Nicholas Joseph Fuentes (born August 18, 1998, in La Grange Park, Illinois) is an American far-right political commentator, live streamer, and white nationalist activist. He is the founder of the America First movement and leads the 'Groyper' movement (also called the 'Groyper Army'), a loose network of online trolls and activists who disrupt mainstream conservative events to push more extreme positions on immigration, race, nationalism, and traditionalist Christian values. Fuentes gained prominence in the alt-right movement during his late teens, initially through his involvement in conservative media, including participation in the 2017 National Policy Institute conference and coverage of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he was present but distanced himself from violence. He hosts the livestream 'America First,' where he promotes Christian nationalism, white supremacy, antisemitism (including Holocaust denial), misogyny, support for the incel movement, and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. His supporters, known as Groypers, idolize him as a leader in the America First movement and have targeted figures like Charlie Kirk and Ben Shapiro and organizations like Turning Point USA, accusing them of insufficiently radical conservatism or insufficiently nationalist stances. Fuentes dropped out of Boston University in 2017 after one semester amid controversy over his attendance at the National Policy Institute event and participation in the Unite the Right rally, though he was not a main organizer. He has built a significant online following through platforms like Cozy.tv, which he launched after being banned from mainstream sites such as YouTube and Twitter (pre-Musk) for hate speech. Fuentes founded the America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC) in 2020 as a far-right alternative to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), attracting controversial speakers aligned with his ideology. His rhetoric often targets Jewish individuals and organizations, leading to adversarial relationships with figures like Ben Shapiro and Jonathan Greenblatt of the ADL, which labels him a white supremacist. In November 2022, he attended a dinner at Mar-a-Lago with Donald Trump and Kanye West, which Trump later described as unplanned, leading to widespread condemnation from Republican leaders. Fuentes endorsed Trump in the 2024 presidential election, claiming to have voted for him, but criticizes mainstream conservatives as insufficiently radical or 'Zionist-occupied.' He identifies as a Traditionalist Catholic and has expressed admiration for fascist leaders like Francisco Franco, advocating for a 'Catholic integralist' vision of America prioritizing white Christian identity. Fuentes has collaborated with figures like Patrick Casey of Identity Evropa and appeared on podcasts hosted by Mike Enoch of The Daily Shoah. He has been accused of inciting violence, promoting conspiracy theories (including election denialism related to January 6, 2021), and engaging in doxxing through his Groyper network, though no criminal convictions are documented. He attended the January 6 Capitol riot but was not charged. Fuentes has faced scrutiny from civil rights groups and authorities, including a 2022 airport detention by U.S. Customs for questioning related to his travels and associations, though no charges were filed. His influence extends through the Groyper movement, which has infiltrated youth conservative groups, and he remains a polarizing figure in far-right circles, often clashing with establishment Republicans while facing widespread deplatforming and legal scrutiny for his role in online radicalization.