In November 2022, Fuentes and the American rapperKanye West had a private dinner withDonald Trump. The meeting was broadly condemned by commentators, andThe New York Times described it as "what may be the most discomfiting moment in U.S. history in a half-century or more" forAmerican Jews.[5]
Early life
Nicholas Joseph Fuentes was born on August 18, 1998,[1] to William and Lauren (née Chicco).[22] Fuentes lived inLa Grange Park, Illinois, and attendedLyons Township High School, where he was president of the student council.[23] He studied introductory international relations and politics during his freshman year atBoston University.[14] He dropped out in 2017 after completing his freshman year, stating that he received threats for attending the white supremacistUnite the Right rally inCharlottesville, Virginia.[18][24][25] He said he would transfer toAuburn University in fall 2017, saying Auburn "has better weather and better people" but ultimately "did not confirm his enrollment".[26]
Personal life
According to Fuentes, he is ofMexican descent via his paternal ancestors and isCatholic.[27][28]
Fuentes identifies as anincel (or "involuntary celibate"), although some of his supporters have criticized him for being a "voluntary celibate" after he admitted that he kissed a girl while he was inhigh school.[13][29] He has described himself as the "straightest guy" and attempted to defend himself as an incel by claiming that "the only really straightheterosexual position is to be anasexual incel", as "having sex with women is gay ... What's gayer than being like, 'I need cuddles. I need kisses ... I need to spend time with a woman.'"[30][31][32]
In November 2024, the address of Fuentes'Berwyn, Illinois, home wasdoxed on Twitter in response to Fuentes mocking women's reproductive rights in his tweet "Your body, my choice".[33] On November 10, Marla Rose, an activist from the city, approached his home and attempted to ring his doorbell. Allegedly, Fuentespepper-sprayed Rose before pushing her down his front steps and taking her phone, which she was using to film the interaction.[34] Following this incident, Fuentes was arrested on November 27 and charged with battery; he later appeared in court on December 19.[35][36]
Alleged attempted murder
A photo of the shooter, 24-year-old John Lyons, outside Fuentes' home
At 11:30 p.m. on December 18, 2024, a man armed with a pistol and a crossbow showed up at Fuentes' home inBerwyn, Illinois.[37] The man, identified as 24-year-old John Lyons ofWestchester, was suspected of killing a mother and her two adult children[38][39] inMahomet earlier in the day. After police arrived, Lyons fled, forcing his way into Fuentes' neighbor's residence, where he killed two dogs. Lyons then fled into a backyard, where he refused police commands and exchanged gunfire with them before being fatally shot.[40][41][42] Fuentes made a statement on hisX account, writing, "Last night an armed killer made an attempt on my life at my home, which was recently doxed on this platform". He also wrote, "The gunman carried a pistol, crossbow, and incendiary devices. I believe he intended to kill me. He is now dead. I am okay!"[43]
Political activities
Early activities
Fuentes began commentating on politics through a local radio and TV station hosted by his high school, where he espoused mainstreamconservative views.[44][45] He hosts the episodic live streamAmerica First with Nicholas J. Fuentes, which he began in 2017 during his freshman year at Boston University.[15][14][46][47]America First is characterized by Fuentes' frequent use of jokes andirony to appeal toGeneration Z while providingplausible deniability for his often extreme views.[21]
On his show in April 2017, Fuentes asserted that Muslim speech was not covered by theFirst Amendment to theUnited States Constitution and went on to say, "Who runs the media? Globalists. Time to kill the globalists" and "I want people that runCNN to be arrested and deported or hanged because this is deliberate." The publisher of the show at the time,Right Side Broadcasting Network, issued an apology, calling the comments "unacceptable" and "inappropriate".[48] Following these and other comments, as well as publicity over his attendance at theUnite the Right rally, he left RSBN in August 2017.[26][49] In February 2022, Fuentes claimed that he was fired by RSBN CEO Joe Seales.[14]
He co-hosted theNationalist Review podcast with another white nationalist,James Allsup, until January 2018. According to theSouthern Poverty Law Center, "the two had a public falling out with each host accusing the other of laziness, impropriety and a variety of petty slights."[50] In April 2018, Fuentes spoke at theAmerican Renaissance conference.[14]
Criticism of Turning Point USA
Fuentes has repeatedly criticizedTurning Point USA (TPUSA) and its founder,Charlie Kirk, accusing them of betraying Donald Trump by advocating in favor of mass legal immigration, support for foreign aid for Israel, and queer issues.[51] Throughout October and November 2019, his supporters were present at many of Kirk's public speaking events, which featured guest speakers includingDonald Trump Jr.,Lara Trump, andKimberly Guilfoyle.[51] These campaigns frequently involved asking questions that prompted viewers to look up far-right andantisemitic conspiracy theories and hoaxes online.[52] Fuentes has characterized the campaign as a grassroots effort to expose TPUSA as ideologically inconsistent with the ideology espoused by Donald Trump and otherright-wing populists. As a result of this campaign, some right-wing mainstream politicians and pundits disavowed Fuentes, characterizing his beliefs as extreme and out of touch with mainstream conservatism.[53]
In December 2019, Fuentes approached the conservative political commentatorBen Shapiro, who was walking by with his wife and young children, outside a TPUSA event inWest Palm Beach, Florida. Fuentes had asked Shapiro why he had given a speech atStanford University attacking Fuentes.[28] The encounter was filmed and led to criticism of Fuentes.[54]
Fuentes hosted his second annual AFPAC event in February 2021, speaking alongside Malkin and the politiciansSteve King andPaul Gosar.[17] Later that month, he was barred from the Hyatt Regency Orlando, where he attempted to "start a commotion" on theCPAC floor.[58]
Fuentes was again removed from CPAC in July 2021 for harassing a journalist.[59][60] At an event held across the street, he said that now that he is banned from Twitter, "I have nothing to lose. This is going to be the most racist, sexist, antisemitic, Holocaust-denying speech in all of Dallas this weekend."[59]
In June 2024, Fuentes and the far-right influencerJake Shields were prevented from attending the Turning Point Action conference in Detroit. AFPAC 2024 was cancelled by the venue, but they held an alternative event, also attended by Sulaiman Ahmed, an online anti-Israel commentator, andDavid Duke, formerly of theKu Klux Klan.[65][66]
Fuentes was among a group of far-right activists and groups who received large donations inbitcoin from a French donor on December 8, 2020. Fuentes received 13.5 bitcoin (approximately $681,750 at the time), which was by far the largest share. The donor also posted an apparent suicide note, according toblockchain analysis groupChainalysis. The donor's status has not yet been confirmed.[70][71][72][73] TheFBI began an investigation as to whether any of this money went toward the financing of illegal acts, such as the storming of the U.S. Capitol.[74]
On December 12, 2020, at a rally the day after theU.S. Supreme Court declined to hearTexas v. Pennsylvania, Fuentes spoke to a crowd of supporters atFreedom Plaza, stating, "It is us and our ancestors that created everything good that you see in this country. All these people that have taken over our country—we do not need them. ... It is the American people, and our leader, Donald Trump, against everybody else in this country and this world... Our Founding Fathers would get in the streets, and they would take this country back by force if necessary. And that is what we must be prepared to do."[75]
On January 4, 2021, two days before the storming of the U.S. Capitol, Fuentes discussed killing state legislators who were unwilling to overturn the results of the 2020 election, saying, "What can you and I do to a state legislator—besides kill them? We should not do that. I'm not advising that, but I mean, what else can you do, right?"[67][76][77][78]
According to several media outlets, Fuentes was part of the mob that attacked the Capitol.[79][80] The Southern Poverty Law Center reported that Fuentes was "visible in both livestreams and images amidst a mob of pro-Trump insurrectionists...wearing what appears to be a VIP badge."[81] Although he did not enter the building, he allegedly shouted encouragement for the rioters to "keep moving towards the Capitol" and that they were "taking the Capitol back".[18] Fuentes himself admitted being present during the attack but denied criminal conduct, describing rumors that an unidentified figure seen inside House SpeakerNancy Pelosi's office was him as "fake news".[82]
On November 22, 2022, Donald Trump hosted Fuentes andKanye West for a dinner at Trump'sMar-a-Lago residence inFlorida. The meeting was at West's request. West said that Trump was "really impressed with Nick Fuentes".[84] Trump released a statement saying that after contacting him earlier in the week to arrange the visit, West "unexpectedly showed up with three of his friends, whom I knew nothing about", with whom Trump dined, and that "the dinner was quick and uneventful".[85]
Trump further elaborated several days later that he met with West to "help a seriously troubled man, who just happens to be black... who has been decimated in his business and virtually everything else."[84] Trump also acknowledged advising West to drop out of the race.[84]
Members of the meeting gave contradictory accounts[86] of what occurred.[87] According toAxios:[88]
...a source stated that Trump "seemed very taken" by Fuentes and "impressed that the 24-year-old was able to rattle off statistics and recall speeches dating back to his2016 campaign."Paraphrasing the conversation, the source said Fuentes told the president he preferred him to be "authentic", and that Trump seemed scripted and unlike himself during his recent 2024 campaign announcement speech. Trump responded, "You like it better when I just speak off the cuff," the source said. Fuentes replied that he did, calling Trump an "amazing" president when he was unrestrained. "There was a lot of fawning back and forth," the source added.[88]
West also stated that after asking Trump to be his vice-presidential candidate, Trump "started basically screaming at me at the table telling me I was going to lose—I mean has that ever worked for anyone in history. I'm like hold on, hold on, hold on, Trump, you're talking to Ye."[89]
Aftermath and reactions
The meeting received significant attention and comment from domestic and international political figures.[5][90][91] The nature of the event—in which a former president hosted guests with open antisemitic beliefs—was considered "unprecedented"[92] in the modern era and garnered intense bipartisan criticism of Trump, with Republican leaders in theU.S. Congress making a rare rebuke of Trump.[93] The scandal raised questions over Trump's tenability as a candidate in the 2024 election.[94][95][96][97] AmongAmerican Jews, the ensuing discussion was described by aNew York Times writer as "what may be the most discomfiting moment in U.S. history in a half-century or more".[98] Commentators and politicians argued Trump's failure to condemn antisemitism and racism from the guests was an implicit acceptance of their beliefs.[99]
Initially, Trump had attempted to defend the dinner in a tweet, assuring critics that West had "expressed no antisemitic views at the dinner table".
According toThe Washington Post, Trump initially believed that the events of the evening would "blow over". But by December 1, the subsequent actions of West and Fuentes after the dinner had "paint[ed] a different picture" of the situation.[100]
The commentatorCharlie Sykes argued that "Trump has been consistent in his reluctance to offend what he regards as a crucial part of the base that he has nurtured over the years. He is unapologetic about associating with overt neo-Nazis, and unwilling to issue full-throated denunciations of antisemitism. Trump is willing to draw this barrage of opprobrium for one simple reason: He believes that he has tapped into something in the American electorate, especially amongevangelical Christians, who have ingrained—but complicated—attitudes toward Israel and Jews."[101]
Mike Pence, the formerU.S. vice president who served duringTrump's first presidency, stated: "I think he should apologize for it, and he should denounce those individuals and their hateful rhetoric without qualification."[102]Israeli Prime Minister-designateBenjamin Netanyahu labeled the meeting a "mistake".[103] In a follow-up interview, he stated: "...On this matter, on Kanye West and that other unacceptable guest [Nick Fuentes], I think it's not merely unacceptable, it's just wrong. And I hope he sees his way to staying out of it and condemning it."[104]
Political views
Fuentes has stated that his goal is to turn the Republican Party into "a trulyreactionary party".[14] Fuentes stronglyopposes immigration, which he believes is ademographic threat to the United States.[46] Fuentes opposesfeminism. He hopes to have thealt-right displace conservatism and the GOP, criticizing mainstream conservative groups and claiming that "Christian Republican voters get screwed over" because "the GOP is run byJews,atheists, andhomosexuals".[18][14] Tess Owen, a reporter forVice, has written that Fuentes "has positioned himself as the kingpin of the ultranationalist youth movement".[4]
White supremacy and antisemitism
Fuentes has spoken positively of "a tidal wave ofwhite identity" following his attendance at the 2017 CharlottesvilleUnite the Right rally and sees America's "white demographic core" as central to the country's identity.[14][105][23] Despite promoting white supremacist beliefs, such as thewhite genocide conspiracy theory, Fuentes has claimed that he is not a white supremacist, calling the term an "anti-white slur".[18] Fuentes wants the United States to be a white, Christian country and has specified that it is not a "Judeo-Christian" country.[14]
Fuentes also holds antisemitic views[6][106] anddenies the Holocaust.[8][9] In January 2019, Fuentes aired a monologue in which he implied he questions the death toll of 6 million Jews inthe Holocaust. Fuentes later disputed that he had ever denied the Holocaust, calling his monologue a "lampoon".[28]NPR cites this as an example of Fuentes' use of irony to avoid consequences for his words, citing a 2020 video where Fuentes said, "Irony is so important for giving a lot of cover and plausible deniability for our views," specifically regarding Holocaust denial.[21]
During his speech atAFPAC 2022, Fuentes bestowed "giggling praise" onAdolf Hitler.[64] In 2023, he advocated for the execution of "perfidious Jews", among other groups he called "evildoers", stating that they need to be "given the death penalty".[107]
Vladimir Putin
During the AFPAC speech in which he praised Hitler, Fuentes said that the media had been comparingVladimir Putin to Hitler "as if that wasn't a good thing".[64] Fuentes also asked the audience, "Can we get a round of applause for Russia?" which was followed by roaring applause and chants of "Putin! Putin!"[61]
In December 2020, Fuentes reportedly had an altercation on a flight overmask mandates.[18] In April 2021,Salon reported that "Nicholas Fuentes and his 'groyper army' have joined forces with the coronavirusanti-vaccine community."[109] That year, he embarked on an anti-vaccine speaking tour, where he promotedhoaxes about COVID-19 vaccines.[110]
Following theDobbs v. Jackson decision that overturnedRoe v. Wade in June 2022, Fuentes praised theSupreme Court of the United States for handing down that decision. He said that "Jews stood in the way" of doing so, and that theDobbs decision meant that "banning gay marriage is back on the menu,banning sodomy is back on the menu, banningcontraceptives is back on the menu, and basically we're having something like Taliban rule in America, in a good way."[113][114]
In July 2023, appearing on theFresh and Fit Podcast, Fuentes stated that women were "baby machines" because "that's what their brains are about".[115]
In November 2024, after Donald Trump's victory in the2024 U.S. presidential election, Fuentes mocked supporters of reproductive rights, tweeting, "Your body, my choice. Forever."[117] The post has been viewed more than 100 million times.[118] The phrase became popular onTikTok,[119] where female users reported that accounts were commenting "your body, my choice"en masse on their posts. On November 8, theInstitute for Strategic Dialogue published a report detailing the exponential increase of the phrase's usage on X (formerly Twitter), TikTok,Facebook, andReddit on the day after the 2024 elections. They also noted instances of its usage offline, specifically on high school and college campuses.[120]
Fuentes was increasingly critical of Trump in 2024. On August 9, 2024, he posted onX that he had "declared a newGroyper War against the2024 Trump campaign," as "his campaign has been hijacked by the same consultants, lobbyists, & donors that he defeated in 2016, and they're blowing it," and was "headed for a catastrophic loss."[125] (Trump later won the election.)
Fuentes began calling for his followers to "bring the energy with memes, edits, replies, and trolls" aimed at pressuring the Trump campaign to adopt further-right positions on race and immigration, as well as urging Donald Trump to fire his campaign advisors,Chris LaCivita andSusie Wiles.[126] In addition to directing his followers to make their demandstrend on Twitter andTruth Social, Fuentes threatened to "escalate pressure in the real world," urging followers to withhold their votes and protest Trump rallies inbattleground states.[45]
In November, Fuentes criticized Trump supporters for dressing in garbage bags after a rally where Donald Trump climbed into a garbage truck in response to PresidentJoe Biden's remarks about his followers. He described this as a moment of realization that "Trumpism was a cult," illustrating the "slavish devotion" of its supporters, who would "just eat up anything." He stated, "That was the moment when I realized it has gone too far, it isFrankenstein's monster, we've created a golem", and characterized Trumpism as "a giant cult-like scam."[127]
Fuentes' show,America First, has attracted acult following, which Fuentes refers to as the "Groypers" or the "Groyper Army". Fuentes cites the candidacy and presidency of Donald Trump as an inspiration forAmerica First.[18] In February 2022, Trump's social media platform,Truth Social, verified Fuentes' account.[128]
Deplatforming
Fuentes has beendeplatformed from various social media websites, payment processors, and other services. In January 2020, Fuentes' YouTube channel wasdemonetized, and one of his videos was removed by YouTube as a violation of theirhate-speech policies. Fuentes had previously been banned fromTwitch and fromReddit.[129][130] On February 14, 2020, his YouTube channel was terminated for violating policies onhate speech.[20] In January 2020,Time reported that Fuentes was the most-viewed live streamer on theDLive platform. DLive was criticized for allowing Fuentes to use their platform.[131][132]
Following the January 6 United States Capitol attack, his DLive channel was subsequently suspended permanently for "inciting violent and illegal activities".[133][77] According toABC News in March 2021, Fuentes had been suspended from "almost all" social media platforms.[134] Fuentes claimed that his bank account had been frozen, that he had been placed on a federalno-fly list, and that he had been banned fromAirbnb,Facebook, andInstagram. Fuentes described these actions as "overt political persecution".[18]
Twitter was among the last mainstream social media sites to ban Fuentes, indefinitely suspending his verified account in July 2021.[135][136][137] He has also been banned from financial ande-commerce services, includingPayPal,Venmo,Patreon,Shopify,Stripe,Streamlabs, andCoinbase.[45] On January 25, 2023, his verified Twitter account was briefly reinstated. According to Hannah Gais, a senior researcher at the Southern Poverty Law Center, he immediately praisedAdolf Hitler and theUnabomber and declared, "Jews run the news". Twitter banned him again the next day.[138]
In December 2021, the social media platformGettr permanently suspended Fuentes. The site received backlash from Fuentes' fanbase as well as from the American politicianWendy Rogers, who wrote, "What is the point of a free-speech alternative to Twitter... that doesn't even honor free speech?"[139] Gettr subsequently banned all use of the word "groyper" on the platform.[140]
On May 2, 2024,Elon Musk said that he would reinstate Fuentes' X (formerly Twitter) account "provided he does not violate the law, and let him be crushed by the comments andCommunity Notes." Musk stated, "I cannot claim to be a defender of free speech, but then permanently ban someone who hasn't violated the law, no matter how much I disagree with what they say." Musk addressed backlash by those who expressed concerns about platforming Fuentes' ideas by stating, "It is better to have anti whatever out in the open to be rebutted than to grow simmering in the darkness."[143][144][107] Upon X's announcement, theAnti-Defamation League issued a statement condemning Fuentes. Fuentes' account was reinstated on May 3, 2024.[145]
