America First Political Action Conference
America First Political Action Conference | |
---|---|
![]() AFPAC 2021 logo | |
Dates | February (dates vary) |
Frequency | Annual |
Location(s) |
|
Years active | 2020–present |
Inaugurated | February 28, 2020 |
Founders | Nick Fuentes[1] |
Most recent | February 26, 2021 |
Organized by | America First Foundation |
Website | Official website ![]() |
The America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC; /æfpæk/ AF-pak) is an annual political conference that has been widely described as white nationalist[2] and far-right.[3] 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] Rolling Stone and The Arizona Republic characterized it as an extremist rival of CPAC.[1][5]
Conference[]
AFPAC was founded in 2020 by Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist[6] political commentator.[1] The first event was held in February 2020, and it is held annually, running concurrently with and nearby the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).[7] AFPAC has been widely described as white nationalist[2] and far-right.[3]The Daily Dot has described it as the "white nationalist alternative to CPAC";[4] Rolling Stone and The Arizona Republic have characterized it as an extremist rival of CPAC.[1][5] Attendees of the conference are largely far-right followers of Fuentes, known as Groypers.[7]
History[]
2020[]
The inaugural conference was held on February 28, 2020. Speakers included the political commentator Michelle Malkin;[8] former leader of the neo-Nazi[9] group Identity Evropa, Patrick Casey; former Daily Caller editor Scott Greer; and Fuentes.[10]
2021[]
The second conference was held on February 26, 2021. The organizers were secretive about where the conference would be held; it was later reported it had been held at the Hilton Orlando.[11] Speakers included Malkin, Vincent James of The Red Elephants radio show, former BlazeTV host and Glenn Beck Program writer Jon Miller,[12] and former Representative Steve King.[13]
Representative Paul Gosar appeared as a surprise keynote speaker at the conference. His attendance was the subject of controversy.[7][14][15] In his speech, he discussed immigration and what he described as censorship by social media platforms.[15] 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, said about AFPAC, "I denounce when we talk about white racism. That's not appropriate."[1][7][14][16]
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the event "was more of a dinner than a multi-day conference".[11] 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".[7]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f 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.
- ^ a b
- Spocchia, Gino (February 28, 2021). "Republican congressman appears at white nationalist conference whose founder called Capitol riot 'awesome'". The Independent. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
Republican congressman Paul Gosar appeared at a white nationalist political conference before attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), according to reports.
- Petrizzo, Zachary (February 25, 2021). "What you need to know about AFPAC, the white nationalist alternative to CPAC". The Daily Dot. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
...Nicholas Fuentes' white nationalist America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC)
- Sommer, Will (February 27, 2021). "GOP Rep. Appears at White Nationalist Event Where Organizer Calls Capitol Riot 'Awesome'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
A sitting member of Congress appeared at a white nationalist convention Friday night, marking new GOP support for the racist movement. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) spoke in Orlando, Florida, at the America First Political Action conference, a far-right event meant to mimic the establishment Republican Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
- Petrizzo, Zachary (February 25, 2021). "What you need to know about AFPAC, the white nationalist alternative to CPAC". The Daily Dot. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
AFPAC, which is a far-right white nationalist and neo-Nazi gathering, seeks to be an alternative for those who don't think CPAC is right-wing enough.
- Spocchia, Gino (February 28, 2021). "Republican congressman appears at white nationalist conference whose founder called Capitol riot 'awesome'". The Independent. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ a b
- 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.
A sitting member of Congress appeared at a white nationalist convention Friday night, marking new GOP support for the racist movement. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) spoke in Orlando, Florida, at the America First Political Action conference, a far-right event meant to mimic the establishment Republican Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
- Weigel, David (February 27, 2021). "Rep. Gosar criticizes 'white racism' after speaking at event whose organizer called for white supremacy". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) said Saturday that he opposed "white racism," hours after speaking at a far-right conference whose organizer spoke approvingly of the Capitol insurrection while delivering a white-nationalist speech.
- Sommer, Will (February 27, 2021). "GOP Rep. Appears at White Nationalist Event Where Organizer Calls Capitol Riot 'Awesome'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
A sitting member of Congress appeared at a white nationalist convention Friday night, marking new GOP support for the racist movement. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) spoke in Orlando, Florida, at the America First Political Action conference, a far-right event meant to mimic the establishment Republican Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
- Petrizzo, Zachary (February 25, 2021). "What you need to know about AFPAC, the white nationalist alternative to CPAC". The Daily Dot. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
AFPAC, which is a far-right white nationalist and neo-Nazi gathering, seeks to be an alternative for those who don't think CPAC is right-wing enough.
- 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.
- ^ a b Petrizzo, Zachary (February 25, 2021). "What you need to know about AFPAC, the white nationalist alternative to CPAC". The Daily Dot. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^
- Frosch, Dan; Levy, Rachael; Elinson, Zusha (January 15, 2021). "Extremists in Capitol Riot Had Histories of Violent Rhetoric and Threats". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
Far-right personality and white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who was at Charlottesville during that deadly 2017 rally, told followers he planned to attend the Jan. 6 protest.
- Evans, Robert (November 18, 2020). "Million MAGA March: Unravelling a Violent Viral Video". Bellingcat. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- Beaujon, Andrew (November 10, 2020). "Far-Right Activists Are Promoting Pro-Trump Rallies in DC this Saturday". The Washingtonian. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- Coaston, Jane (November 11, 2019). "Why alt-right trolls shouted down Donald Trump Jr". Vox. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
- Weigel, David (February 28, 2021). "At conservative conference, Trump's election falsehoods flourish". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- Thalen, Mikael (January 10, 2020). "It looks like white nationalist Nick Fuentes just had his YouTube channel demonetized". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
- "White supremacists among those who stormed the U.S. Capitol, live streamed from inside". Haaretz. Associated Press. January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- Thompson, A. C.; Fischer, Ford (January 9, 2021). "Members of Several Well-Known Hate Groups Identified at Capitol Riot". ProPublica. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- Nguyen, Tina (November 11, 2020). "MAGA nation tries to rally around Trump with MAGApalooza". Politico. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- Frosch, Dan; Levy, Rachael; Elinson, Zusha (January 15, 2021). "Extremists in Capitol Riot Had Histories of Violent Rhetoric and Threats". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Steakin, Will (February 27, 2021). "GOP congressman headlines conference where organizers push white nationalist rhetoric". ABC News. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ Sommer, Will (February 11, 2020). "Michelle Malkin Endorses Racist CPAC Rival". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^
- Schwartz, Matthew S. "White Supremacist Propaganda At 'Record-Setting' Levels, ADL Report Finds". NPR.org. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- Shukman, Harry (February 15, 2017). "Meet the neo-Nazi coming to put up white pride posters on your campus". The Tab US. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
- Kelley, Brendan (November 27, 2017). "Identity Evropa's Controversial New Ringleader". Southern Poverty Law Center.
But not that long ago, in spring of this year, Mosley a/k/a Kline wasn't shy about the bigotry in his polemics whatsoever. In a report for Andrew Anglin's Daily Stormer about a pro-Trump demonstration in March, Mosley wrote, "In Philadelphia, the city of faggotry love, played out an alliance between the Nazi led marchers and local police departments against their oven-dodging enemies… Spoiler, the Nazis won bigly." He continues, "This is a sign that we have moved into a new era in the Nazification of America. Normie Trump supporters are becoming racially aware and Jew Wise."
- Gardner, Elena (February 24, 2018). "White supremacist decals found at Gonzaga University". KXLY. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
- ^ "Michelle Malkin receives media credentials for CPAC, despite being listed for alt-right conference". Jewish News Syndicate. February 10, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ a b Lemongello, Steven (March 1, 2021). "Hilton Orlando hosted secret AFPAC conference, where organizers spouted white nationalist rhetoric". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Leber, Rebecca. "GOP congressman skipped the stimulus vote to appear at a white nationalist event". Mother Jones. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ a b Spocchia, Gino (February 28, 2021). "Republican congressman appears at white nationalist conference whose founder called Capitol riot 'awesome'". The Independent. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ a b Axelrod, Tal (February 27, 2021). "Rep. Gosar denounces 'white racism' after controversial appearance". The Hill. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ 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.
External links[]
- 2020 establishments in the United States
- Alt-right events
- American nationalism
- Anti-globalization movement
- Anti-immigration politics in the United States
- Annual events in the United States
- Conservative political advocacy groups in the United States
- Criticism of feminism
- Criticism of neoconservatism
- Isolationism
- Natalism
- Political conferences
- White nationalism in the United States
- Paleoconservatism