About
Nick Fuentes is a Chicago-based white nationalist and antisemite who created and stars in a nightly news/satire show called America First. As someone who has praised Mussolini and advocated for political violence, he intends to make sure that the Republican Party becomes “truly reactionary.”
Followers of Fuentes are called “groypers,” a reference to the Pepe the Frog meme that has been appropriated by the far Right. Groypers troll and attack conservatives they consider too moderate, going after targets such as Donald Trump, Jr. and Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk, among others.
Fuentes also founded the America First Foundation, a 501(c)4 organization, along with the America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC) to compete with the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) spoke at the 2022 AFPAC gathering, which Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) attended.
Much like Steve Bannon, Fuentes is proudly racist, brash, and committed to the notion of “white genocide” and other conspiracy theories. He was reportedly kicked off a flight in December 2020 for not complying with Covid mask protocols, but he subsequently attributed his inclusion on the federal no-fly list to his advocacy of Trump’s Big Lie and involvement in the insurrection.
January 6, 2021
- After participating in events at the Capitol on Jan. 6, Fuentes tweeted on Jan. 7: “The Capitol siege was f***ing awesome and I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t.” Although he doesn’t appear to have entered the building, his America First followers did.
- Fuentes was subpoenaed by the House Select Committee investigating the attack.
- The FBI is investigating why Fuentes received $250,000 in Bitcoin a few weeks prior to the attack on the Capitol and how the money was used.
The Big Lie
- Following the 2020 presidential election, Fuentes traveled the country to speak at Stop the Steal rallies.
- At a Dec. 12, 2020 rally in Washington, D.C., he led the crowd in chanting: “Destroy the GOP!”
- In a Jan. 4, 2021 video, Fuentes suggests that his followers kill state legislators. “What can you and I do to state legislators besides kill them?” he asks, adding: “Although I’m not advising that… what else are you going to do?”