CLUB RECAP: White Nationalism, Male Rage, and Economic Anxiety with Nick Fuentes
UNASBers dive into the world of Nick Fuentes to unpack Fuentes’ emotional appeal, humor, and accessible online language
Welcome back to Unfortunately Not a Sound Bath (UNASB)! For those who are new to us, we’re a group of people across the country who regularly come together to listen to conservative-leaning podcasts, analyze their messaging and themes, and brainstorm actionable ideas for how the Democratic coalition can strengthen its own approach. This newsletter serves as a recap of our meetings.
This week featured Nick Fuentes, a White Nationalist and far-Right-wing political commentator, and two separate clips “Trumpism is Officially DEAD” and “I Am DONE With the ‘Trad’ Sphere.” Both of these episodes explored themes of the American Dream and its decay, grievance politics, and masculine identity, and featured Fuentes’ unique style of anger, humor, and stand-up-like rants.
For those of you who may not know, Fuentes rose to fame during the 2016 election as a Trump supporter and for his involvement in the 2017 tiki torch “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is known for promoting his “America First” ideology that is racist, misogynistic, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, anti-LBGTQ, and anti-civil rights. In recent weeks, Fuentes has experienced a new wave of notoriety following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
White Nationalism as an Identity First
For Fuentes and his supporters (known as Groypers), White Nationalism comes first and foremost. Most (if not all) of the Right-wing podcasters we have covered in the past tend to anchor their beliefs to MAGAism, Republicanism, or Christian Nationalism. Fuentes stands slightly apart because he goes farther than some of his peers by loudly and proudly casting women, immigrants, people of color, and Jewish people as the forces responsible for stripping men of power, identity, and purpose.
These are the tactics Fuentes uses that UNASB clocked – ones we’ll break down in even more detail below:
He calls out other Right-wing figures for not going far enough to position himself as an outsider and a truth-teller
Centers his view around a singular enemy, reinforcing a clear “us vs. them” dynamic for his followers
Masks radicalization with humor, using laughs to make rage feel justified and normal
Pushes his extremist White Nationalist views and his vision of a “true” America (White, traditional, Christian)
His loyalty isn’t to the Republican Party – it’s to his vision of a “true” America
In both clips, this was on full display as he criticized Trump, JD Vance, Matt Walsh, Vivek Ramaswamy, Peter Thiel, and more, and how these Republicans haven’t done enough to “oppose liberal values.” By targeting establishment Republicans for what he views as their failure to protect the “true” America, he leverages this anti-establishment rhetoric to strengthen his appeal as an unfiltered truth-teller.
By positioning himself as an outsider, Fuentes is able to tap into the deep-seated distrust of institutions, validate his audience’s grievances, and facilitate a more radical shift in the conversation without losing them.
It sends the message: “The people in charge failed you. I won’t.”
Beneath the surface of Fuentes’s bigotry lies a deeper appeal to economic frustration and cultural disillusionment – especially among young men who feel left behind.
Nick is proudly Gen-Z. His identity, mixed with his criticism of MAGA, made UNASB wonder, “What will the next generation of MAGA look like?” If the Left doesn’t start winning over the next generation, then the next generation may look far more extreme than MAGA.
Economic Anxiety, the American Dream, and Male Identity
Not too long ago, purchasing a home felt achievable for many Americans. Now, the American Dream feels out of reach. Fuentes frames young men as victims of cultural and economic decline, offering them a narrative of stolen power.
His use of gender roles and economic populism sparked UNASB discussions about how this gives Fuentes broad appeal to wide audiences, including people from both the Right and Left. This tactic allows him to simplify complex societal issues into a digestible narrative of blame and betrayal, turning legitimate frustration into radicalization.
In “I Am DONE With the ‘Trad’ Sphere,” Fuentes’s commitment to White Nationalism naturally extends into gender politics, where he frames empowered women as threats to the cultural order of a “true” America and how empowered women have turned traditional gender roles into a “trap” where men have “all of the responsibility but none of the authority.”
UNASB members noted this rhetoric resonates because it fills a vacuum, especially when the Left critiques toxic masculinity but rarely offers something meaningful to replace it. For young men feeling adrift – especially as traditional roles like “provider” and “protector” shift – figures like Nick Fuentes offer clarity, blame, and belonging, even if it’s rooted in resentment and hate.
This was an area where UNASB agreed that we could win some of these people over and prevent more people from joining Fuentes by:
Offering disillusioned young men a bolder vision of the future (leading with an emotional appeal, not facts and figures)
Presenting them with healthier male role models
Redefining the villains who are causing this uncertainty by clearly identifying the systems responsible, so we can move them away from scapegoating women, people of color, and immigrants
Humor and Hate
Nick Fuentes’s delivery style is intentionally informal and emotionally charged, designed to feel more like a group chat than a political broadcast. Fuentes masks his racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and antisemitic remarks by presenting them as edgy or provocative jokes. He’s “just telling it like it is.”
UNASB members noted that his use of humor, sarcasm, and exaggerated storytelling creates the illusion of venting with the bros rather than indoctrination. This tactic lowers the guard of his mostly young, male audience, making them feel seen, validated, and part of an inside joke.
In “Trumpism is Officially DEAD,” he eases his audience into the discussion by absolutely roasting Donald Trump for being a grifter, adding that MAGA cheerleaders will “eat garbage out of a garbage can and say, ‘thanks, can I have more?’” Later, he pivots to more extreme, racist, and homophobic views. Fuentes rants, “the [Trump] government is filled with Indians, gays, and Neo-Cons” and “the number of illegals is now higher than it was when we started, and it doesn’t seem they’re going to be deported.”
We explored how the Left can better harness humor and emotional resonance to make our message more influential and less preachy. Instead of sounding like Party scripts or corporate statements, we need to ~be normal~ and have fun. This isn’t about being right in debates, it’s about building a movement people actually want to belong to. That includes showing grace to men who feel lost in today’s world and giving them something to move toward.
Key Takeaways: What Can We Do?
Rather than abandoning these audiences to the far Right, we have a chance to offer a new path: one grounded in belonging, fairness, and shared purpose. That starts with changing how we talk and what we offer:
Give disillusioned young men a bolder vision of the future and healthy male roles. Extend grace and empathy to men who are struggling to find their place in the world.
Use humor and emotion to discuss what is happening in the world, so our message is one that influences, not lectures, and doesn’t sound like Party indoctrination or corporate speak. (E.g.: Hasan Piker, Governor Newsom Press Office, I’ve Had It Podcast)
Redefine the villains causing economic uncertainty by clearly identifying the systems responsible. Explore economic populism, the grievances many have about our economy for their economic hardship, and move them away from scapegoating women, people of color, and immigrants. (E.g.: Bernie Sanders, More Perfect Union)
WHAT UNASB MEMBERS ARE READING
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