Nick Fuentes | |
|---|---|
 Fuentes in 2022 | |
| Born | Nicholas Joseph Fuentes (1998-08-18)August 18, 1998 (age 27)[1][2] |
| Education | College of DuPage (AA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2015–present[4] |
| Organization | America First Foundation |
| Known for |
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| Movement | |
Nicholas Joseph Fuentes (born August 18, 1998) is an Americanfar-right[8] andwhite nationalistpolitical commentator, activist, andlive streamer. He hostsAmerica First, a livestream promotingChristian nationalism,[7]white supremacy,[9]misogyny,anti-LGBTQ views, andantisemitism includingHolocaust denial.[10][11][12][13] His supporters are known asGroypers.
Fuentes was raised inLa Grange Park, Illinois, and attendedLyons Township High School where he was described as having held mainstream conservative views. He began political activism in 2016 after graduating and started the episodic live streamAmerica First in 2017. In 2019, Fuentes's followers began to heckleCharlie Kirk and his organizationTurning Point USA events, referred to as the "Groyper War". In 2020, seeking to establish a white supremacist conference to rival theConservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Fuentes began holding an annualAmerica First Political Action Conference (AFPAC).[14]
In November 2022, Fuentes andKanye West had a private dinner withDonald Trump. The meeting was condemned by some American political commentators due to Fuentes and West's antisemitism.[8] In August 2024, Fuentes launched the "Groyper War 2" against Trump's presidential campaign. Memes, trolling, and protests were used to push for more extreme right-wing positions. Fuentes credited the "Groyper War 2" for Trump's rehiring ofCorey Lewandowski.[15][16] In 2025, Fuentes said Trump was a "scam artist" for his failure to release theJeffrey Epstein client list,[17] and theNew York Times andThe Atlantic highlighted his growing influence on the political right.[18][9]
Fuentes has been involved in a number of controversial events. He attended the 2017Unite the Right rally, and spoke at events preceding theJanuary 6 United States Capitol attack. Fuentes faced widespread deplatforming from major social media, streaming, and financial services between 2020 and 2023, primarily for violating hate speech policies and involvement with January 6. In November 2024, after his home wasdoxed, he was arrested for battery for pepper-spraying and pushing an activist, taking her phone. In December 2024, Fuentes survived an apparent assassination attempt at his home, with the 24-year-old suspect killed by police during a shootout.
Nicholas Joseph Fuentes was born on August 18, 1998,[1] to William and Lauren (née Chicco).[19] He has a twin sister, Melissa.[20] According to Fuentes, he is ofItalian,Irish andMexican descent.[21][22][23][24] His father is half Mexican.[18] He grew up inLa Grange Park, Illinois. He attendedLyons Township High School, where he was president of the student council.[25] He was raised Catholic.[26] Fuentes began commentating on politics through a local radio and TV station hosted by his high school, where he was described as holding mainstreamconservative views. John Keilman wrote in theChicago Tribune that "after his graduation in 2016, he embraced the extreme right".[27][28]
He studied international relations and politics during his freshman year atBoston University,[29] but dropped out in connection with his attendance at theUnite the Right rally, a 2017 white supremacist rally inCharlottesville, Virginia. He said afterwards he neither supported Nazism nor the man who drove into the crowd, but believed the violence from counter-protesters spurred violence in return. Fuentes, though proud to have attended the event, ultimately dropped out of Boston University after receiving death threats over his media persona, statements, and attendance of the rally. A former mentor of his stated that the response to his involvement with Unite the Right helped to raise his media presence.[25]
Fuentes dropped out in 2017 after completing his freshman year.[25][10] At this time, Fuentes faced pressure from his parents to pursue a more conventional path, such as getting a job or returning to college.[19] Fuentes toldLouis Theroux of the proposal he made to his parents at that time:"'Why don't you give me just one year to explore this. If it works out, I'll keep doing it. If it doesn't work out, I'll abandon it.' ... And it worked out."[19] Fuentes later stated in 2022, while being investigated by theJanuary 6th Committee, that he went on to receive an associate degree at theCollege of DuPage after dropping out of Boston University.[citation needed]
Fuentes began hosting the episodic live streamAmerica First with Nicholas J. Fuentes, in 2017 during his freshman year at Boston University.[25]America First is characterized by Fuentes's frequent use of jokes andirony to appeal toGeneration Z while providingplausible deniability for his often extreme views.[30] He denounced multiculturalism and stated that the white identity had been marginalized. However, he said he was not racist and supported nonviolence. During a show in April 2017, Fuentes "argued theFirst Amendment was not written for Muslims or immigrants".[25] He further stated "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."[31][25] Following these and other comments, as well as publicity over his attendance at the Unite the Right rally, he leftRight Side Broadcasting Network in August 2017.[32][33] At the time, Seales remarked: "RSBN prides itself in our diversity, as we are a company loaded with folks from all different backgrounds. Nick was just taking things a little too far into right field for us."[32] One episode consisted of a monologue in which he implied he questions the death toll of six million Jews inthe Holocaust. Fuentes later disputed that he had ever denied the Holocaust, calling his monologue a "lampoon".[22]NPR cited this as an example of Fuentes's 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.[30]
Fuentes initially live-streamed from the basement of his parents' home, which was considered central to his public persona as aNEET (not in employment, education, or training) or adisconnected youth. He relocated his livestreaming operations from his parents' basement to an apartment inBerwyn, Illinois, in November 2020. Despite telling viewers he was still working from his parents' home, police records and neighbor accounts suggest he operated from the Berwyn property. His father frequently oversaw renovations at the complex, particularly on the second floor, where Fuentes established a new podcasting studio.[19]
He co-hosted theNationalist Review podcast with another white nationalist,James Allsup,[34] until January 2018. TheSouthern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) noted in a report, "the two [Allsup and Fuentes] had a public falling out with each host accusing the other of laziness, impropriety and a variety of petty slights".[35] Fuentes spoke at theAmerican Renaissance conference in April 2018.[36] Fuentes collaborated with Alex Jones to launch his own live-streaming platform, Cozy.tv, in October 2021.[37][28]
Fuentes has appeared on several other podcasts and streams, amassing millions of views onYouTube,Rumble, andKick. He has primarily appeared on podcast episodes with fellow right-wing conspiracy theoristMyron Gaines, appearing on hisFresh & Fit episodes alongside his co-hostWalter Weekes, as well as on debates and discussions hosted by streamerAdin Ross.[38] He is also a regular guest onAlex Jones' show,Infowars. As Fuentes's influence continued to rise in 2025, he also began to appear on more mainstream podcasts, such asPatrick Bet-David'sPBD Podcast, Bradley Martyn'sRaw Talk, theNelk Boys' Kick stream, andThe Tucker Carlson Show.[39][40]
In late October 2025,Tucker Carlson interviewed Fuentes onThe Tucker Carlson Show.[41][42][43] At the beginning of the interview, Carlson stated: "Everybody's going to be like, 'You're a Nazi, you just like Fuentes. But then I'm like, 'I don't think Fuentes is going away. Ben Shapiro tried to strangle him in the crib in college, and now he's bigger than ever.'"[44] The interview prompted some condemnation from Republicans, conservative commentators, and Jewish organizations, who criticized Carlson for providing Fuentes a platform.[45]Heritage Foundation PresidentKevin Roberts stated that a "venomous coalition" would not be able to cancel Carlson. Roberts also argued that silencing Fuentes was not the solution.[46] Roberts' remarks resulted in internal backlash at Heritage, some employees stated "Fuentes is not someone with ideas worthy of debate".[47] On October 31, Roberts clarified that Fuentes "is fomenting Jew hatred, and his incitements are not only immoral and un-Christian, they risk violence".[47] Heritage announced staff reassignments after the interview.[48] Ali Breland inThe Atlantic stated the interview indicated Fuentes's views had grown more mainstream among someMake America Great Again (MAGA) supporters. He cited the reluctance of figures like Carlson to fully distance themselves from such rhetoric.[49] The controversy exposed a broader conflict amongst conservatives over antisemitism.[50]
By 2019,America First had attracted acult following, who refer to themselves as "Groypers".[22] The movement consists of primarily young, online activists with alt-right views.[22] Fuentes has organized the Groypers to challenge mainstream conservative figures, notably during the 2019 "Groyper Wars", where they disrupted events hosted byTurning Point USA (TPUSA) and others with provocative questions on immigration, Israel, and cultural issues. Fuentes had repeatedly criticized 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] According toMother Jones, These campaigns frequently involved asking questions that prompted viewers to look up far-right andantisemitic conspiracy theories and hoaxes online.[52] Fuentes 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] At a book release event, Groypers shouted down Donald Trump Jr until he ended the event early.[54] In December 2019, Fuentes confronted conservative political commentatorBen Shapiro outside a TPUSA event inWest Palm Beach, Florida. Shapiro was walking with his wife and young children when Fuentes asked why he had delivered a speech atStanford University criticizing him.[22]
Fuentes was among the far-right individuals and groups who participated in the rallies that led up to theJanuary 6 United States Capitol attack.[55][56] At apro-Trump protest in Washington, D.C., in December 2020, Fuentes led a crowd to chant "Destroy theGOP" and encouraged them to sit out theUnited States Senate special runoff election in Georgia.[57] In February 2021, a video of his speech was played during thesecond impeachment trial of Donald Trump by the House delegateStacey Plaskett.[58]
Fuentes was among a group of far-right activists and groups who received large donations from a French man on December 8, 2020. Fuentes received the largest share which was approximately $250,000 worth ofBitcoin. The donor also posted an apparent suicide note, according toChainalysis. The donor's status has not yet been confirmed.[59][60][61][62] 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.[63] Fuentes was not charged with any crimes.[18]
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."[64]
On January 4, 2021, 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?"[56][55][65][66]
According to several media outlets, Fuentes was part of the mob that attacked the Capitol.[67][68] 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".[69] Although he did not enter the building, he allegedly shouted encouragement for the rioters to "Keep moving towards the Capitol – it appears we are taking the Capitol back! ... Break down the barriers and disregard the police. The Capitol belongs to us!"[70][69][10]
The FBI opened an investigation in Fuentes's conduct which was closed, after five months, without any charges.[18] On January 19, 2022, theUnited States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack issued asubpoena to Fuentes.[71]
Fuentes has been banned from numerous social media platforms, financial services, and e-commerce providers since 2020, with most actions attributed to violations of policies on hate speech and related content. In January 2020, Fuentes was the most-viewed live streamer on theDLive platform.[72][73] Following the January 6 United States Capitol attack, his DLive channel was permanently suspended.[74][65] Fuentes's YouTube channel was alsodemonetized, and one of his videos was removed by YouTube as a violation of theirhate speech policies. Fuentes had previously been banned fromTwitch and fromReddit.[75][76] On February 14, 2020, his YouTube channel was terminated for violating policies on hate speech.[77]Twitter was among the last mainstream social media sites to ban Fuentes, indefinitely suspending his verified account in July 2021.[78][79][80] He has also been banned from financial ande-commerce services, includingPayPal,Venmo,Patreon,Shopify,Stripe,Streamlabs, andCoinbase.[28] According toABC News in March 2021, Fuentes had been suspended from "almost all" social media platforms.[81] Fuentes claimed that his bank account had been frozen, that he had been placed on a federalno-fly list,[82] and that he had been banned fromAirbnb,Facebook, andInstagram. Fuentes described these actions as "overt political persecution".[10] In December 2021, the social media platformGettr permanently suspended Fuentes. The site received backlash from Fuentes's fanbase as well as from the Arizona State SenatorWendy Rogers.[83] Gettr subsequently banned use of the wordgroyper on the platform.[84]
On January 25, 2023, his verified Twitter account was briefly reinstated. According to a senior researcher at the SPLC, he immediately praisedAdolf Hitler and theUnabomber and declared, "Jews run the news". Twitter banned him again the next day.[85] In May 2024, following an announcement byElon Musk, Fuentes's X (formerly Twitter) account was reinstated.[86] 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." The ADL condemned Musk's decision, to which Musk addressed the backlash by stating, "It is better to have anti whatever out in the open to be rebutted than to grow simmering in the darkness."[87][88][89] Since his return to X, Fuentes has grown his follower base to over 1,000,000.[90] After Fuentes's bans from DLive and YouTube,America First moved to streaming onRumble with approximately 500,000 viewers. This growth in popularity led to exchanges withTucker Carlson andJason Whitlock in which they recognized his ability to draw an audience.[18]
Fuentes andAlex Jones attempted to rejoin YouTube in September 2025 after the platform announced it would be offering the reinstatement of all channels banned from the site due to political speech violations. However, YouTube again banned both Fuentes and Jones hours after creating new channels.[91]
The America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC) is an annualwhite nationalist[92] andfar-right[93] political conference founded by Nick Fuentes.The Arizona Republic characterized it as an extremist rival to theConservative Political Action Conference.[94]Michelle Malkin spoke at the first and second AFPAC in February 2020 and 2021 respectively.[95] In November 2019, Malkin was fired by theYoung America's Foundation after 17 years of employment over her support for Fuentes.[96][95]Steve King andPaul Gosar also presented at the second AFPAC.[97]
Fuentes was barred from the Hyatt Regency Orlando, in February 2021, where he attempted to "start a commotion" during theCPAC.[98]Newsweek reported that he was again removed from CPAC in July 2021 for harassing a journalist.[99][100]
Fuentes hosted his third annual AFPAC event in February 2022.Marjorie Taylor Greene, theU.S. representative forGeorgia's 14th district, attended the conference,[101][102] whileJanice McGeachin, then thelieutenant governor of Idaho, and Gosar prerecorded videos that were played at the event.[103] Greene's attendance was criticized by otherRepublican Party politicians such asMitt Romney.[101][104] Greene later said that she did not know who the organizers of the conference were.[104] The event highlightedAlexander Dugin's growing influence on the American far-right. He blamed gay-rights, liberal values, and separation of church and state for societal decline.[101] AFPAC IV was cancelled by the venue, but they held an alternative event, also attended by Sulaiman Ahmed, an onlineanti-Israel commentator, andDavid Duke, formerly of theKu Klux Klan.[105][106]
According to theAnti-Defamation League, Fuentes cited the candidacy and presidency of Donald Trump as an inspiration forAmerica First.[10]America First is broadly considered an American foreign policy of nationalism and protectionism.
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".[107] 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".[108]
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".[107] Trump also acknowledged advising West to drop out of the race.[107]
Members of the meeting gave contradictory accounts[109] of what occurred.[110] According toAxios:[111]
...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.[111]
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."[112]
The meeting received significant attention and comment from domestic and international political figures.[113][8][114][115] The nature of the event—in which a former president hosted guests with open antisemitic beliefs—was considered "unprecedented"[116] in the modern era and garnered intense bipartisan criticism of Trump, with Republican leaders in theU.S. Congress making a rare rebuke of Trump.[117] The scandal raised questions over Trump's tenability as a candidate in the 2024 election.[118][119][120][121] 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".[122] Commentators and politicians argued Trump's failure to condemn antisemitism and racism from the guests was an implicit acceptance of their beliefs.[123]
Trump defended the dinner in aTruth Social post, writing about West: "we got along great, he expressed no anti-Semitism, & I appreciated all of the nice things he said about me on 'Tucker Carlson'" and "why wouldn't I agree to meet?", and that he "never met and knew nothing about" Fuentes.[124] According toThe Washington Post, Trump initially believed that the events of the evening would "blow over". However, by December 1, the actions of West and Fuentes after the dinner had changed his mind.[125]
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."[126]Israeli prime minister-designateBenjamin Netanyahu labeled the meeting a "mistake".[115] In a follow-up interview, Netanyahu stated: "...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."[127]
Three years later, on November 16, 2025, Trump said of Tucker Carlson's interview with Fuentes the previous month: "You can’t tell him who to interview. If he wants to interview Nick Fuentes — I don’t know much about him, but if he wants to do it — get the word out. People have to decide."[128]
In August 2024, Fuentes began a "digital war" againstTrump's presidential campaign, which he dubbed "Groyper War 2".[129] TheDaily Dot reported that after poorpolling for Donald Trump, Fuentes began calling on his followers to "bring the energy with memes, edits, replies, and trolls" aimed at pressuring Trump's campaign to adopt further-right positions on race and immigration, as well as urging Trump to fire his campaign advisorsChris LaCivita andSusie Wiles.[130][better source needed] In addition to directing his followers to make their demandstrend onX (formerly Twitter) andTruth Social, Fuentes threatened to "escalate pressure in the real world", urging followers to withhold their votes and protest Trump rallies in battleground states.[129] Fuentes said Vance was "the end state of Trumpism, a complete fabrication who was created in a lab by Peter Thiel".[18]
Shortly after initiating this effort, Fuentes took credit for Trump's rehiring ofCorey Lewandowski as a senior campaign advisor in August, although Lewandowski was ultimately told to focus on staying in the role of a surrogate for the campaign in October after reportedly losing a power struggle regarding Trump's campaign.[131] Fuentes said he would not vote for Trump and his running mate,JD Vance. He questioned whether Vance would "supportwhite identity", since Vance's wife is ofIndian heritage.[132][133] Vance said Fuentes was a "total loser" in response, and indicated the Trump campaign would not listen to him.[129] Conservatives largely agreed that he had little influence on Trump himself, which Fuentes agreed with.[18]
In November 2024, 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".[134]
In July 2025, Fuentes criticized Trump after he refused to release theEpstein files, describing Trump as a "scam artist". Fuentes repudiated supporters that had called for their release, before stating that the "liberals were right", and that "when we look back on the history of populism in America, we are going to look back on the MAGA movement as the biggest scam in history".[135][17]
In late 2022, Fuentes shifted away from his longtime position of supporting Donald Trump and instead, and instead began promotingKanye West'spresidential campaign.[136] and far-right streamerSneako.[137]
On November 28, 2022, political commentatorTim Pool interviewed West, Fuentes, and Yiannopoulos regarding West's campaign.[138] Pool pressed West and Fuentes with an article posted by Mike Pence stating that Trump was wrong for allowing anti-Semitic people to eat with him at dinner, referencing the two's dinner with Trump 6 days earlier, and demanded that the two apologize, which they refused to do, before eventually walking off during the interview.[139] In a December interview with Alex Jones, the two garnered significant controversy after West declared that he "loves" Adolf Hitler and denies the Holocaust. Fuentes, while not directly commenting on West's remarks, shared his agreement with West's views throughout the interview.[140] On December 5, 2022,Proud Boys founderGavin McInnes interviewed West alongside Fuentes, with the duo asserting that Hitler's reputation was "crafted by Jews". West also endorsed Fuentes's beliefs by stating that society needed to be structured around aChristian government, and that media in the United States needed to be controlled by Christians.[141]
Following controversies regarding Fuentes's supposed involvement in allegations based around another Kanye supporter,Ali Alexander, West fired Fuentes and Alexander from his campaign with the help of Yiannopoulos, who had been rehired after initially leaving Ye's team following his comments in the Jones and McInnes interviews.[142][143]
Upon West's release of the controversial song "Heil Hitler", which Fuentes witnessed the production of during a Kick stream hosted by Sneako and producerDigital Nas in April, he stated that the song would become the "song of the summer", before remarking, "Imagine 50,000 people in a stadium on their feet singing every word. This is where it's going."[144]
On an edition of America First, streamed onRumble on 28 March 2025, Fuentes explained:[145]
"Jews are running society, women need to shut the fuck up, Blacks need to be imprisoned for the most part, and we would live in paradise ... White men need to run the household, they need to run the country, they need to run the companies. They just need to run everything, it's that simple. It's literally that simple."
This was described as a helpful distillation of his ideology byNew York Times columnistMichelle Goldberg.[146]
Fuentes espouses alt-right, white nationalist, and anti-immigration views that emphasize racial and religious identity, opposition to multiculturalism, and criticism of mainstream conservatism. Fuentes calls himself a "reactionary", stating that he wants to turn the Republican Party into "a trulyreactionary party".[147][37] The SPLC and ADL say he hopes to have thealt-right displace conservatism and the GOP, and has criticized mainstream conservative groups, stating that "Christian Republican voters get screwed over" because "the GOP is run by Jews, atheists, and homosexuals".[10][37] In June, Tess Owen, a reporter forVice, wrote that Fuentes "has positioned himself as the kingpin of the ultranationalist youth movement".[7]
These positions extend to his views on race and national identity, where Fuentes has promoted white nationalist and supremacist themes. Fuentes stronglyopposes immigration, which he believes is ademographic threat to the United States.[148][better source needed] 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.[37][149][25] Fuentes has discussed thewhite genocide conspiracy theory.[150] He said the termwhite supremacist is an "anti-white slur".[151] Fuentes wants the United States to be a white, Christian country and has specified that it is not a "Judeo-Christian" country, according to the SPLC.[37] On the podcast, Fuentes has stated: "Jews are running society, women need to shut the fuck up, Blacks need to be imprisoned for the most part, and we would live in paradise; it's that simple."[145] Fuentes continued with, "But the older I get, the more I realize it is really this simple. We need white men in charge of everything again".[145]
He has also described Chicago as "nigger hell".[9]
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| Christian nationalism in the United States |
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Fuentes isCatholic[22] and identifies with thetraditionalist Catholic movement.[21] Fuentes is also anintegralist and aChristian nationalist. He has said, "You're either a Catholic or you're with the Jews", and he has voiced support for a Catholic government and Catholic media. Fuentes supports a Christiantheocracy instead of what he calls a "Jewish-occupied government".[152] Fuentes has described himself as a reactionary who supportsautocracy, Catholicmonarchy,just war, theCrusades, and theInquisition. Fuentes opposesdemocracy.[153]
Fuentes holds antisemitic views[12][13] anddenies the Holocaust.[11] He has praisedAdolf Hitler,[150][154] stating "Hitler is awesome. Hitler was right. And the Holocaust didn’t happen.” on his show America First.[155]
He has also promotedantisemitic conspiracy theories against Jews and called for a "holy war" against them.[12][156] He said that "Jews stood in the way" of overturningRoe v. Wade, and that theDobbs decision meant that "banning gay marriage is back on the menu, banning sodomy is back on the menu, banning contraceptives is back on the menu, and basically we're having something like Taliban rule in America, in a good way".[157][158] During his speech atAFPAC 2022, Fuentes bestowed "giggling praise" on Hitler.[104] In 2025, Fuentes claimed that his antisemitic views had toned down as he aged, though theNew York Times stated that "A review of Mr. Fuentes's recent remarks indicates otherwise."[18]
According toThe American Conservative, Fuentes has advocated for implementing a Catholicmonarchy[159] ordictatorship in the United States.[159][160][161] He has praised the leadership of dictators, including Adolf Hitler andJoseph Stalin.[159][43]
Fuentes has describedIslam as "a barbaric ideology that [wants] to come over and kill us".[162] During a show in April 2017, Fuentes "argued theFirst Amendment was not written for Muslims or immigrants".[25] Fuentes has expressed support for theTaliban leadership withinAfghanistan.[163]
Fuentes's foreign policy views praise authoritarian regimes and movements that oppose U.S. influence. On March 10, 2022, Fuentes praised "czar Putin" for theRussian invasion of Ukraine,[164] which he claimed was to "liberate Ukraine from theGreat Satan and from theevil empire in the world, which is the United States".[102] The AFPAC event in 2022, led by Fuentes, was marked by support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. One expert on the far-right stated, "the common thread is this idea that because of western European and US influence on Ukraine, Ukraine was a place where the same perceived downfalls of western society existed".[101] During his speech, Fuentes praised Hitler, and said that the media had been comparingVladimir Putin to Hitler "as if that wasn't a good thing".[104] 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!"[101] After the conference, Fuentes led a prayer for Russia's forces in Ukraine.[102] He also ridiculedKamala Harris for claiming that Russia was committing war crimes. Fuentes spread lies about death counts and Russia's motivations for the war.[102]
Fuentes has expressed support for aChinese invasion of Taiwan, saying in 2022, "I want China to take back Taiwan, I want Russia to take back Ukraine, if for no other reason than it's time for America to be humiliated."[164]
Fuentes has praised the conservative religious aspect of IslamistTaliban governance.[165][163][166][167][158] He has been described as having "disdain" for Muslims, but he states that his goal is "Catholic Taliban rule" in the United States.[150] Afterthe Afghan government fell to the Taliban whileAmerican forces were withdrawing in August 2021, Fuentes posted on theTelegram messaging service, "The Taliban is a conservative, religious force, the US is godless and liberal. The defeat of the US government in Afghanistan is unequivocally a positive development."[167]
Fuentes is a vocal critic of Israel and U.S. support for the country.[168] He stated that the United States should withdraw support for Israel because, "We're European, they're ethnically Jewish".[169] He claimed that theOctober 7 attacks were staged to "justify Israel's unfolding war to destroy Iran and its proxies".[170]
In October 2025, Fuentes qualified hisisolationism by endorsing the enforcement of U.S. dominance overLatin America, stating, "We are in agreat power competition with China and Russia". He also expressed support for threatening Venezuela, citing the country's resources as justification and saying that the United States needed to "take their stuff", but did not support regime change.[171]
Fuentes has frequently spreadconspiracy theories and misinformation surrounding theFDA-approvedCOVID-19 vaccines.[172] In December 2020, Fuentes reportedly had an altercation on a flight overmask mandates.[10] In April 2021,Salon reported that "Nicholas Fuentes and his 'groyper army' have joined forces with the coronavirusanti-vaccine community."[172] That year, he embarked on an anti-vaccine speaking tour, where he promotedhoaxes about COVID-19 vaccines.[173]
According to theNew York Times, Fuentes "is determined to thwart the presidential ambitions of Vice President JD Vance".[18] He has described Vance as a "a complete fabrication who was created in a lab byPeter Thiel".[18] He has criticized Vance for having a mixed race family, stating "you can't make me go and vote for some fat ass with some mixed-race family".[9]
In 2022, Fuentes told the British journalistLouis Theroux that he believes it would be better if women did not have theright to vote.[174] In July 2023, appearing on theFresh and Fit Podcast, Fuentes stated that women were "baby machines" because "that's what their brains are about".[175] He has stated that the optimal age for a wife is 16, which he states is "right when the milk is good".[150] Fuentes also has stated that rape is "not so a big deal"[37] and has claimed that "a lot of women want to be raped".[176][177] Fuentes believes that women should serve a "subordinate" role to their husbands.[154]
Following theDobbs v. Jackson decision that overturnedRoe v. Wade in June 2022, Fuentes praised theSupreme Court of the United States for its decision.[157] In November 2024, after Donald Trump's victory in the2024 U.S. presidential election, Fuentes mocked supporters ofreproductive rights, tweeting, "Your body, my choice. Forever" (a brash spin on thefreedom of choice slogan "My body, my choice").[179] The phrase became popular onTikTok,[180] 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.[181]
Fuentes has said there is an "LGBT agenda",[182] and has describedtransgender people andsame-sex marriage as "deviancy".[1]
On November 10, 2024, Marla Rose, an activist, approached Fuentes's home and attempted to ring his doorbell. Fuentes allegedlypepper-sprayed Rose before pushing her down his front steps and taking her phone, which she was using to film the interaction.[183] Following this incident, Fuentes was arrested on November 27 and charged with battery; he appeared in court on December 19.[184][185]
In 2023, Fuentes and associates were involved in a scandal about Fuentes's friend,Ali Alexander. Two accusers, seventeen and fifteen years old, respectively, stated Alexander asked for pornographic images and encouraged sexual intercourse.[186] One accuser said he believed Fuentes was "100 percent aware" of the alleged situation, yet did not intervene at the time. The other accuser said, "Nick personally asked me to apologize to Ali for supposedly faking the messages."[186] Fuentes denied the allegations.[186] U.S. RepresentativeMarjorie Taylor Greene requested an FBI investigation, stating, "This is disgusting textbook predation of underage boys. And Nick Fuentes was in on it."[186][187][188]Milo Yiannopoulos, a "one-time Alexander ally", alleged he sent a text to Fuentes in January 2022, which read, "Alexander wants to come to your events to have sex with underage boys. Snap out of it."[186][189][190]
Alexander later apologized.[186][190][191] He also said he was targeted by "fake accusers or literal honey pots eager to frame me",[190] and that some of the claims were "defamatory and false".[191] He further stated "nothing unlawful has occurred".[190]
As of November 2025, following his interview withTucker Carlson, there is "a widespread sense" that Fuentes's politics are on the rise, according to New York Times columnistMichelle Goldberg.[146] Conservative writerRod Dreher, quoting "someone in a position to know", states that "something like" 30-40% of staffers under the age of 30, working for Republican Party officials or institutions in Washington DC are Groypers.[146] Political commentator John Ganz also agrees that there is a "marked" generation gap in the conservative movement, with the older members' horror of theholocaust, support forChristian Zionism andDispensationalism, and taboos against anti-semitism fading or gone among younger staff members who are "much more open to Fuentes's ideas" that saturateInternet forums and online spaces.[192] Conservative opponents of the movement such as theWashington Examiner newspaper have complained that "The Groypers are at the gate",[193][194] while Fuentes himself has celebrated his success, claiming that "the Groypers have broken through the walls".[195][194]
In 2022,BBC Two produced a docuseries episode byLouis Theroux,Forbidden America: Extreme and Online, in which Fuentes is prominently featured as part of an exploration of the American far-right online subculture.[174]
Fuentes has described himself as a "proudincel" (involuntary celibate).[150] He has expressed interest in marrying a 16-year-old girl, describing this age as "right when the milk is good".[150]
Fuentes has said that "the only really straightheterosexual position is to be anasexual incel", as "having sex with women is gay".[196][197]
In November 2024, the address of Fuentes'sBerwyn, Illinois, home wasdoxed on Twitter in response to Fuentes mockingabortion advocates in his tweet "Your body, my choice".[198]
On December 18, 2024, at 11:30 P.M. (CST), a man armed with a pistol and a crossbow showed up at his home.[199] The man, identified as 24-year-old John Lyons ofWestchester, was suspected of killing a mother and her two adult children[200][201] inMahomet earlier in the day. After police arrived, Lyons fled, forcing his way into Fuentes's 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.[202][203][204] 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!"[199]
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.
white supremacist Nick Fuentes
White supremacist Nick Fuentes was removed from the Conservative Political Action Conference this week over his lengthy history of antisemitism
The Department of Justice identified Fuentes as a white supremacist last year. He's a Holocaust-denier who has threatened violence against Jewish people and spread hate against Black Americans and other groups.
Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist with antisemitic views
far-right political commentator Nick Fuentes
Nicholas Fuentes, a Holocaust denier and peddler of antisemitic content
Fuentes, who identifies as a traditional Catholic and is partially of Hispanic descent...
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.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Islamophobia has been weaponized by white nationalists like Fuentes for recruitment and propaganda, making his support for the Taliban's militant Islamist worldview all the more intriguing.
