Influential Conservative Leader Criticizes Donald Trump Supporters: “It’s a Cult”

Conservative influencer Nick Fuentes who refused to support Donald Trump in his 2024 presidential campaign said Friday that the former president’s supporters dressing in trash bags made him realize “it’s a cult.”

In its Friday evening edition America firstFuentes referenced Trump’s Oct. 30 rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, when the former president climbed into a garbage truck in an attempt to play on the president. Joe BidenA remark made the day before.

Biden faced backlash after a clip of his conversation with Voto Latino was circulated online on Tuesday, where he was heard saying: “The only trash I see out there are his supporters – his – his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and not American.” “

The president’s statement followed comments from comedian Tony Hinchliffe at a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, where he called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” White House said Newsweek on Tuesday that Biden was referring to the rhetoric at Trump’s rally, not those voting for him. The officials also shared a transcript of Biden’s call, which included an apostrophe instead of the word “supporter.”

However, the transcript was modified by White House press officialsThe Associated Press reported this on Friday.

Biden’s remarks reinforced Trump’s recent rally rhetoric and the way some of his supporters dress.

“At Trump rallies they shout, ‘Trash for Trump, trash for Trump,’” Fuentes said Friday, adding that some participants have even started dressing like trash. Dozens of Trump supporters, including Donald Trump Jr. and Megyn Kelly, posted photos on social media of them being “trash” on Halloween.

“That was the moment I realized Trumpism was a cult, that was the moment I realized the liberals were right. That was the moment when I realized this had gone too far, this is Frankenstein’s monster, we’ve created Gollum. this is a problem.”

He said, “It’s a cult,” later calling Trumpism a “giant cult scam.” Fuentes noted that there is a “slavish devotion among (Trump’s) followers; they will simply eat anything.”

Newsweek reached out to Fuentes for comment via X, previously Twittermessaging and Trump email campaign Saturday night.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) describes Fuentes as “a white nationalist on-air host who advocates ending Republican Party Further, he was an extreme rightist” and “a fan of fascists.” He was previously a Trump supporter and was an active ally in the Stop the Steal movement following Trump’s 2020 loss to Biden.

In 2022 Trump faced widespread criticism for a dinner he hosted with rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and Fuentes. at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Former President defended himselfstating at the time that before the dinner he “knew nothing about” Fuentes.

Later in the episode, Fuentes said of Trump supporters dressing up as trash: “It’s actually a bad look. It’s negative, it’s sad and pathetic. Why would you dress like trash? for the people… don’t the elites already think about us, don’t they think we’re trash? To put on a garbage bag and become a caricature of it, isn’t that humiliating?”

Fuentes is among several conservative influencers and activists who once supported Trump but now refuse to support him. On Friday night, Richard Spencer publicly endorsed the vice president. Kamala Harris And Democrats down the ballot in Montana. In a telephone interview with Newsweek on Saturday morninghe said Democrats are “more competent” than the GOP.