How Gen Z internet culture fuels the far right split
People born after 2000 grew up in the internet age. Their culture is shaped online. Their political ideas are shaped online. Radicalization through internet communities is normal for Gen Z.
I became aware of one of these groups, the Groypers, and their leader Nick Fuentes. For me it is fascinating to study how internet-born movements challenge the traditional conservative leaders. For my Chinese audience, this might also be a window into how American politics works on the far right. So I am making this article.
Who is Nick Fuentes
Nick Fuentes was born in 1998. He built his following through internet live streams and his “America First” rallies. His audience is mostly young men from Gen Z, often called the Groypers.
His political ideals are clear:
White nationalism. He says the U.S. must preserve a white Christian identity.
Christian nationalism. He wants Catholic or fundamentalist values to dominate politics.
Anti-immigration. He pushes for ending legal and illegal immigration.
Anti-LGBTQ. He opposes same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights.
Antisemitism. He denies the Holocaust and blames Jewish influence for U.S. policy.
Authoritarian leanings. He praises Putin, questions democracy, and flirts with dictatorship.
Fuentes sells all of this under the slogan “America First.” In reality, it is an effort to shift conservatives away from leaders like Charlie Kirk and toward open white nationalist politics.
Who are the Groypers
Groypers are Fuentes’s followers. They organize online and disrupt conservative events. They use confrontational questions to corner mainstream figures.
Their ideology mirrors Fuentes’s ideals. They accuse mainstream conservatives of being fake, too soft, or controlled by donors.
Charlie Kirk vs the Groypers
Charlie Kirk leads Turning Point USA. He represents mainstream youth conservatism. He is pro-Israel, pro-donor, and tries to keep a wide appeal.
Groypers call him weak. They say he avoids tough answers on immigration. They call him too soft on LGBTQ issues. They say he takes donor money and shapes his politics around groups like AIPAC.
The feud started in 2019 when Groypers disrupted Kirk’s events. They asked why conservatives “put Israel first.” That was the start of the “Groyper wars.”
The Israel and Gaza Divide
Israel is the biggest dividing line.
Kirk sees Israel as a key ally. He defends it after every Gaza conflict. For him, supporting Israel is part of conservative identity.
Fuentes and the Groypers go the opposite way. They deny the Holocaust. They say Kirk is a Zionist puppet. They point to Gaza as proof mainstream conservatives side with foreign interests over America First.
The Current Drama
The feud resurfaced after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Reports suggest the shooter was influenced by Fuentes and Groyper spaces online. Some say he thought Kirk was not conservative enough.
Fuentes tried to distance himself. He told followers to avoid violence. But his community shapes the anger.
The far right is eating itself. Kirk is the gatekeeper. Fuentes is the radical challenger. Gaza, Israel, and donor politics deepen the split.
My Take
The important part is not whether Kirk or Fuentes wins. It is that Gen Z now forms its politics online, not through institutions.
Movements like the Groypers show how internet culture builds sub-communities that no longer respect mainstream leaders. For Chinese readers, this shows how U.S. politics fragments even inside the far right.
And in the information age, if you have ideas, you can spread them online. Somewhere, someone will become your audience. Slowly, your influence grows. That is what is happening now. We live in the influencer world, and it will only get worse in the future.
