Normalising a Nazi: The viral rise of Nick Fuentes

Notorious antisemite and white supremacist Nick Fuentes has stepped out of the shadows into mainstream media. In October, the far-right political commentator was interviewed on Tucker Carlson’s podcast, in an episode that saw both men slamming Republicans who support Israel. 

Carlson’s decision to platform Fuentes was defended by President Donald Trump on media freedom grounds, but it divided conservatives in the US and was debated for weeks in the media. As it turns out, it was only a teaser of what was to come. 

On Tuesday, Fuentes was interviewed live for two hours on Piers Morgan Uncensored, an appearance that has already gained over three million views. For those who are unfamiliar with Fuentes and the content he livestreams to more than half a million people, there’s a disturbing moment in the interview that sums it up.

After Morgan plays a clip in which Fuentes says Hitler “was really fucking cool,” it’s followed by this exchange:

Morgan: Do you regret saying that?

Fuentes: Uh, saying a fact? No, no, that’s absolutely true.

Morgan: You think Hitler was “really fucking cool?”

Fuentes: Yes, I do. And I’m tired of pretending he’s not.

The 27-year-old American is a fringe, far-right live streamer who, until recently, was largely cancelled by all mainstream media and social platforms. Today, he has 1.1 million followers on X and 557 thousand followers on the streaming service Rumble, where his episodic live show, America First With Nicholas J Fuentes, has over 74 million views.