(JEWISH GROUP) Americans are waking up to right-wing antisemitism. We're still ignoring the root problem
Nick Fuentes is ascendant. The millennial neo-Nazi with a growing base of followers, called Groypers, is finally entering the mainstream after years of working in the darkest corners of the internet. His recent appearance on Tucker Carlson’s podcast set off a civil war on the right — one that shows no signs of abating, as new reports suggest Republican Jewish donors are struggling to decide how to respond to the crisis.
I, like many others, believe that Fuentes and his movement have brought the Republican Party, and much of the American right, closer to a culture that embraces open antisemitism than at any point in modern history. But attributing that change to Fuentes doesn’t tell the full story of how we got here. Not just in the United States, but around the world.
Because the real engine behind the rise of antisemitism today is the far-right’s digital ecosystem, which is primed to elevate fringe extremists like Fuentes, integrate them into other movements, and deliver their message to millions. Individuals matter, but that ecosystem matters far more. And that is the part we still are not talking about enough.
Change does not happen through individuals. It happens through networks. The danger posed by someone like Fuentes is obvious, but it is still the danger of a single propagandist. The danger posed by the major distribution networks enabling him and his ilk is different. It is structural. Platforms can decide who gets amplified, who gets reinstated, and which narratives move from the fringe into the mainstream. And amid President Donald Trump’s second term, as social media networks have broadly done away with content moderation in response to criticism suggesting it silences conservative ideas, that power is more dangerous that ever.
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So close.