Infamous Neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes is back to recruit a new generation of racists

Nick Fuentes, the neo-Nazi activist who dined with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago last year, has been diligently "grooming" a new generation of white nationalists, argued Ali Breland for Mother Jones in an analysis released Wednesday.

"Fuentes is one of a few figures on the right who directly speak to new generations anxious about the decline of the middle class and wondering what to do about it," wrote Breland. "By combining class and economic precarity with white nationalism, Fuentes makes racism even more persuasive to a certain kind of person. This brew has helped fuel his meteoric rise from fringe YouTube star to Mar-a-Lago guest, becoming heir apparent to the American white nationalist throne."

"Fuentes is known for his charisma. Unlike some of his right-wing internet peers, like Ben Shapiro and Tim Pool, who speak in monotones and try their hardest to present as intellectuals, Fuentes prefers to grandstand while working to provoke and engage," wrote Breland. "Another major component of Fuentes’ appeal is that he provides logically consistent, albeit atrocious, answers to the contradictions of modern conservatism. His arguments have a way of ripping open muddled beliefs advanced by mainstream conservatives." For example, he rejects the GOP's worship of capitalism, which presents a contradiction for the GOP when they try to punish companies for "woke" behavior. And he "openly argues diversity is bad because of his belief in the inferiority of nonwhite races" — presenting a clearer message than Republicans who pay lip service to diversity even as they attack examples of it.

His strategy of mainstreaming into Republican politics was set back by the spotlight created by dining with Trump — but he has made some headwinds, even getting politicians to attend his conferences, noted the report. Eight months, before, for example, he had held an "America First" conference in Orlando — and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) showed up to it.

"This Marriott conference center worth of Groypers — which Fuentes’ fans call themselves in homage to a right-wing internet frog meme — had gathered in Orlando for the third annual America First Political Action Conference," wrote Breland. "He was serving as the warmup act for a secret guest of honor: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). She didn’t say anything too noteworthy, but her willingness to appear at an event hosted by an openly racist Holocaust denier was a massive victory for his cause. In becoming a member of Congress, Greene had helped bring institutional credibility to fringe and racist conspiracy theories. Now she was doing the same for his brand of white nationalism."

Fuentes scored another win this week with Elon Musk-controlled Twitter reinstating his account — making it the only mainstream social media platform to allow him to operate on it.