Nick Fuentes, a far-right influencer who was once banned from nearly every social media platform for violating hate speech policies, has seen his following grow to over 1 million on Elon Musk’s X. His recent interview with Tucker Carlson has been watched by over 5 million people and has sparked a bitter infighting among conservative influencers about whether he should be tolerated or denounced. Fuentes’ views are considered extreme, including his argument that immigrants and “organized Jewry” are conspiring to extinguish the white race.
Fuentes’ rise has set off a debate among conservatives about what constitutes “too extreme” anymore. His followers call themselves “groypers” and have adopted a frog meme as their symbol. Fuentes has made no bones about his views, stating that “Jews are running society, women need to shut up, Blacks need to be imprisoned for the most part, and we would live in paradise.”
The backlash against Fuentes has come from prominent conservatives such as Sen. Ted Cruz and Ben Shapiro, who have criticized his views as antisemitic and homophobic. However, some leading conservatives have defended Carlson’s interview with Fuentes, saying that he is simply expressing unpopular opinions.
Fuentes’ online rehabilitation began when Elon Musk reinstated him to X in May 2024 after an anonymous follower questioned Musk’s commitment to free speech. However, critics say that this move has given Fuentes a megaphone to spread hateful and antisemitic rhetoric to a wider audience.
The controversy surrounding Fuentes highlights the challenges faced by social media platforms in balancing free speech with the need to prevent hate speech and misinformation. As companies such as YouTube and Facebook continue to loosen their speech restrictions, it raises concerns about the potential for extremist voices like Fuentes to go mainstream.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/11/08/nick-fuentes-tucker-carlson-hate-speech