify, Venmo, Stripe, Clubhouse as well as numerous others, for violating terms of policy with his hateful, bigoted rhetoric and imagery. Most recently, he was banned from his podcast streaming service, DLive, following his attendance at the pro-Trump rally on January 6, and now hosts his show on Alex Jones platform, Banned.Video. This move to a more fringe platform service may prompt Fuentes to produce even more extreme content.

4) Fuentes promoted election fraud narratives and encouraged his adherents to participate in nationwide Stop the Steal protests.

Fuentes served as an organizer and speaker at many Stop the Steal protests leading up to the January 6 attack on the Capitol including protests in Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and Washington, DC. Fuentes attended the Million MAGA March in November alongside fellow Groypers, where he addressed a crowd of American Firsters, stating, We are not going to live as captives. This is our Republican Party. This is our country. USA! In the days leading up to January 6, Fuentes continued to promote the myth of election fraud. On January 4, Fuentes posted a video on DLive tacitly urging followers to kill state legislators, before he seemed to backpedal: What can you and I do to state legislators besides kill them? Although, Im not advising that, but I mean, what else are you going to do? In the lead up to January 6, Fuentes received an estimated $250,000 (13.5 bitcoins) in donations, supporting his attendance at the rally in Washington, DC.

Fuentes and other members of America First were present at the Capitol on January 6, about which Fuentes said, This is awesome...we have been beat up and betrayed and spit on and stepped on for decades. And to see the tables turned for once was a little bit refreshing. Fuentes was seen that day giving a speech near the Capitol encouraging his followers to keep moving towards the Capitol it appears we are taking the Capitol back! While Fuentes does not appear to have physically entered the Capitol building, individuals wearing America First merchandise appeared in videos and images inside the building.

Since the attack on the Capitol, Fuentes claims that his bank account has been frozen, he has been placed on the federal no-fly list, and has been banned from Airbnb, Facebook and Instagram. Fuentes described these actions as overt political persecution. Due to this alleged ban, Fuentes was unable to attend the Big Tech Press Conference in Florida, an event he organized with a variety of right-wing pundit speakers including Michele Malkin and Laura Loomer. Although Fuentes links his no-fly status to the Capitol riot, Fuentes reportedly had an altercation on a December flight over the issue of mask mandates.

5) Fuentes has been embraced and praised by a spectrum of far right-wing fringe conservatives, providing him a larger platform for elevating the America First movement.

Fuentes has been embraced by a variety of figures on the far-right, from fringe GOP figures to dedicated white supremacists. His success in attracting a sizeable attendanceas well as right wing-influencers and elected officialsto his events, like AFPAC and the Big Tech Conference in Florida, show the rallying effect of Fuentes and the America First movement. Right-wing pundit Michelle Malkin, who has recently embraced white supremacist rhetoric, has aligned herself with the America First movement, praising their shared mission to end mass migration, restore law and order, and conserve and uphold actual conservative values.

Fuentes has attracted the attention of elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizonas 4th congressional district. Fuentes claimed to be hosting a fundraiser and roundtable event in honor of Rep. Paul Gosar on July 2nd in Phoenix, Arizona. While Gosar has in the past participated in America First events, including the 2021 AFPAC, Gosar at this time claims to have had no prior knowledge of this fundraiser. Gosar has routinely appealed to the America First movement, tweeting in response to the outrage regarding his own appearance at the 2021 AFPAC, Not sure why anyone is freaking out. Ill say this: there are millions of Gen Z, Y and X conservatives. They believe in America First. They will not agree 100% on every issue. No group does. We will not let the left dictate our strategy, alliances and efforts. Ignore the left. The upcoming event between Fuentes and Paul Gosar is part of Fuentes White Boy Summer road trip.

Link:

Nicholas J. Fuentes: Five Things to Know | ADL