...
By Mandy Taheri
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Nick Fuentes, a right-wing figure considered to be a "white nationalist" by the Southern Poverty Law Center, told his followers to either skip the midterms or “vote Democrat,” in a clear break from President Donald Trump over the Iran war.
Why It Matters
Fuentes, a well-known figure on the right, has drawn scrutiny from across the political spectrum over his comments about race, such as his remarks last year calling Vice President JD Vance a "race traitor" for being married to Usha Vance, the daughter of two Indian immigrants.
Read More on Politics
U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in Iran, which started on Saturday, have killed at least 787 people, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, highlighting the scale of the bombardment as the conflict enters its fourth day. On Monday, the U.S. military said Monday that six Americans were killed in the war. As the death toll climbs, U.S. embassies across the Middle East are urging Americans to leave immediately, warning they may be unable to assist those trying to flee.
The 2026 midterms give Democrats a chance to claw back seats two years after President Donald Trump returned to the White House, winning the Electoral College and the national popular vote. Republicans also took control of the Senate and held a narrow House majority.
What To Know
In a recent stream, Fuentes told his followers, who are referred to as “Groypers,” that they should abandon the Republican Party and Trump over the president’s military attack on Iran.
“The movement is something else now, and what we need in 2028, this is our last chance, we need in 2026 for this administration to be shut the f*** down,” Fuentes said.
He continued, "Do not vote in the midterms, and if you do, vote Democrat.” The streamer went on to criticize what the “golden age” looks like, expressing frustration over “the tariffs were refunded, the deportations were stopped,” and arguing that, in his opinion, the administration hasn’t done much except “embezzle money, go to war with Iran and bury the Epstein files.”
...
Fuentes went on to say, "This administration needs to be shut down immediately. It has forfeited its mandate. They promised no new wars, they promised mass deportations and America first, and we're not getting any of it. So shut it down. In 2026, shut it down, and our only hope is that in 2028, in the Republican primary, somebody will emerge who will actually put America first."
Trump campaigned on an “America First” platform during the 2024 election, but his second term has featured major foreign interventions, including a U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and U.S. strikes on Iran last June in coordination with Israel that the administration dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer,” and now “Operation Epic Fury.”
In recent X posts, Fuentes also expressed his waning support for the administration, writing on February 28, the day of the U.S. strikes on Iran, "I told you so," and in a March 1 post, "Trump betrayed MAGA and America First. He has lost his mandate to govern. I cannot and will not vote for the GOP unless they put America and Americans First. If you keep voting after they dragged us into a regional war with Iran, then you will vote for absolutely anything."
What People Are Saying
Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, said in an X post on Saturday: "I am opposed to this War. This is not 'America First.'"
Marjorie Taylor Greene, who retired from Congress early this year after a falling out with Trump over the Epstein files, wrote a lengthy Saturday post on X saying she felt betrayed by the president: "We said ‘No More Foreign Wars, No More Regime Change!’ We said it on rally stage after rally stage, speech after speech. Trump, Vance, basically the entire admin campaigned on it and promised to put America FIRST and Make America Great Again…It’s always a lie and it’s always America Last. But it feels like the worst betrayal this time because it comes from the very man and the admin who we all believed was different and said no more.”
Representative Yassamin Ansari, an Iranian American Democrat, said in a Saturday statement: "As the daughter of Iranian immigrants who fled this regime, I know personally what its violence means. Members of our family and friends were brutalized and murdered by the Islamic Republic. I carry that history with me every day. At the same time, as a U.S. Congresswoman sworn to uphold the Constitution and protect the American people, I am deeply concerned by President Trump’s decision to launch an illegal, dangerous war without Congressional authorization. Under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, the power to declare war rests solely with Congress. Consistent with my previous votes, public statements, and the consensus in my district, I believe no president–Republican or Democrat–has the authority to launch military strikes of this magnitude without Congressional approval."
Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, wrote on X: “President Trump has shown time and time again, you NEVER threaten America. God Bless our great troops, God Bless President Trump, and God Bless America.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a Saturday X post: "Netanyahu and Trump's war on Iran is wholly unprovoked, illegal, and illegitimate. Trump has turned 'America First' into 'Israel First'—which always means 'America Last'. Our Powerful Armed Forces are prepared for this day and will teach the aggressors the lesson they deserve."
What Happens
Trump has said the U.S. bombing campaign in Iran could continue for several weeks.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines