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America First Political Action Conference

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America First Political Action Conference
AFPAC III logo
DatesFebruary (dates vary)
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)
  • Washington, D.C., U.S (2020)
  • Orlando, Florida, U.S. (2021 and 2022)
Years active2020–present
InauguratedFebruary 28, 2020; 4 years ago (February 28, 2020)
FoundersNick Fuentes[1]
Most recentFebruary 25, 2022
Organized byAmerica First Foundation
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

The America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC; /æfpæk/ AF-pak) is an annual white nationalist[2] and far-right[3] political conference. Many attendees are members of the "America First" movement and supporters of Nick Fuentes, also known as Groypers. The conference was described by The Daily Dot as a "white nationalist alternative" to CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference.[4] The Arizona Republic and Rolling Stone have characterized it as an extremist rival of CPAC.[1][5]

As of 2022, the conference has hosted four elected officials as speakers: Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar, Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers, and Lieutenant Governor of Idaho Janice McGeachin.[6][7]

Background

On December 21, 2019, in the wake of the "Groyper Wars", leaders of the Groyper movement held a speaking conference called the "Groyper Leadership Summit" in West Palm Beach, Florida. The event was invite-only and held at an undisclosed location. The date, location, and title of the event mirrored Turning Point USA's "Student Action Summit," a speaking event featuring conservatives including Ben Shapiro, who Fuentes would publicly confront outside the venue. In the confrontation, Fuentes said, "Ben, it's great to see you. Why did you give a 45-minute speech about me at Stanford? And you wouldn’t even look in my direction." Shapiro did not respond as he walked into the venue.[8] The Daily Beast characterized the Groyper Leadership Summit as "aimed at embarrassing Turning Point, potentially by luring some of the Turning Point students to Fuentes’ white nationalist event".[9]

History

AFPAC was founded in 2020 by Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist[10] political commentator.[1]

2020

The inaugural AFPAC was held on February 28, 2020, in Washington, D.C. Speakers included the political commentator Michelle Malkin;[11] former leader of the neo-Nazi group Identity Evropa, Patrick Casey; former Daily Caller editor Scott Greer; and Fuentes.[12] After his appearance at the inaugural AFPAC and immediately following the 2021 United States Capitol attack, Casey cut ties with Fuentes and declared that he would not be returning as a speaker or guest at future conferences.[13]

2021

The second AFPAC was held on February 25, 2021, in Orlando, Florida. While it was open to the public, the organizers were secretive about where the conference would be held; it was later reported that it had been held at the Hilton in Orlando.[14] Speakers included Malkin, Vincent James of The Red Elephants radio show, former BlazeTV host and Glenn Beck Program writer Jon Miller,[15] and former Representative Steve King.[16] According to the Orlando Sentinel, the event "was more of a dinner than a multi-day conference".[14] ABC News reported, "speakers spread white nationalist rhetoric, organizers railed about the U.S. losing its 'white demographic core,' and some called for further engagement like the ire that drove the Capitol attack on Jan. 6".[17]

Arizona Representative Paul Gosar appeared as a surprise keynote speaker at the conference; his attendance was the subject of controversy.[17][18][19] In his speech, he discussed immigration and what he described as censorship by social media platforms.[19] Gosar skipped voting on a COVID-19 relief bill in order to attend AFPAC. Rolling Stone criticized Gosar for this decision, as well as other Republicans who, in order to attend CPAC, "play[ed] fast and loose with the rules" of a new provision allowing them to vote by proxy. Rolling Stone wrote, "In order to vote by proxy, members are required to sign a letter saying they can't attend 'due to the ongoing public health emergency,' and traveling to another state to appear maskless at an event with thousands of people doesn't seem to fit that situation."[1] Gosar, appearing on a panel at CPAC several hours after his appearance at AFPAC, stated, "I denounce when we talk about white racism. That's not appropriate."[1][17][18][20]

2022

The third AFPAC was held on February 25, 2022, in Orlando, Florida, at the Orlando World Center Marriott. It was sponsored by the social media platform Gab, which resulted in backlash from Gab users due to Fuentes' harsh comments about Gab users. Many of Gab's donors stated that they would stop funding Gab due to this decision; in response to the backlash, Gab CEO Andrew Torba said that "Controversy is attention. Attention is influence" and that "The point of marketing is to influence people to get off Big Tech and get on Gab. In order to do that I need their attention."[21] It was later announced that Torba would be a guest speaker at the AFPAC.[22]

During his speech, Fuentes stated that the media had been comparing Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler "and they say that's not a good thing", which Rolling Stone described as "giggling praise of Adolf Hitler".[23][24] Fuentes also asked the audience, “Can we get a round of applause for Russia?” which was followed by large applause and chants of "Putin! Putin!".[25]

Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio spoke at the conference and received cheers when he stated, "I have the reputation of being the biggest racist in the country." In response to the applause, Arpaio asked the audience, "What are you clapping for?"[26][27]

The conference featured four elected officials as speakers: Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Arizona Representative Paul Gosar, Arizona Senator Wendy Rogers, and Lieutenant Governor of Idaho Janice McGeachin.[6][7] Greene and Gosar were subsequently met with criticism from members of the Republican Party, including from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. Greene initially stated to CBS News that she was not aware of Fuentes' views,[28] but later defended her attendance in a statement which read, "It doesn’t matter if I’m speaking to Democrat union members or 1,200 young conservatives who feel cast aside and marginalized by society [...] The Pharisees in the Republican Party may attack me for being willing to break barriers and speak to a lost generation of young people who are desperate for love and leadership.”[29] Rogers was censured by the Arizona State Senate for calling for political violence during her AFPAC speech.[30]

The conference additionally hosted a variety of far-right media personalities, including Gavin McInnes, Milo Yiannopoulos, and Jesse Lee Peterson, as well as white supremacists Jared Taylor and Peter Brimelow.[31] Fuentes claimed that Yiannopoulos was responsible for connecting him with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.[32]

Kari Lake, a Republican candidate in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election, was advertised as a speaker on a flyer for the conference. Lake later denied plans to attend, with Fuentes claiming it was due to a scheduling conflict rather than ideological differences.[33][26] Thomas Homan, former Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, confirmed to The Huffington Post that he had been scheduled to speak at AFPAC, but cancelled his appearance on the day of the conference due to Fuentes' support of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[34]

2023–2024

The fourth AFPAC was postponed after Fuentes claimed to have difficulty hosting the event in Washington, D.C., near CPAC in March 2023. After being removed from the premises of CPAC on March 2, Fuentes organized a brief rally at the Residence Inn by Marriott across from CPAC two days later.[35][36] During his speech, Fuentes endorsed and expanded upon a CPAC speech in which Daily Wire host Michael Knowles called to "eradicate transgenderism" by adding that Satanism, feminism, liberalism, and Judaism should similarly be eradicated.[37] On December 4, Fuentes announced that the fourth AFPAC event will not go ahead in December (as it was previously announced it would take place), but would instead take place in 2024.

In June 2024, Fuentes and his group were removed from their planned venue, the Russell Industrial Center in Detroit, Michigan, shortly before the event was scheduled to take place. The next day, Fuentes addressed a crowd by megaphone outside of Huntington Place and stated his intention to reschedule the conference.[38]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wade, Peter (February 28, 2021). "Rep. Gosar Used Pandemic Vote-by-Proxy to Speak at Far-Right Extremist Event". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  2. ^
  3. ^
  4. ^ Petrizzo, Zachary (February 25, 2021). "What you need to know about AFPAC, the white nationalist alternative to CPAC". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Hansen, Ronald (March 27, 2021). "Rep. Paul Gosar speaks at white nationalist event in Florida, skips in-person D.C. votes". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Marjorie Taylor Greene Speaks At White Nationalist Conference". HuffPost. February 25, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "AFPAC III: Elected Officials Support White Supremacist Event". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved November 27, 2022. Four of the speakers – Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin, Rep. Paul Gosar, and Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers – are elected officials.
  8. ^ Petrizzo, Zachary (December 21, 2019). "Nick Fuentes trying to bicker with Ben Shapiro riles up the internet". The Daily Dot. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  9. ^ Sommer, Will (December 11, 2019). "Racist 'Groypers' Step up Attacks on Campus Conservative Groups". The Daily Beast. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  10. ^
  11. ^ Sommer, Will (February 11, 2020). "Michelle Malkin Endorses Racist CPAC Rival". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  12. ^ "Michelle Malkin receives media credentials for CPAC, despite being listed for alt-right conference". Jewish News Syndicate. February 10, 2020. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  13. ^ Petrizzo, Zachary (February 13, 2021). "Nick Fuentes' 'groyper' movement splinters over fears of feds, doxing at conference". The Daily Dot. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Lemongello, Steven (March 1, 2021). "Hilton Orlando hosted secret AFPAC conference, where organizers spouted white nationalist rhetoric". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  15. ^ Ellefson, Lindsey (February 10, 2020). "BlazeTV's Jon Miller Backpedals After Grousing 'Parasite' Director Bong Joon Ho Accepted Oscar in Korean". TheWrap. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  16. ^ Leber, Rebecca. "GOP congressman skipped the stimulus vote to appear at a white nationalist event". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  17. ^ a b c Steakin, Will (February 27, 2021). "GOP congressman headlines conference where organizers push white nationalist rhetoric". ABC News. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  18. ^ a b Spocchia, Gino (February 28, 2021). "Republican congressman appears at white nationalist conference whose founder called Capitol riot 'awesome'". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Axelrod, Tal (February 27, 2021). "Rep. Gosar denounces 'white racism' after controversial appearance". The Hill. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  20. ^ Weigel, David (February 27, 2021). "Rep. Gosar criticizes 'white racism' after speaking at event whose organizer called for white supremacy". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  21. ^ Goforth, Claire (January 25, 2022). "Gab users are furious after its CEO announces partnership with notorious white nationalist". The Daily Dot. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  22. ^ Kaplan, Alex (February 18, 2022). "The growing links between Gab CEO Andrew Torba and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes". Media Matters for America. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  23. ^ Monacelli, Steven (February 26, 2022). "White Nationalists Raid CPAC But Find Themselves Right at Home". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  24. ^ "Marjorie Taylor Greene downplays speaking at a conference founded by white nationalist". www.cbsnews.com. February 28, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  25. ^ "'Key to white survival': how Putin has morphed into a far-right savior". The Guardian. March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  26. ^ a b "Wendy Rogers, Kari Lake and Joe Arpaio are listed as speakers at white nationalist conference".
  27. ^ "Trump-pardoned Arpaio cheered after saying people think he is 'biggest racist'". The Independent. February 26, 2022. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  28. ^ "Marjorie Taylor Greene downplays speaking at a conference founded by white nationalist". www.cbsnews.com. February 28, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  29. ^ "McConnell says no space in GOP for 'white supremacists or anti-Semitism' after two House Republicans participate in white nationalist's conference". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  30. ^ Wise, Alana (March 1, 2022). "Arizona State Senate censures lawmaker who threatened rivals with violence". NPR. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  31. ^ Holt, Jared (February 23, 2022). "Republican Footsie With White Nationalists Has to Stop". The Daily Beast. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  32. ^ "Did Milo Connect Marjorie Taylor Greene With a Racist Fla. Convention?". www.advocate.com. February 28, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  33. ^ Holt, Jared (February 23, 2022). "Republican Footsie With White Nationalists Has to Stop". The Daily Beast. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  34. ^ "White Nationalists With Lanyards: Orlando Showed The Ugly Future Of The GOP". HuffPost. March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  35. ^ "Nick Fuentes holds racist conference across from CPAC". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  36. ^ "White nationalist Nick Fuentes is 'removed' from CPAC, chair of ultraconservative conference says". NBC News. March 3, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  37. ^ Seitz, Jacob (March 6, 2023). "Marriott under fire for allowing Nick Fuentes to host antisemitic, off-brand CPAC conference". The Daily Dot. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  38. ^ Warikoo, Niraj. "Rightwing conference in Detroit is canceled after police respond to dispute". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
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