| America First Political Action Conference | |
|---|---|
 AFPAC III logo | |
| Dates | February (dates vary) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Locations |
|
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Inaugurated | February 28, 2020; 5 years ago (February 28, 2020) |
| Founders | Nick Fuentes |
| Most recent | June 16, 2024 |
| Organized by | America First Foundation |
| Website | Official website |
TheAmerica First Political Action Conference (AFPAC/ˈæfpæk/AF-pak) is an annualwhite nationalist[1] andfar-right[2] political conference. Founded in 2020 by political commentatorNick Fuentes, many of its attendees are supporters of hisAmerica First show. The conference was described byThe Daily Dot as a "white nationalist alternative" to CPAC, theConservative Political Action Conference.[3]The Arizona Republic has characterized it as an extremist rival of CPAC.[4]
As of 2025, the conference has hosted four elected officials as speakers:U.S. Congress membersMarjorie Taylor Greene andPaul Gosar, Arizona state senatorWendy Rogers, and lieutenant governor of IdahoJanice McGeachin.[5][6]
On December 21, 2019, in the wake of the "Groyper Wars", leaders of the Groyper movement held a speaking conference called the "Groyper Leadership Summit" inWest Palm Beach, Florida. The event was invite-only and held at an undisclosed location. The date, location, and title of the event mirroredTurning Point USA's "Student Action Summit," a speaking event featuring conservatives includingBen Shapiro, who Fuentes would publicly confront outside the venue. In the confrontation, Fuentes said, "Ben, it's great to see you. Why did you give a 45-minute speech about me at Stanford? And you wouldn't even look in my direction." Shapiro did not respond as he walked into the venue.[7]The Daily Beast characterized the Groyper Leadership Summit as "aimed at embarrassing Turning Point, potentially by luring some of the Turning Point students to Fuentes' white nationalist event".[8]
AFPAC was founded in 2020 by Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist[9] political commentator.
The inaugural AFPAC was held on February 28, 2020, inWashington, D.C. Speakers included the political commentatorMichelle Malkin;[10] former leader of theneo-Nazi groupIdentity Evropa, Patrick Casey; formerDaily Caller editor Scott Greer; and Fuentes.[11] After his appearance at the inaugural AFPAC and immediately following the2021 United States Capitol attack, Casey cut ties with Fuentes and declared that he would not be returning as a speaker or guest at future conferences.[12]
The second AFPAC was held on February 25, 2021, nearOrlando, Florida. While it was open to the public, the organizers were secretive about where the conference would be held; it was later reported that it had been held at the Hilton Orlando.[13] Speakers included Malkin,Vincent James ofThe Red Elephants radio show, formerBlazeTV host andGlenn Beck Program writer Jon Miller,[14] and formerRepresentativeSteve King.[15] According to theOrlando Sentinel, the event "was more of a dinner than a multi-day conference".[13]ABC News reported, "speakers spread white nationalist rhetoric, organizers railed about the U.S. losing its 'white demographic core,' and some called for further engagement like the ire that drove theCapitol attack on Jan. 6".[16]
Arizona RepresentativePaul Gosar appeared as a surprisekeynote speaker at the conference; his attendance was the subject of controversy.[16][17][18] In his speech, he discussed immigration and what he described as censorship by social media platforms.[18] Gosar skipped voting on a COVID-19 relief bill in order to attend AFPAC. Gosar, appearing on a panel at CPAC several hours after his appearance at AFPAC, stated, "I denounce when we talk about white racism. That's not appropriate."[16][17][19]
The third AFPAC was held on February 25, 2022 at theOrlando World Center Marriott nearOrlando, Florida. It was sponsored by the social media platformGab, which resulted in backlash from Gab users due to Fuentes' harsh comments about Gab users. Many of Gab's donors stated that they would stop funding Gab due to this decision; in response to the backlash, Gab CEO Andrew Torba said that "Controversy is attention. Attention is influence" and that "The point of marketing is to influence people to get offBig Tech and get on Gab. In order to do that I need their attention."[20] It was later announced that Torba would be a guest speaker at the AFPAC.[21]
During his speech, Fuentes stated that the media had been comparingVladimir Putin toAdolf Hitler "and they say that's not a good thing".[22] Fuentes also asked the audience, "Can we get a round of applause for Russia?" which was followed by large applause and chants of "Putin! Putin!".[23]
FormerMaricopa County SheriffJoe Arpaio spoke at the conference and received cheers when he stated, "I have the reputation of being the biggest racist in the country." In response to the applause, Arpaio asked the audience, "What are you clapping for?"[24][25]
The conference featured four elected officials as speakers:Georgia RepresentativeMarjorie Taylor Greene,Arizona RepresentativePaul Gosar,Arizona SenatorWendy Rogers, andLieutenant Governor of IdahoJanice McGeachin.[5][6] Greene and Gosar were subsequently met with criticism from members of theRepublican Party, including fromSenate Minority LeaderMitch McConnell andRepublican National Committee chairwomanRonna McDaniel. Greene initially stated toCBS News that she was not aware of Fuentes' views,[26] but later defended her attendance in a statement which read, "It doesn't matter if I'm speaking to Democrat union members or 1,200 young conservatives who feel cast aside and marginalized by society [...] ThePharisees in the Republican Party may attack me for being willing to break barriers and speak to a lost generation of young people who are desperate for love and leadership."[27] Rogers wascensured by the Arizona State Senate for calling forpolitical violence during her AFPAC speech.[28]
The conference additionally hosted a variety of far-right media personalities, includingGavin McInnes,Milo Yiannopoulos, andJesse Lee Peterson, as well aswhite supremacistsJared Taylor andPeter Brimelow.[29] Fuentes claimed that Yiannopoulos was responsible for connecting him with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.[30]
Kari Lake, a Republican candidate in the2022 Arizona gubernatorial election, was advertised as a speaker on a flyer for the conference. Lake later denied plans to attend, with Fuentes claiming it was due to a scheduling conflict rather than ideological differences.[31][24]Thomas Homan, formerDirector of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, confirmed toThe Huffington Post that he had been scheduled to speak at AFPAC, but cancelled his appearance on the day of the conference due to Fuentes' support of the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[32]
The fourth AFPAC was postponed after Fuentes claimed to have difficulty hosting the event in Washington, D.C., near CPAC in March 2023. After being removed from the premises of CPAC on March 2, Fuentes organized a brief rally at theResidence Inn by Marriott across from CPAC two days later.[33][34] During his speech, Fuentes endorsed and expanded upon a CPAC speech in whichDaily Wire hostMichael Knowles called to "eradicatetransgenderism" by adding thatSatanism,feminism, liberalism, andJudaism should similarly be eradicated.[35] On December 4, Fuentes announced that the fourth AFPAC event will not go ahead in December (as it was previously announced it would take place), but would instead take place in 2024.
In June 2024, Fuentes and far right influencerJake Shields were prevented from attending the Turning Point Action conference in Detroit. Fuentes and his group were removed from the planned AFPAC venue, theRussell Industrial Center inDetroit, Michigan, shortly before the event was scheduled to take place. The next day, Fuentes addressed a crowd by megaphone outside ofHuntington Place and stated his intention to reschedule the conference.[36] This was also attended by Sulaiman Ahmed, an online disinformation influencer, far right social media personalityLucas Gage, andDavid Duke, formerly of theKu Klux Klan.[37][38]
Republican congressman Paul Gosar appeared at a white nationalist political conference before attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), according to reports.
...Nicholas Fuentes' white nationalist America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC)
A sitting member of Congress appeared at a white nationalist convention Friday night, marking new GOP support for the racist movement. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) spoke in Orlando, Florida, at the America First Political Action conference, a far-right event meant to mimic the establishment Republican Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
AFPAC, which is a far-right white nationalist and neo-Nazi gathering, seeks to be an alternative for those who don't think CPAC is right-wing enough.
A sitting member of Congress appeared at a white nationalist convention Friday night, marking new GOP support for the racist movement. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) spoke in Orlando, Florida, at the America First Political Action conference, a far-right event meant to mimic the establishment Republican Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) said Saturday that he opposed "white racism," hours after speaking at a far-right conference whose organizer spoke approvingly of the Capitol insurrection while delivering a white-nationalist speech.
A sitting member of Congress appeared at a white nationalist convention Friday night, marking new GOP support for the racist movement. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) spoke in Orlando, Florida, at the America First Political Action conference, a far-right event meant to mimic the establishment Republican Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
AFPAC, which is a far-right white nationalist and neo-Nazi gathering, seeks to be an alternative for those who don't think CPAC is right-wing enough.
Four of the speakers – Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin, Rep. Paul Gosar, and Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers – are elected officials.
Far-right personality and white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who was at Charlottesville during that deadly 2017 rally, told followers he planned to attend the Jan. 6 protest.
