Far-right influencers are opposing Trump’s campaign

far right influencers They support their man, but not his campaign.

that Washington Post ~ in On Sunday, it detailed how far-right figures with large online followings, including white supremacist Nick Fuentes and activists Laura Loomer and Candace Owens, were fanning the flames by publicly criticizing the group. The Trump campaign argued that new leadership was needed to direct the administration to take a harder line on issues like race and immigration.

Fuentes had dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in 2022, showing how much influence he has gained since starting out as a “fringe YouTube star,” as former colleague Ali Breland reported. Just last week, Trump’s running mate Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) called on Fuentes. “A total loser.” But Fuentes “We support Trump, but his campaign has been hijacked by the same consultants, lobbyists, and donors who defeated him in 2016, and they’ve blown it,” he wrote in a piece posted on X earlier this month. “Without serious change, we’re headed for a catastrophic loss.”

Fuentes, who has more than 390,000 followers on X, has made racist attacks on Vance’s Indian-American wife, Usha, and has criticized Vance for his past criticism of Trump. He has also criticized the Trump campaign for disavowing Project 2025. But while Fuentes may be pleased, the ties between the former president and Project 2025 are likely deep and long-lasting. He has called for the campaign to remove chief strategist Chris LaCivita and senior adviser Susie Wiles. Fuentes claimed a “victory” this week after the Trump campaign hired campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in 2016.

that mail Two days before Fuentes’ tweet, Laura Loomer, who has 1.2 million followers on the platform, reported that Trump surrogates had said on television that he “looked weak” and that the campaign “needed to change fast because we can’t be talking about a stolen election for 4 years.” A year earlier, Loomer posted a video of herself with Trump at his Bedminster golf club, telling X that he was “very special” and thanking her for her support.

Then Candice Owens has 5.4 million followers on X and was previously invited to the White House by Trump. “I’m not sure who drives the MAGA bus anymore,” she said on the podcast this week.

His most extreme supporters are joined by top Republicans who think Trump should change his tactics, but their prescriptions are different. Nikki Haley, a former UN ambassador and one-time GOP presidential hopeful, and former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway are among the top Republicans who say Trump should change his tactics. Refrain from personal attacks and focus more on Harris’ policy positions. Meet the Press On Sunday, Trump supporter Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-C.) also said, “Every day that we don’t talk about her policy choices is a good day for her and a bad day for us.”

But both far-right activists and top Republicans could take solace in Trump’s list of extremist priorities if he’s re-elected. For example, the former president has pledged to implement mass deportations and recently expressed openness to banning abortion pills, something his campaign has denied. And this week, Trump’s campaign account, X, stirred controversy when it posted a photo of a black man on the street with the caption, “Your neighborhood with Kamala.”

In much the same way that the GOP has not softened its stance on abortion — no matter what they would have you believe — Trump has really He hasn’t softened at all. The problem for his supporters is that Americans—including those who advise him—seem to care less and less about his hard-line policy positions.

as mail report:

Some campaign officials have previously argued that far-right influencers provide value by amplifying political messages to their audiences. But the recent, more explicit attacks on Fuentes, who calls himself a “groyper,” and his followers have become a “noisy” and counterproductive distraction from the campaign, said a person familiar with the campaign’s operations who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations.

“If anything, (Fuentes) is hurting the idea of ​​bringing new blood to the campaign, because if it looks like Trump is going to respond to Groyfer, it’s going to make it a lot harder for Trump,” the person said.

When reached for comment, Trump’s campaign referred to an August 11 Truth Social post that said Trump was “leading in almost every REAL poll” and that his team was “doing a great job.”

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.