America First Isn’t Dying With Trump – It’s Becoming More Extreme

© Polina Zimmerman

Beneath the surface of the Republican Party, a struggle is underway – a fight for the future of the MAGA movement. Despite what conservatives would like you to believe, Donald Trump remains a historically unpopular President. Less than a year into his second term, over 55% of U.S. voters disapprove of their President, with Trump’s net approval ratings (-15%) trailing far behind where Barack Obama (+9%) and Joe Biden (-8%) stood at the same point in their presidencies. With Donald Trump barred from seeking a third term, and his age becoming a growing concern even for his supporters, ambitious Republicans are already bracing themselves for the looming battle over the GOP’s direction and his eventual successor. Although it’s too early to tell who will lead the Republicans into the 2028 elections, one thing is already clear: “America First” is not done with Trump.

At the Republican base, a new radical faction – led by 27-year-old white nationalist livestreamer and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes – is rapidly gaining influence within the party. What started off as a far-right, fringe online subculture has started to bleed into real-world Republican politics. In October 2025, Politico revealed hundreds of racist, antisemitic, and homophobic messages exchanged on Telegram by prominent young Republican activists. In addition to countless slurs, the leaked chats included “jokes” about sending political opponents “to the gas chamber,” references to Black people as “monkeys” and rape as “epic,” and even open admiration for Adolf Hitler (“I love Hitler”). Upon request for comment, Vice President JD Vance downplayed the significance of the texts.

© The Economist

“America First, America Only”

For the longest time, Nick Fuentes and his followers, who call themselves “Groypers,” were considered too extreme, even for the Republican Party. Known for his openly white supremacist, antisemitic, sexist, and racist remarks – including calling Hitler “really fucking cool” and JD Vance a “race traitor” for marrying an Indian American woman – Fuentes was banned from most mainstream social media platforms until Elon Musk’s decision to reinstate his X account. In 2022, days after announcing his second run for the presidency, Trump famously invited musician Kanye West for dinner at his Mar-a-Lago resort alongside Fuentes. Back then, many Republican leaders were quick to denounce the meeting, criticizing Trump for platforming the white nationalist and normalizing his views.

Today, Fuentes is no longer the pariah he once was. Following the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk in September 2025, his popularity and influence within the MAGA movement have skyrocketed, despite – or perhaps because of – his harsh criticism of Trump and Republican support for Israel. For Fuentes and his followers, Trump’s MAGA movement isn’t extreme enough, and his “America First” agenda is not truly authentic. In many ways, they consider themselves the “true heirs” to Trumpism: MAGA purists who believe that Trump has betrayed the core ideals of “America First” by prioritizing foreign policy and Israel’s interests over the needs of American citizens.

Fuentes’ movement can be boiled down to a single slogan: “America First, America Only.” Declaring that “MAGA is dead,” he publicly advocates for a vision of the United States as a white, Christian, isolationist, and anti-immigrant nation and fiercely condemns Zionism, feminism, and “liberal multiculturalism.” To the dismay of many mainstream Republicans, “America First, America Only” has already been embraced by famous far-right commentator Matt Walsh and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, two influential figures in the MAGA sphere. However, Fuentes’ most consequential – and perhaps most unexpected – ally to date is someone with an even larger platform: former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Cracks in the Coalition

Until recently, Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson’s relationship was largely known for their many public feuds. In October 2025, Carlson surprised many by inviting Fuentes onto his show, not only giving the “Groyper” his largest-ever audience but also sparking open infighting between mainstream Republicans and more extreme voices on the far right. Viewed by over 6.5 million people, the interview saw Carlson remain largely uncritical of Fuentes throughout their conversation, despite the interviewee describing “organized Jewry” as the “big challenge” to America, praising Joseph Stalin, and declaring women subservient to men. 

The interview provoked public backlash and was strongly criticized by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and far-right commentator Ben Shapiro for platforming Fuentes and “normalizing Nazism.” It also led to firings at the Heritage Foundation – best known for its “Project 2025” agenda –, whose president initially defended Carlson before issuing an apology. Yet, nothing so far has been able to stop the rise of “America First, America Only.”

In the shadow cast by Trump’s political efforts abroad and failures at home, the ideals of “America First” are being embraced by a radical movement ready to lead the Republican Party in a post-Trumpist world. The MAGA movement might die with Trump but – to the dismay of mainstream Republicans – the GOP’s future looks even more willing to embrace the very extremism that party leaders once claimed to reject.