EIGHT SHLNOW BEFORE the white nationalist figure Nicholas J. Fuentes ignited a political firestorm by dining with Kanye West and Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, he strode out onstage to a crowd of what he claimed were 1,000 followers, chanting "America First." Behind a podium, flanked by two American flags and one with that slogan, he hit his standard beats (the nation is in decline, Christ is king) while sprinkling in some extremely troubling riffs, like comparing Vladimir Putin to Hitler and suggesting the similarity was a "good thing."
This Marriott conference center worth of Groyperswhich Fuentes' fans call themselves in homage to a rightwing internet frog meme-had gathered in Orlando for the third annual America First Political Action Conference. 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.
"It was a big deal for her to come out and do that," Fuentes said, praising Greene after her keynote. "You guys know full well the risk-she put herself out on a limb tonight and we here at AFPAC are grateful."
"At AFPAC 1 1 famously said it would be a small group of highly motivated people who would change the world," he added. "Here in Orlando, I say we are that group of people...We are going to rule this country."
This story is from the March/April 2023 edition of Mother Jones.
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This story is from the March/April 2023 edition of Mother Jones.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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