Nick Fuentes
Nicholas Joseph Fuentes (born August 18, 1998) is an American far-right[5] political commentator and live streamer who is known for his white supremacist, misogynistic, homophobic, antisemitic, and Islamophobic views. A former YouTuber, his channel was permanently terminated in February 2020 for violating YouTube's hate speech policy.[6] Fuentes has promoted conspiracy theories against Jewish people,[7] has denied the Holocaust,[8][9] and advocates for the genocide of Jews.[10][11] Fuentes identifies as a member of the incel movement, as a supporter of authoritarian government, and as a Catholic integralist and Christian nationalist.[4][12][13]
"Nicholas Fuentes" redirects here. For the Peruvian footballer, see Nicolás Fuentes.
Nick Fuentes
- Political commentator
- streamer
2015–present
- Political commentary
- Founder of the Groypers
- Holocaust denial
- hate speech
- white supremacy
- misogyny
- homophobia
- antisemitism
- Islamophobia
- Christian nationalism
Collaborating with Patrick Casey, a former leader of the neo-Nazi organization Identity Evropa in 2019,[14] Fuentes's followers, known as Groypers, began to heckle Turning Point's Culture War Tour, including a speaking event for Donald Trump Jr.[15] In 2020, seeking to establish a white supremacist conference to rival CPAC, Fuentes began holding the annual America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC).[16][17] Fuentes attended the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville,[18] and was also an attendee and speaker at events preceding the 2021 United States Capitol attack.[19] He has encouraged the use of jokes and irony among white nationalist groups, stating that it "is so important for giving a lot of cover and plausible deniability for our views".[14][20]
In late November 2022, Fuentes, along with Kanye West, met with former U.S. President Donald Trump for a private dinner. The meeting received significant comment from domestic and international political figures, with the debate surrounding the dinner being called "the most discomfiting moment in U.S. history in a half-century or more" for American Jews.[5]
Early and personal life
Fuentes was born on August 18, 1998.[1] Fuentes lived in La Grange Park, Illinois, and attended Lyons Township High School, where he was president of the student council.[21] He studied introductory international relations and politics during his freshman year at Boston University.[14] He dropped out in 2017 after completing his freshman year, claiming he received threats for attending the white supremacist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.[18][22][23] He said he would transfer to Auburn University in fall 2017, saying Auburn "has better weather and better people", but ultimately "did not confirm his enrollment".[24]
According to himself, Fuentes is of Mexican descent via his paternal ancestors, and is Catholic.[25][26]
Fuentes identifies as an incel (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 in high school.[13][27] He has described himself as the "straightest guy" and attempted to defend himself as an incel by claiming that "the only really straight heterosexual position is to be an asexual 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.'"[28][29][30]
Political activities
Early activities
Fuentes began commentating on politics through a local radio and TV station hosted by his high school, where he espoused mainstream conservative views.[31][32] He hosts the episodic live stream America First with Nicholas J. Fuentes, which he began in 2017 during his freshman year at Boston University.[15][14][33][34] America First is characterized by Fuentes' frequent use of jokes and irony to appeal to Generation Z while providing plausible deniability for his often extreme views.[20]
On his show in April 2017, Fuentes asserted that Muslim speech was not covered by the First Amendment and went on to say, "Who runs the media? Globalists. Time to kill the globalists" and "I want people that run CNN 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".[35] Following these and other comments, as well as publicity over his attendance of the Unite the Right rally, he left RSBN in August 2017.[24][36] In February 2022, Fuentes claimed that he was fired by RSBN CEO Joe Seales.[14]
He co-hosted the Nationalist Review podcast with another white nationalist, James Allsup, until January 2018. According to the Southern 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."[37] In April 2018, Fuentes spoke at the American Renaissance conference.[14]
Criticism of Turning Point USA
Fuentes has repeatedly criticized Turning Point USA (TPUSA) and its founder Charlie Kirk, accusing them of betraying Donald Trump by advocating in favor of mass legal immigration, support in foreign aid for the State of Israel and LGBT issues.[38] Throughout October and November 2019, his supporters were present at many of Kirk's public speaking events, which featured guest speakers including Donald Trump Jr., Lara Trump, and Kimberly Guilfoyle.[38] These campaigns frequently involved asking questions that prompt viewers to look up far-right and antisemitic conspiracy theories and hoaxes online.[39] Fuentes has characterized the campaign as a grassroots effort to expose TPUSA as ideologically inconsistent with the ideology espoused by Donald Trump and other conservative 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.[40]
In December 2019, Fuentes harassed conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro, who was walking by with his wife and young children, outside a TPUSA event in West Palm Beach, Florida. Fuentes had confronted Shapiro to ask why he had given a speech at Stanford University bashing Fuentes.[26] The encounter was filmed and led to criticism of Fuentes.[41]
