Recently, my housemates and I gathered around the TV and – as the PPR students we are -we ended up watching Louis Theroux’s 2022 docuseries 'Forbidden America' available on BBC iplayer. We watched the first episode titled ‘Extreme and Online’ in which Theroux explores the American alt-right presence on the internet. Many of those he meets are proudly misogynistic and racist and have accumulated loyal fan bases of people with the same views. If you’re someone who has an interest in politics and grew up with the internet always existing, then this won’t come as a surprise to you. The internet is vast and mostly unfiltered, and, as such, there are bound to be spaces where alt-right followers can find each other to share their opinions on women’s bodies and complain how everyone is a ‘snowflake’ nowadays. I was always under the assumption that these communities would exist within their own echo chamber and rarely find their way into the real world. However, this documentary makes it clear that these values are becoming more relevant to the extent where these extreme figures are being spotted outside online spaces and in real world politics.

During his exploration of the growing increase of alt-right voices, Theroux encounters the far-right group, America First, led by Nick Fuentes, someone who has openly described the Holocaust as a “holy war”, celebrated Hitler, and is a self-proclaimed “incel”. His popularity can be credited to his effective use of online spaces, such as starting a regular livestream in 2017 called “America First with Nick Fuentes”. America First was originally a committee made in 1940 to speak out against American involvement in foreign wars, it’s now related to ideas of white nationalism and is used by many interest groups that are strongly right and patriotic. In this case, Fuentes is the founder of AFPAC, America First Political Action Committee. He was able to build a cult-like following by sharing theories on “white genocide” in America and the collapse of society due to “liberal ideals” such as equal rights for women and queer people. He branded himself as someone who wasn’t afraid to “speak the truth” which captured the attention of enough people online to give him a platform both online and eventually offline.

Fuentes manages to push himself and, by extension, his views into the physical political world, even though many of his beliefs are generally not accepted in real life political spaces. For example, he met with Trump in November of 2022; this may not come as a shock especially considering America First Policy Institute which is a thinktank that promotes many of Trump's beliefs. However, Fuentes stands further to the right than many conservatives, therefore this creates the idea that Republican ideology is becoming synonymous with extreme right beliefs and legitimises Fuentes’s ideas. Storming the Capitol was a clear example of the potential these online far-right groups have of committing violent crimes as a collective, and it was incited by Trump. Clearly, Trump has had a significant impact of the increasing polarisation of politics and progression of extreme right views becoming the new norm for Republicans. Therefore, after their meeting together in 2022, it only secured Fuentes reputation amongst his fans as an authoritative figure who will fix the country and put ‘America First’.

Even on a smaller scale, Fuentes has caught the attention of local elected politicians and invited them to speak at America First events. Two Republican officials Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar both attended and gave speeches at the 2022 convention. Surely, elected officials would be cautious of associating themselves with a proud extremist for the sake of their own career? Greene’s opinion poll has decreased since her election and endorsement by America First in 2021, however she is still in office until January 2025 and does not appear to be stepping away from her views. In theory, all it would take is another Trump-like figure to win the presidential election again which would validate these views and encourage more extremist politicians to emerge.

These extreme groups such as Fuentes’s America First use a shock factor to entice a wider audience. Extremist opinions that would appall the average person are veiled behind the defense that it’s a joke and “you just don’t understand what the internet is like”. What is their excuse now that they’re infiltrating offline spaces and influencing real life politicians? Well, they don’t need one. Theroux’s documentary was eye-opening and at some points quite scary, it showed the influence these public figures have on real world political events. As mentioned before, the storming of the Capitol was a clear example of the threat these groups have on politics, and it was all organised through social media. Conferences that feature special guest politicians also show that elected representatives are becoming more comfortable being extreme once elected, despite lowering opinion polls, because they have the safety of the extreme groups to fall back on for support when called out. We are seeing more extremes on the political spectrum manifest from online communities into physical politics; I think personally it’s because political spaces have become so saturated that many people have turned to being extreme to be heard. Whatever the reason may be, these views are seeping their way into American politics, and their influence only seems to be increasing.

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