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Amid Bird Flu Outbreak, Right Wing Loonies Push Raw Milk Consumption

Amid Bird Flu Outbreak, Right Wing Loonies Push Raw Milk Consumption

Right-wing youth organization Turning Point USA is promoting drinking raw, unpasteurized milk to its followers during a bird flu outbreak among dairy cows.

Drinking raw milk has always been risky, but a recent H5N1 bird flu outbreak now makes it even more dangerous. The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control have both warned against consuming the product, with a recent FDA post warning that raw milk “can pose serious health risks to you and your family” and has germs in it that can “seriously injure the health of anyone who drinks raw milk or eats products made from raw milk.” Additionally, cats on dairy farms have died after drinking raw milk from bird flu-infected cows.

This has not stopped Turning Point USA from promoting raw milk to its followers. The group recently released a T-shirt for sale featuring an image of a cow and the words “got raw milk?”

The T-shirt description reads, “Spread the word about the perks of raw milk, like good-for-you bacteria and essential nutrients, that get lost in the pasteurization process with this adorable crop top t-shirt printed using eco-friendly inks!”

Turning Point USA host Alex Clark has also repeatedly promoted raw milk on her YouTube channel.

In one video, Clark recommended raw milk to pregnant viewers, quoting a social media post saying that “raw milk is nearly perfect for pregnancy.”

The FDA makes clear the risks of drinking raw milk during a pregnancy: “Pregnant women run a serious risk of becoming ill from the germ Listeria, which is often found in raw milk and can cause miscarriage, or illness, or death of the newborn baby. If you are pregnant, drinking raw milk — or eating foods made from raw milk — can harm your baby even if you don’t feel sick.”

Clark has also repeatedly promoted drinking raw milk on her social media accounts.

In 2023, the organization published a story about the “possible benefits” of drinking raw milk that included three steps for readers to follow to learn about the substance.

Turning Point USA is not the only right-wing entity promoting raw milk. Other media figures and outlets, including Alex Jones’ Infowars, have promoted drinking unpasteurized milk for unproven health benefits. Raw milk has also trended on TikTok. Additionally, Republican lawmakers in Louisiana have recently moved to lift the total ban on the sale of raw milk in the state, worrying health scientists.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Online 'Manosphere' Influencers Embrace Hitler And Nazism

Online 'Manosphere' Influencers Embrace Hitler And Nazism

Right-wing “manosphere” influencers including Sneako, Jon Zherka, and Myron Gaines are embracing Nazism and defending Adolf Hitler online. These influencers — who have large followings across multiple platforms — have histories of making antisemitic comments and pushing conspiracy theories about Jewish people, but their pro-Hitler and Nazism commentary marks an escalation.

Over the past year, these three figures have praised and defended Hitler, done the Nazi Seig Heil salute while streaming, and refused to disavow Nazism.

These influencers are part of the manosphere, an online community of right-wing websites, bloggers, and personalities cultivating a worldview based on conservative and regressive gender politics repackaged for the internet age.

While purporting to provide dating, financial, and lifestyle advice to men, some manosphere figures are aligning themselves with far-right personalities. Their online presence can serve as a gateway to push audiences further to the right toward more dangerous ideologies, as they often use other topics that interest young men — like weightlifting, video games, and boxing — to draw viewers in before diving into extremist content and misogyny.

Figures in this group often push extremism and antisemitism while blaming women for myriad societal woes and treating them as an inferior sex. Rhetoric from these influencers can sometimes be overtly cruel and promote hitting, degrading, and shaming women.

Sneako

  • Right-wing streamer Sneako (real name Nico Kenn De Balinthazy) is a manosphere influencer and associate of pro-Hitler rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West). He has been described as “a cheap imitation” of misogynist, media personality, and alleged human trafficker Andrew Tate.

Sneako is also an associate of white supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. He spoke at one of Fuentes’ antisemitic rallies. He is banned on TikTok and YouTube and has promoted the abuse of women.

Sneako recently interviewed Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony at an event for former President Donald Trump. Several attendees also pointed out that Sneako is one of Fuentes’ associates.

On several occasions, Sneako has praised, defended, and embraced Adolf Hitler and Nazism.


While probing a German woman about her sex life in a stream uploaded to X, Sneako made antisemitic comments and said he wanted to do the fascist Roman salute “so bad.”


“How about we role play,” Sneako said. “I’ll be the Nazi and I’ll shove you in the oven like a dirty Jew.”

  • On X (formerly Twitter), Sneako posted a picture of Hitler and wrote, “this nigga had aura.”
  • During a livestream on the right-wing video hosting platform Rumble, Sneako said that “the Nazis had drip” and that the swastika is “aesthetically pleasing.”
  • While livestreaming with influencer Adin Ross, Sneako refused to call Hitler evil.
  • Sneako wrote on X that people should not “bash” Hitler for killing Jewish people and wished him a happy birthday.

Jon Zherka & Myron Gaines

Zherka instructed a group of women to do a Nazi Sieg Heil during a livestream and say “heil Hitler.”

  • In a bizarre livestream video posted to Reddit, Zherka melted down after finding out a woman he was hanging out with is Jewish. “You rule the world and all the banking,” he said to the woman while pretending to hit her.

After the woman said “I don’t like Hitler,” Zherka asked, “The fuck is wrong with you?” He later added, “I’ll regret this, dude.”

Zherka ended the livestream by saying “Hitler was a good guy.”

  • Zherka again did the Nazi Sieg Heil alongside Fuentes and manosphere influencer Myron Gaines (real name Amrou Fudl) during a livestream. Gaines then pretended to be Hitler’s ghost.

Antifeminist influencer Hannah Pearl Davis was also featured on the stream.

  • During a stream with Sneako, Zherka identified himself as a Nazi while attacking a man’s appearance.

“You look like a Nazi that became a Nazi just to fit in,” Zherka said. “Like, you’re not actually one of us.”

  • Gaines previously defended and praised Hitler on his Fresh & Fit After Hours podcast.

“Though he did things that were morally incorrect, he definitely did a bunch of things correct for his country. That’s a fact,” Gaines said.

Influence on young people

  • Reporting shows how easily toxic rhetoric from manosphere influencers can infiltrate the minds of young audiences, even among users as young as 11.

And some of the videos these manosphere influencers share, showing them meeting their fans, demonstrate just how young some of these viewers are.

  • In one clip, young Sneako fans repeat his toxic rhetoric back to him, saying, “Fuck the women,” and, “All gays can die.” He seems to half-jokingly ask the camera, “What have I done?”

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Steve Bannon

Bannon And January 6 Organizer Now Pushing Anti-Immigrant Rallies

Podcaster and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon pushed the white supremacist “great replacement” conspiracy theory while hosting Tea Party Patriots leader Jenny Beth Martin, who was on to promote an anti-immigrant rally in Georgia.

Martin co-founded the Tea Party Patriots, a conservative grassroots organization formed in 2009 that has spread conspiracy theories and claims about alleged voter fraud in the 2020 election. The group sponsored a pre-insurrection rally in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021.

During the March 1 interview, Martin promoted a rally calling for “an end to the invasion on our border” and centers around the recent death of student Laken Riley. The suspect in Riley’s death is an undocumented person from Venezuela, a fact right-wing media have used to whip up hysteria about so-called “migrant crime.”

“We’re going to deport 10 million illegal alien invaders,” Bannon said. “They’re not going to sit here and continue to perpetrate crime on our cities, taking away health care, taking away the little education that is happening in the cities for these kids today.”

Later in the interview, Bannon invoked the white supremacist “great replacement” conspiracy theory, which asserts that migrants will replace white people in America and vote for Democrats. This conspiracy theory has previously motivated mass shootings against minority communities.

“This whole thing is to break the minority communities on wages, to destroy their schools, their education. They want to replace them,” Bannon said. “They want to replace the existing African American and Hispanic population in this country because, guess what, they understand they’re turning right.” While Bannon describes this imaginary replacement of Americans specifically as a threat to Black and Hispanic communities, his career laundering extreme racism into the mainstream belies this cheap slight of hand.

This interview continues Bannon’s extreme anti-immigrant crusade. Given Bannon’s prominence in the MAGA media universe, his show sometimes functions as a platform for message testing on issues that Trump-aligned figures hope to capitalize on ahead of the 2024 election.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Right-Wing Site Rumble Profits From Pushing Anti-Semitism

Right-Wing Site Rumble Profits From Pushing Anti-Semitism

Rumble — the right-wing video-streaming site that markets itself as a “free speech” YouTube competitor — is profiting from advertisements on content from far-right figures and groups who have histories of spreading antisemitism and conspiracy theories about Jewish people.

Rumble has teamed up with the Republican National Committee to exclusively stream GOP presidential primary debates.

Additionally, Rumble has previously allowed white nationalists to profit from its platform and has profited itself from pre-roll advertisements on videos from QAnon conspiracy theorists, white nationalists, and other extremists.

Based on a Media Matters review, pre-roll ads are running before videos from at least 16 Rumble accounts of far-right figures and groups who have spread antisemitism. Some of the figures associated with these Rumble accounts have promoted white nationalist, neo-Nazi, and extremist ideologies.

Rumble has its own ad platform, which allows advertisers to place pre-roll videos and display ads on the video-streaming platform and boasts Truth Social as a publisher, but a majority of ads on Rumble reportedly come from Google’s ad network. This means that Google is monetizing and driving new users and traffic to Rumble — ultimately assisting the website to make money as a cesspool of extremist conspiracy theories and a safe haven for users banned from mainstream social media sites.

Here is a breakdown of far-right figures and groups who have made antisemitic comments and have advertisements running on their Rumble accounts. (We have not determined whether these ads were purchased through Rumble’s ad platform, Google’s ad network, or another way.)

Keith Woods

Verified Rumble user Keith Woods is an Irish white nationalist and self-proclaimed “raging anti-semite” who helped to spread a campaign to ban the Anti-Defamation League on X (formerly Twitter)


Elijah Schaffer

Neo-Nazi-linked far-right media personality Elijah Schaffer has made numerous antisemitic comments, complained that you can’t question the Holocaust or interview neo-Nazis, and has pushed the white nationalist “great replacement” conspiracy theory. Schaffer’s show is currently verified on Rumble.

Schaffer has been banned from Facebook and Instagram.

Sneako

Verified Rumble user and misogynistic streamer Sneako (real name Nico Kenn De Balinthazy) regularly spews antisemitic comments online.

Sneako has defended Hitler and attacked Jewish people online, saying that “the Nazis had drip” and that the swastika is “aesthetically pleasing.”

Sneako has been previously banned from YouTube and TikTok. He was previously banned from X, but is now active on the platform after being reinstated by owner Elon Musk.

Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski recently congratulated Sneako on his growth on the platform.

Fresh & Fit

The hosts of misogynistic Fresh & Fit podcast, Why Women Deserve Lessauthor Myron Gaines (real name Amrou Fudl) and dating and lifestyle coach Walter Weekes, have made numerous antisemitic comments, including during Rumble streams. The podcast recently hosted Holocaust denier and white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who appeared multiple times and made numerous antisemitic comments.

Gaines has defended Hitler and bragged, “We’re the biggest platform that’s talking about the JQ. No one else will do it.” (The “JQ” refers to the “Jewish Question,” an antisemitic framework meant to question the human rights of Jewish people. It was part of the pretext for the Holocaust.)

Gaines also dressed up as a stereotypical caricature of a Jewish person during one of his livestreams with Fuentes.

Fresh & Fit is verified on Rumble. The podcast, which has been removed from Reddit and TikTok, was previously demonetized and removed from the YouTube partner program.

Ryan Dawson

Ryan Dawson is a 9/11 truther and Holocaust denier who has pushed the conspiracy theory that Israel was involved in the 9/11 terrorist attack. Dawson has also blamed “Hasidics” for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dawson claims he has been banned from a litany of platforms and services, including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, PayPal, and Twitch, among others.

Three Spoons

Rumble account Three Spoons reposts content from Fuentes and white nationalists Jared Taylor and E. Michael Jones. Both Fuentes and Jones are notorious antisemites.

Vincent James Foxx

White nationalist Vincent James Foxx has defended Nazi book burning, complained that “the Holocaust is weaponized,” and has pushed various conspiracy theories about Jewish people.

Foxx has been banned from YouTube, DLive, and Twitter.

Hotep Jesus

Hotep Jesus (real name Bryan Sharpe) is an antisemite and Holocaust denier who defended Ye’s antisemitic rants and has attacked Jewish people online for years. He is currently a verified user on Rumble.

Sharpe has been banned from YouTube.

Stefan Molyneux

Stefan Molyneux is a far-right commentator and white nationalist who has pushed antisemitism, including suggesting that Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of teens was linked to his Jewish background.

Molyneux was banned from X for hate speech, but was reinstated by Musk. He has also been banned from PayPal, YouTube, and MailChimp.

Patrick Howley

Antisemite and white nationalist Patrick Howley has made many disparaging comments about Jewish people and has promoted a neo-Nazi group online.

Howley was previously banned from X, but was reinstated by Musk.

Young Pharaoh

QAnon and Pizzagate conspiracy theorist Young Pharaoh (real name Marshall Daniels) has said Judaism is a “complete lie,” has described Jewish people as “thieving fake Jews,” and has pushed various antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Daniels was banned from X in 2021.

Stew Peters

White nationalist Stew Peters, who streams his show on Rumble, blamed the June sinking of the Titan submersible on Jewish people and has pushed many antisemitic tropes. Peters’ media network account is verified on Rumble.

Spotify and iHeartRadio have both removed Peters’ show from their platforms.

Lauren Witzke

Far-right media personality Lauren Witzke is part of Peters’ media network. Witzke has pushed antisemitism, suggested that the Rothschild family had advanced knowledge of 9/11, and is a former host of the antisemitic TruNews outlet.

Witzke was previously banned from X for posting racist content. She is now active on the platform.

Steven Crowder

Verified Rumble streamer Steven Crowder, who has an exclusive streaming deal with Rumble, has made antisemitic remarks and defended rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West) following his pro-Nazi rants.

American Renaissance

White nationalist extremist group American Renaissance features various antisemites at its conferences.

YouTube banned American Renaissance for violating its hate speech policies. The group was also banned on X.

American Free Press

American Free Press is a website that was created by white nationalist, neo-Nazi, and Holocaust denier Willis Carto in 2001.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Carto, who died in 2015, was “infamous for his pro-Nazi and rabidly anti-Jewish views” and for founding the Liberty Lobby, “which billed itself as a conservative, anti-Communist group but became known for its advocacy of both white supremacy and anti-Semitism.”

American Free Press has a history of pushing antisemitic conspiracy theories about Jewish people, a “New World Order,” and Israel.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Right-Wing Media Hypocrites Who Sexualize Kids And Defend Pedophilia

Right-Wing Media Hypocrites Who Sexualize Kids And Defend Pedophilia

Over the past year, the far right’s obsession with accusing its opponents of pedophilia has become a staple of the modern Republican playbook. Conservative media stars and GOP elected officials have used baseless accusations of sexual abuse and child “grooming” to attack Democrats and demonize the LGBTQ rights movement across the nation.

A review of the right’s hypocrisy on pedophilia and abuse found that conservative media personalities have repeatedly made comments promoting the sexualization of children, while others have defended figures who have been accused of abuse or pedophilia — and several reported abusers have even worked in right-wing media themselves.

The right-wing fixation with pedophilia dates back decades and has been a central facet in dangerous right-wing conspiracy theories including Pizzagate and QAnon, both of which have led to real-world violence. Baseless pedophilia accusations have been used by the right to discredit and attack the LGBTQ rights movement and any figure or symbol that they disagree with — from Elmo and public libraries to a plethora of businesses and organizations.

The moral panic behind these accusations puts the real lives of LGBTQ people at risk. These groundless allegations have led to neo-Nazi encroachment at Pride events and calls for violence against pro-LGBTQ people and organizations, including children’s hospitals.

As we enter Pride Month — a time of the year that has invigorated right-wing extremists in their attacks against LGBTQ people — allies, political leaders, and businesses must not succumb to bad-faith actors making groundless accusations against these underrepresented communities.

Here is a non-comprehensive breakdown of right-wing media figures and organizations who have either made comments that promote or mock the sexualization of minors, or supported or defended figures who have been accused of abuse or pedophilia:

Promoting The Sexualization Of Children And Teens

In unearthed audio, Media Matters found that former Fox News host Tucker Carlson made numerous perverted comments about underage girls on the Bubba the Love Sponge Show between 2006-11. In appearances on the shock jock’s radio program, Carlson minimized and defended statutory rape, said he “would love” the idea of young girls experimenting with their sexuality at boarding school, laughed about violence against women, and described a Miss Teen USA contestant as “appealing” and said she would be “probably a pretty good wife.”

  • Nazi-sympathizer Milo Yiannopoulos resigned from his position as an editor at Breitbart in 2017 after making comments condoning pedophilia.
  • Former president and reality TV star Donald Trump reportedly walked into a Miss Teen USA 1997 changing room where girls as young as 15 years old were changing and allegedly said, “Don’t worry, ladies, I’ve seen it all before.” (Trump has been accused of sexually assaulting dozens of women dating back to the 1970s, and a federal jury recently found him liable for sexually assaulting journalist E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s.)
  • Child pornography was reportedly found in Infowars head Alex Jones’ personal documents that were sent to lawyers during his Sandy Hook defamation case in 2019.
  • Right-wing outlet The Daily Caller has repeatedly mocked survivors of childhood sexual abuse, including a whole category of tags on its website for stories of teachers having sexual contact with their underage students.
  • White nationalist streamer Nick Fuentes has promoted teen pregnancies. Fuentes recently said that he wanted a “16-year-old wife, probably when I turn 30,” claimed he was “not against grooming” children as long as they are being “groomed” for marriage, and tweeted “17 years old? What is even the big deal”

Neo-Nazi blogger Andrew Anglin defended Fuentes’ comments, saying it’s “normal” to want a 16-year-old bride and men should “shoot lower than that. I don’t think you need to wait until the girl is 16.” Anglin said that he supports “forced child marriage” but denied supporting pedophilia, which he dismissed as a term “that gets thrown around at people who talk about so-called underage girls.”

Right-wing influencer and “Stop the Steal” organizer Ali Alexander reportedly sent sexual text messages to teenage boys.

Right-wing misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate has teamed up to promote an anime-obsessed content creator and misanthrope who promotes the hyper-sexualization of underage girls. Tate and his brother have also bragged about having intercourse with teenagers. Tristan Tate is featured in a video about how to “take a girl’s virginity.” The Tates are currently under investigation in Romania for organized crime, rape, and sex trafficking.


Radio host and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was caught on camera during the filming of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm attempting to seduce an “underage” girl. Additionally, Giuliani defended a priest accused of sexual abuse and a former Giuliani employee is reportedly suing him for sexual harassment.


Former radio host and Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) was forced to resign from Congress after it was revealed that he was sending sexual messages to teenage male congressional pages.

Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) pleaded guilty in 2015 to paying off victims to keep quiet about his history of sexual abuse toward high school wrestlers that he coached decades earlier.

In 2009, Fox News hosts Sean Hannity, Greta Van Susteren, and Bill O’Reilly displayed footage of bikini-clad women on spring break while discussing crime in Mexico. Hannity repeated the spring break segments again in 2014, 2017, and 2021.

In now-deleted tweets, right-wing influencer Ian Miles Cheong argued that the age of consent should be lowered.


Defending Alleged Pedophiles And Abusers

Daily Wire host and anti-LGBTQ bigot Matt Walsh has attempted to normalize pregnancy and marriage for teenage girls and defended former Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was forced to resign after decades of reported sexual abuse. Walsh has also defended other abusers in the Catholic Church and minimized former reality TV star Josh Duggar’s multiple reports of child molestation (Duggar was later convicted and sentenced to over 12 years for downloading child pornography).


Right-wing host and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee repeatedly defended Duggar and argued that he should be forgiven for his crimes.


Mike Huckabee on the Duggars, Clinton, IA, 1/12/16youtu.be

Right-wing pundit Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA has employed or partnered with multiple sex offenders and drawn criticism from other conservatives for failing to handle allegations of sexual assault against underage students at its events. Kirk has also weaponized the sexual assault of a minor to attack trans people.


Tucker Carlson has defended statutory rape and described reporting it as “whiny,” claimed that underage boys being sexually harassed by a female teacher is “the greatest thing that ever happened,” suggested that it is “the dream of 15-year-old boys” to be sexually harassed by female teachers, and has shamed rape survivors and pushed general misogyny.



Fox News host Greg Gutfeld recently applauded a 38-year-old high school teacher who was charged with engaging in sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old student. Gutfeld exclaimed: “16 years old — I would have died for that!”



Former Trump White House chief strategist and podcaster Steve Bannon spearheaded former Alabama state Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore’s 2017 special election campaign for Senate, even after reports that Moore groped, forcibly kissed, and made nonconsensual advances toward various women. Moore was also accused of twice sexually assaulting a then-14-year-old girl by taking her to his home in the woods and forcibly touching her. Moore was 32-years-old at the time of the incident.

Multiple right-wing media figures and outlets defended Moore’s Senate run, downplayed the report that he molested a child, and attacked his accusers. Then-Infowars host David Knight even pushed for Moore to run for Senate again in 2020.

Several right-wing figures defended Hastert prior to the former Speaker being “sentenced for his part in an elaborate hush money scheme to cover up his years long molestation of teenage boys.”

In 2014, Fox News host Jesse Watters suggested that statutory rape of a 16-year-old boy by an older woman is not as bad if the rapist is attractive.



Frequent Fox News guest Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) was reportedly aware of sexual assaults occurring at Ohio State University while he was a wrestling coach in the 1990s and “chose to turn a blind eye.” Then-House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), now a Fox Corp. board member, defended Jordan and dismissed the need for the House Ethics Committee to investigate members for “things that happened a couple of decades ago when they weren’t in Congress.”

Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow attempted to turn Yiannopoulos into a martyr following his comments defending the sexual assault of minors.

More examples of members of the far right falling into these categories appear to pop up all the time.

The right-wing media’s hypocrisy on the topic is overwhelming, but it will likely not stop them from continuing to make baseless accusations about the LGBTQ community and putting real lives in danger.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

How Right-Wing Grifters Promote Online Sports And Crypto Gambling To Kids

How Right-Wing Grifters Promote Online Sports And Crypto Gambling To Kids

Right-wing influencer and Andrew Tate fanboy Adin Ross sits behind his computer and streams brightly colored slot games, blackjack, and roulette to his audience of loyal fans. Ross has blown through gargantuan sums of money while gambling on his livestreams and has won big jackpots.

“You have like tons of different emotions throughout your whole entire body,” Ross said about the euphoria of online gambling during an interview. “It’s just dopamine release.”

If Ross’ audience members are interested in following in his footsteps, he is setting them up to fail.

Ross is an example of influencers and right-wing figures who are promoting crypto gambling and sports betting ventures to their young audiences. Many of these figures, including Ross, have landed major sponsorship deals with gambling companies and are sometimes given house money to gamble with, removing the actual risk associated with online gambling.

Influencers are promoting these games to young viewers as gambling addiction rises among adolescents and horror stories about streamers and followers draining their bank accounts are popping up across the internet.

Meanwhile, a number of streamers have enormous and devoted followings across social media, and the lucrative industry is constantly evolving. Teens and young adults in particular have a fondness for watching livestreamers. According to a report in Wired, 21% of the users on Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch are between 13 and 17 years old.

Twitch has had a complicated relationship with gambling and casino streamers on its platform and has placed limits on the kind of gambling that is allowed. Some influencers have spoken out about the unrealistic expectations that gambling streamers create for their fan bases.

Influencers promoting gambling and betting companies

High-profile streamers, influencers, and celebrities have aligned themselves with gaming organizations like Stake, a crypto gambling and sports betting website. These figures share videos and pictures of themselves using Stake, gamble while livestreaming, promote the website, and sometimes share gambling earnings on social media.

For instance, rapper Drake has become an official partner of Stake, and the site has sponsored a handful of other influencers.

One of the most high-profile Stake-sponsored streamers is Ross, who has a “huge, dedicated fanbase” and exclusively streams on Twitch rival Kick. Kick is a new streaming platform that is reportedly backed by Stake and is a safe haven for white nationalist-linked content creators. The website features various gambling categories that viewers can join and watch streamers play.

On Kick, Ross labels some livestreams with “#AD,” appearing to indicate that the gambling he is doing on his stream is part of a sponsorship deal. At one point, Ross was reportedly making nearly $1 million a week from his Stake sponsorship.

An 11-year-old Ross fan reportedly admitted to gambling on Stake after watching Ross’ streams.

Ross has publicly acknowledged that young kids watch his gambling streams and that past projects he has sponsored have been scams.

“By the way, that MILF token shit that I did a while back, I already told you guys, don't buy that shit,” Ross said during a livestream about a past crypto project he promoted. “I got paid a bag to do that shit. Like, I don't give a fuck. I hope none of you guys actually bought it."

During an interview on the H3 Podcast, Ross was told about the potential harms that could come from promoting crypto gambling.

“I’m learning a lot, bro,” Ross said after hearing about the potential harms gambling can have on his audience. “I’m honestly overwhelmed right now in my life. Because it’s just — it’s so new to me.”

“You make me rethink about it now, bro. …. It’s just something I — that just doesn’t click right for me,” Ross later added.

But following this interview, Ross did not stop working with Stake and airing gambling streams.


Some of Ross’ sponsored streams are bombarded with racist and antisemitic comments, which could also have a negative impact on young viewers.

Ross recently sat down with UFC president and Trump superfan Dana White for an in-person gambling event. Following their meeting, Ross claimed that White hopes to connect Ross with Trump for a stream closer to the 2024 election. (White’s UFC also has an official partnership with Stake as well.)

Jake Paul, a right-wing influencer and professional fighter who has a massive following on social media including many young fans, co-founded Betr, a “microbetting-focused gaming company” that allows users to make monetary bets on specific plays or events, rather than betting on a team losing or winning a game. Paul appears to be hoping that the instant gratification of making money on small bets drives his young audience to Betr. Additionally, Paul has previously been accused of promoting gambling to kids.

Betr also appears to be targeting users on social media platforms that are frequented by young people, including TikTok and Instagram. The company has large followings on both platforms.

Other right-leaning influencers, including professional poker player Dan Bilzerian and gambling streamer Trainwreck (real name Tyler Niknam), have worked as sponsors for gambling companies in the past.

Major media companies are getting in on the sports betting action

Other outlets and platforms in the right-wing media ecosystem have aligned themselves with the gambling and sports betting industry.

Fox Corp., the parent company of Fox News and Fox Sports, is associated with Fox Bet, a mobile app and website that allows users to make monetary bets on professional sport competitions and play casino games.

Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch has boasted about Fox’s foray into the sports betting world, describing the venture as “a huge opportunity” for Fox Sports’ portfolio.

And in 2021, Fox acquired right-wing sports website Outkick, which includes sports wagering and betting infrastructure. During a 2021 quarterly meeting with investors, Murdoch celebrated Outkick as an outlet that “will deepen our investment in the sports wagering ecosystem.”

The right-leaning media company Barstool Sports, founded by misogynist Dave Portnoy, operates Barstool Sportsbook, a sports betting platform and mobile app that is associated with Hollywood Casino.

Adolescent gambling addiction on the rise

Reports indicate that gambling addictions are increasing among teens and children, and experts are sounding the alarm.

The legal age to gamble in the United States is 18 or 21 years old depending on the state. This has not stopped influencers and gambling and sports betting companies from promoting their products and games to adolescents.

The earlier kids are exposed to gambling, the more likely they are to become addicted to the practice, according to a gambling treatment organization. Gambling addiction has the potential to “completely derail a person’s life,” cause mental health complications, and become a “gateway drug” to other adrenaline-inducing and potentially dangerous activities like drug use.

According to research from the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors, four to six percent of high school students are addicted to gambling. Compared to the one percent of adults addicted to the activity, this is a worrisome trend.

Researchers point to adolescents' underdeveloped brain functioning and emotionally driven decision making to understand why teens and children fall victim to gambling addiction.

Some sports betting and gambling groups have been fined for targeting their offerings to people under the legal gambling age.

While speaking with ABC News, Gary Schneider, a national board member of Stop Predatory Gambling, explained that these companies are targeting young users. “They want the next generation. They label it gaming,” Schneider said. “It's really gambling."

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

White Nationalist Streamer Promotes 'Collab' With Don Jr.

White Nationalist Streamer Promotes 'Collab' With Don Jr.

White nationalist ally and misogynistic content creator Sneako (real name Nico Kenn De Balinthazy), who was recently pictured with former President Donald Trump at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event, told his followers during an April 11 livestream that Donald Trump Jr. informed him that he hopes the pair can collaborate on projects.

During his livestream, De Balinthazy gloated about hanging out with the Trump family.

“Shout out to Barron Trump,” De Balinthazy said. “Shout out to Donald Trump Jr. Donald Trump Jr. streams on Rumble. Talked to him.”

“Donald Trump Jr. says that he would like to do a collab,” De Balinthazy continued. “That’s going to be great. … He’s entertaining, he’s a good speaker, and he streams on Rumble.”

De Balinthazy also shared a congratulatory letter from Rumble for “surpassing 100,000 followers.”

Various other creators, including DJ Akademiks, JiDion, Adin Ross, Steve Deleonardis, Jorge Masvidal, also appeared at the UFC event alongside Trump. Akademiks claimed that Rumble set up the meet-and-greet.

Rumble is a far-right video hosting platform that features bigots, conspiracy theorists, white nationalists, and QAnon content creators. De Balinthazy currently has 214,000 subscribers on the platform.

De Balinthazy, who has been described as “a cheap imitation of [Andrew] Tate,” rose to prominence on YouTube for posting gaming, motivational, and man-on-the-street interview videos. De Balinthazy later shifted toward making misogynistic and hateful content.

De Balinthazy has gained notoriety for his connection to white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Both De Balinthazy and Fuentes have proclaimed their admiration for each other online, and the influencer worked with Fuentes and Milo Yiannopoulos on Ye’s (formerly Kanye West) unofficial presidential campaign.

During an appearance on the No Jumper podcast together, De Balinthazy and Fuentes made antisemitic remarks.

The influencer has churned out misogynistic and racist content, including videos on “why ugly girls think they’re beautiful” and “how women manipulate men.” De Balinthazy has also made anti-LGBTQ and anti-vaccine comments.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Steve Bannon

Bannon Travels On Private Jets But Won't Pay His Lawyers (Who Sued Him)

The law firm of one of Steve Bannon’s former attorneys, Robert Costello, is reportedly suing him “over unpaid bills for a mountain of work,” according to a new filing reported by The Daily Beast. Bannon reportedly owes Costello’s firm nearly half a million dollars.

Bannon, the former Trump aide and January 6 coup plotter, reportedly refuses to pay his former lawyers. Yet he said yesterday on a right-wing radio show that he flies on private planes.

According to an exclusive from the Beast, Bannon “hasn’t paid the lawyers who spent years defending him against an onslaught of criminal charges.” Bannon allegedly owes a “significant” amount of money to his former lawyers M. Evan Corcoran and Robert Costello. Both of these counselors represented Bannon during his trial for contempt of Congress, for which he was convicted.

While discussing James O’Keefe’s departure from right-wing organization Project Veritas on The Charlie Kirk Show, Bannon admitted that he flies on private planes.

In the past, Bannon has railed against student debt forgiveness while bragging about his Ivy League education. Real America’s Voice, the platform that carries Bannon’s War Room podcast, reportedly pays producers $30,000 per year.

Bannon is a former Goldman Sachs investment banker who made millions off the sitcom Seinfeld.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Far-Right Media Scorch Fox News Over Support For McCarthy

Far-Right Media Scorch Fox News Over Support For McCarthy

As the House of Representatives continues to struggle to elect a speaker, Fox News has received backlash from its further right-wing media counterparts over what those critics describe as the network’s general support for Rep.-elect Kevin McCarthy, (R-CA) who has so far lost the speaker vote eight times. Media figures from Real America’s Voice, One America News Network, and Newsmax, among others, claim that Fox News is engaging in a blind, embarrassing defense of the Republican establishment with its coverage of McCarthy.

The attacks against Fox intensified when Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert (R-CO) appeared on the January 4 edition of Fox host Sean Hannity’s show, where he pressed against her refusal to vote for McCarthy. (Boebert is one of the 20 House representatives-elect who are refusing to support McCarthy’s bid for speakership.) The network drew more criticism after Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade called House Republicans who oppose McCarthy “insurrectionists.”

    • Newsmax’s Benny Johnson said Hannity’s “schtick” is to be “the Praetorian Guard of the establishment,” and called his on-air disagreement with Boebert “embarrassing,” because Johnson said McCarthy can’t win. [Newsmax, The Benny Report, 1/5/23]
    • On former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, right-wing radio host John Fredericks accused Fox News of being “a 24/7 shill for Kevin McCarthy. That’s all they are. They’re not even reporting the news.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 1/5/23]
    • Bannon said that Boebert “bench-pressed Hannity” during her interview and that “it was embarrassing.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 1/5/23]
    • Bannon also claimed that Fox News is “out to crush” and “destroy” members of Congress who do not support McCarthy for speakership. [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 1/5/23]
    • During his show Outside the Beltway, Fredericks said that Fox News is full of “fakers” who have been “lying to you forever” and that the network is “a money-making machine” which “was a shill for McCarthy.” [Real America’s Voice, Outside the Beltway with John Fredericks, 1/5/23]
    • On OAN, white nationalist podcasterStew Peters claimed that Fox News and its personalities are “melting down” over the speaker vote. [One America News Network, In Focus with Addison Smith, 1/4/23]
    • The Gateway Pundit’s Jim Hoft called out Fox’s “controlled opposition,” which he said “came completely unglued” following Tuesday’s votes, as McCarthy had been “hand-picked by failed former Speaker and FOX News board member Paul Ryan before he left office.” [The Gateway Pundit, 1/4/23]
    • Hoft also wrote that Hannity “jumped the shark” when he launched a “full frontal assault” on Boebert “for not supporting Kevin McCarthy.” [Twitter, 1/4/23]
    • Infowars host Owen Shroyer called Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY) “a new swamp creature” and mocked him for “hemming and hawing” and “stumping for McCarthy on Fox News.” [Infowars, The Alex Jones Show, 1/4/23]
    • BlazeTV host Chad Prather complained that the “Fox News talking heads continue to shill for the GOP do-nothing establishment.” [Twitter, 1/5/23]
    • Michael Quinn Sullivan, publisher of right-wing blog Texas Scorecard, replied to Prather’s tweet, writing, “Fox News is now WORSE than CNN and MSNBC, because the Fox crew knows better.” [Twitter, 1/5/23]
    • Turning Point USA ambassador Alex Lorusso tweeted “Hannity is insufferable” following Boebert’s appearance on his show. [Twitter, 1/4/23]
    • Right-wing host Todd Starns described Fox as “the propaganda wing of the McCarthy team.” [Twitter, 1/4/23]
    • Anti-Muslim activist Brigitte Gabriel tweeted: “It’s pathetic to hear all the Fox News talking heads blaming and attacking the 20 Members of Congress opposing McCarthy.” [Twitter, 1/4/23]
    • Former Newsmax host Emerald Robinson called Fox & Friends hosts “uniparty swamp rats” over their support for McCarthy. [Twitter, 1/5/23]
    • Right-wing personalities the Hodgetwins also attacked Fox and Friends for “calling people INSURRECTIONISTS if they don’t support Kevin McCarthy for speaker.” [Twitter, 1/5/23]
    • Women for Trump co-founder Amy Kremer tweeted that it was “sad to see” how Hannity treated Boebert on Fox News and that “she should be shown some respect.” [Twitter, 1/4/23]
    • Hate preacher Greg Locke, who spoke at the January 5 “Rally for Revival” in Washington the night before the January 6 attack, tweeted, “The only difference between the corruption of CNN and Fox News is their logo.” [Twitter, 1/5/23]
    • Conspiracy hub National File called Hannity “a LYING BULLY. Just like Kevin McCarthy.” [Twitter, 1/5/23]
    • Right-wing podcaster Mike Crispi called Hannity “a hack” and a “sellout.” [Twitter, 1/4/23]

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    Calling For Violence, Lake's Conspiracy Weirdos Crash Maricopa County Meeting (VIDEO)

    Calling For Violence, Lake's Conspiracy Weirdos Crash Maricopa County Meeting (VIDEO)

    The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors met on November 28 to certify the canvass of the 2022 primary election results. Conspiracy theorists and extremists appeared at the public meeting to push election conspiracy theories and far-right talking points in protest of Maricopa County’s certification.

    Arizona has been a hotbed of conspiracy theories and right-wing extremism leading up to and following the losses of several far-right candidates in the state’s 2022 midterm elections. Now, right-wing conspiracy theorists are protesting the certification of election results in Arizona’s largest county.

    Colorado right-wing podcaster and election denialist Joe Oltmann gave a public comment at the Maricopa Board of Supervisors meeting. Oltmann has previously called for his political opponents to be hanged and suggested that armed protestors should flood the streets of Arizona over the 2022 certification.

    Opening his comments, Oltmann described himself as “the chief election denier.” He then falsely claimed that Dominion voting machines can be used to “cheat” and suggested that American people are being gaslighted into believing in “gender fluidity.”

    Real America’s Voice correspondent and conspiracy theorist Ben Bergquam also appeared at the meeting for public comment. Real America’s Voice is a right-wing network that carries Steve Bannon’s War Room, where Bergquam frequently appears, and The Charlie Kirk Show, among others.

    “What we saw on election day was outrageous. … 2020 was a disaster, how was 2022 worse?” Bergquam said.

    “The election machines didn’t work,” he added.

    Disgraced college professor and election fraud conspiracy theorist David Clements also appeared at the meeting. Clements also has ties to Steve Bannon and has previously appeared on his show to push voter fraud conspiracy theories.

    Clements opened his comments by calling himself a “slave” to the election system and “corruption.”

    Clements then declared that “this is vote trafficking” and that “we’re not here to be civil.”


    Arizona election denial gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake has been reposting public comments protesting the certification on her Instagram account.

    Cochise County, another Arizona county, voted today to delay the certification of the election results, “and miss the state's legal deadline of Monday, despite finding no legitimate problems with the local counts.” Arizona’s secretary of state reportedly plans to file legal action against the county.

    At least one speaker took her disdain for Maricopa’s certification to a whole new level, calling for a “violent revolution” and suggesting that election officials in the county could face “the death penalty” for “treason.”


    Lake and secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem are both leaders in the right-wing movement to push voter fraud narratives in elections where republicans lose. Their losses have motivated conspiracy theorists, extremists, and media figures to object to the certification of the election, echoing pre-January 6 rhetoric that led to the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in 2021.

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    Neo-Nazis And Other Banned Trolls Celebrate Musk's Twitter Takeover

    Neo-Nazis And Other Banned Trolls Celebrate Musk's Twitter Takeover

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk has acquired Twitter and fired its top executives. The platform will likely become an extremist fever swamp under Musk’s control.

    Previously banned Twitter users are celebrating and showing their support for Musk’s completed Twitter acquisition and begging the tech overlord to be allowed back on the platform. Musk has suggested he will bring back some previously banned profiles, including former President Donald Trump.

    Here are banned Twitter users celebrating and embracing Musk’s acquisition:

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    White Nationalists, Neo-Nazis Celebrate Kanye West's Hate Spew

    White Nationalists, Neo-Nazis Celebrate Kanye West's Hate Spew

    Far-right and neo-Nazi-linked extremists are embracing, celebrating, and defending rapper Kanye West’s recent anti-Semitic remarks.

    On October 8, West lashed out at Jewish people, writing, “I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.” In the same tweet, he claimed, “You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.” West later tweeted, “Who you think created cancel culture?"

    Here are examples of violent far-right and neo-Nazi-linked extremists celebrating West and his anti-Semitic comments:

    • Infowarscelebrated West multiple times on October 9. Host Owen Shroyer said, “I did not hear one thing Kanye West said that was bigoted.” He later added that the backlash to his anti-Semitic remarks “only proves what he’s talking about is real.”

    • White nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes posted on Telegram, “Kanye is going to be cancelled by the Jews for saying that the Jews invented cancel culture” and shared multiple memes celebrating the rapper. Fuentes also streamed West’s music on his Cozy.TV platform while wearing a West-inspired face covering. The title of the stream was “DEFCON 3.”
    • Daily Wire host Candace Owens on West's “death con 3” tweet: “If you are an honest person, you did not think this tweet was antisemitic.” Owens added that, “It's like you cannot even say the word Jewish without people getting upset.”
    • Anti-Semite and Gab founder Andrew Torba posted, “How do we get Kanye on Gab?"
    • Neo-Nazi blog The Daily Stormer published a story by neo-Nazi founder Andrew Anglin with the headline “Lying Jew Media Claims Kanye West is Mentally Ill for Going Death Con 3 on Jewish People.” On October 10, the header on the site’s homepage read “d e a t h c o n 3” and featured multiple stories celebrating West’s antisemitism.
    • Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander used West's remarks to suggest that Jewish people have “weaponized their trauma” and complained that “all of us are forced to learn their trauma.”


    • Far-right British extremist Tommy Robinson wrote that West’s statement “needs to be addressed” above a meme that appears to suggest that liberals are overreacting to West’s comments.
    • Neo-Nazi streamer Baked Alaska compared himself to West and wrote, “IT KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER” under a screenshot of one of West’s Instagram posts.
    • Former BlazeTV host Elijah Schaffer posted multiple tweets that appear to be in support of West.
    • BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock defended West’s remarks in a tweet, writing, “You can't question black entertainers' unhealthy relationship with non-religious Jewish power brokers in Hollywood.”
    • White nationalist and notorious antisemite Vincent James Foxx wrote on Telegram, “Kanye is going to do another Holocaust?”
    • Fascist streamer Dalton Clodfelter wrote that West’s remarks are “very admirable.”
    • Fuentes' cronies Tyler Russell and Brandt Wiggins both celebrated West’s remarks with posts on Telegram.
    • Failed congressional candidate and anti-Muslim bigot Laura Loomer defended West’s remarks with multiple posts on Gab. In one post, she wrote, “Ye does have a point in his posts.”
    • On violent white nationalist Gavin McInnes’ Censored.TV, host Josh Lekach said he admires West and claimed, “I don’t understand why you can’t talk bad about the Jews.” Lekach added he believes that West may be killed for his beliefs.


    West’s anti-Semitic remarks came after he was criticized for wearing a “WHITE LIVES MATTER” shirt last week at Paris Fashion Week. He later appeared on white nationalist Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show to ramble about censorship, the media, his shirt, his career, and his family.

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    QAnon Psycho Rosanne Barr Gets Show On Fox Nation

    QAnon Psycho Rosanne Barr Gets Show On Fox Nation

    Comedian, racist, and QAnon conspiracy theory enthusiast Roseanne Barr is slated to produce and star in her own 2023 Fox Nation comedy special. The network’s decision to hire Barr continues the streaming service’s history of platforming conspiracy theorists and extremists.

    In a statement to Deadline, Fox Nation President Jason Klarman said that the outlet is “thrilled” to add Barr to its entertainment catalog.

    By enlisting Barr, Fox executives have decided to turn a blind eye to her embrace of QAnon and other conspiracy theories, as well as her racist, anti-Muslim, and antisemitic comments over the years. Barr’s history is on par with Fox News’ typical programming, however, which has spread conspiracy theories, white supremacy, and violent rhetoric.

    Barr is also not the first QAnon adherent to be given their own slot on Fox Nation. Previously, conspiracy theorist Lara Logan and QAnon promoter Isaiah Washington were granted shows on the streaming service.

    Here is a brief look at the comedian’s history of making extremist claims and pushing conspiracy theories:

    Barr’s Embrace Of QAnon And Extremist Views

    • Barr’s ABC sitcom Roseanne was canceled in 2018 after she published racist tweets about former President Barack Obama’s senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.
    • Barr appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast in 2019 and promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory.


    • Barr previously tweeted the QAnon slogan, “WWG1WGA.”





    • Barr conducted an unhinged interview in 2021 with QAnon conspiracy theorist Bishop Larry Gaiters, who has claimed that President Joe Biden performed a “satanic sacrifice” of his own family to gain political influence.


    • Barr posted a video of herself watching a QAnon video in 2019.


    • Barr recorded QAnon videos with the late QAnon influencer Cirsten Weldon.
    • In May 2018, Barr tweeted that Americans should “unite against” CIA mind control program MK-Ultra. This is not the only time she has tweeted about the MK-Ultra conspiracy theory.

    • In 2015, Barr appeared on the Kremlin-controlled outlet RT (formerly Russia Today) to discuss MK-Ultra and mind control in Hollywood.
    • In 2009, Barr dressed as Adolf Hitler for the cover of satirical Jewish magazine, Heeb. It was reportedly her idea to dress as the dictator.
    • On her personal blog, Barr purported that Israel is a “Nazi state” and said, “The Jewish Soul is being tortured in Israel.” (Barr is reportedly Jewish.)
    • Barr also tweeted about “Jewish mind control” and promoted musician and Holocaust denier Gilad Atzmon on Twitter.
    • In 2013, Barr proclaimed that Islam is “rape pedo culture.”
    • In another 2013 tweet, Barr described Director of the Domestic Policy Council Susan Rice as “a man with big swinging ape balls."
    • In 2018, Barr suggested that Parkland school shooting survivor David Hogg gave a “Nazi salute” at a gun control rally.
    • Barr described Hillary Clinton as a “jew hater” and former Clinton 2016 campaign vice chair Huma Abedin as a “filthy nazi whore.”

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    'Turning Point' Student Group Promotes White Nationalist Speakers

    'Turning Point' Student Group Promotes White Nationalist Speakers

    The Turning Point USA chapter at the University of Alabama has enlisted two associates of notorious white nationalist Nick Fuentes as featured event speakers on campus next month.

    Fuentes is a white nationalist, Holocaust denier, and anti-Semite who attended the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection also subpoenaed Fuentes this year for his role in organizing “Stop the Steal” rallies that led to the pro-Trump riot at the Capitol in 2021.

    Turning Point USA is a right-wing student organization that was co-founded by far-right pundit Charlie Kirk. The group’s upcoming event at the University of Alabama, which is scheduled for October 26 and billed as a discussion with “selections from the rising young right,” will feature Kai Schwemmer, Tyler Russell, and Brandt Wiggins, all of whom are tied to Fuentes’ “groyper” movement of young white extremists.


    Schwemmer is an alt-right influencer who has espoused white nationalist views; he previously spoke alongside alt-right troll and YouTuber John Doyle during a Turning Point event in April near the University of California, Santa Barbara campus. Russell, another speaker at the event, is a Canadian white supremacist who reportedly has “the aim of securing a white ethnostate in Canada.” Wiggins, another Fuentes associate poised to speak at the event, is the vice president of the University of Alabama Turning Point chapter. Wiggins is a white nationalist, anti-Semite, and anti-LGBTQ bigot.

    On Telegram, Fuentes promoted the Turning Point event:

    As Political Research Associates’ Ben Lorber explained in a recent Twitter thread, groyper leaders and influencers are increasingly positioning themselves to be leaders on college campuses with the assistance of Turning Point.

    Although Turning Point has attempted to distance itself from white nationalists, the University of Alabama chapter’s decision to host these speakers continues a pattern of Turning Point closely aligning with white nationalists and other far-right extremists – including Fuentes himself:

    • In 2019, a Las Vegas Turning Point leader was caught on camera uttering racial slurs and celebrating “white power!”
    • Turning Point previously listed the alt-right social media platform Gab as a sponsor for its Student Action Summit. Gab is a haven for violent white nationalists and antisemites.
    • Neo-Nazi aligned figures appeared at Turning Point’s 2021 “AmericaFest.”
    • Turning Point defended a Florida professor and chapter faculty adviser for having ties to a white nationalist organization.
    • An Iowa Turning Point chapter invited Fuentes to speak on campus in 2019, where he spoke on “preserving the ‘European texture’ of the United States.”

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    Far Right Promotes 'False Flag' Conspiracy Claim On Mass Shootings

    Far Right Promotes 'False Flag' Conspiracy Claim On Mass Shootings

    Fringe right-wing media figures are pushing baseless conspiracy theories that the recent deadly mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, were “false flag” operations orchestrated by the United States government to take away civil rights from American citizens.

    Buffalo

    The mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, left 10 Black people dead. The suspect in the mass shooting allegedly wrote a hateful manifesto that repeatedly cited the fascist “great replacement” conspiracy theory as a motive for violence against Black people. The great replacement theory has become a staple of Tucker Carlson and Fox News’ coverage of minority groups and immigration.

    Shortly after the shooting in Buffalo, Arizona Republican state Sen. Wendy Rogers posted on the white nationalist-affiliated social media site Gab that the shooting was conducted by federal agents, rather than an 18-year-old racist.

    Rogers’ comments were only the start of a flurry of false flag conspiracy theories that followed these shootings:

    On the May 16 edition of Alex Jones’ show on Infowars, Jones claimed the Buffalo grocery store shooting was a staged event. Jones attempted to link the Buffalo shooting to the Unabomber, pushing the conspiracy theory that “The unabomber worked for the CIA,” and asserted that he knows “how the globalists operate and I know who they wind up and I know what they do.”

    Militia-linked radio host and right-wing extremist Pete Santilli claimed during his May 27 radio show that the CIA and FBI radicalized, hypnotized, and indoctrinated the shooter through his computer screen via “mind control” and “screen flicker technology” to commit the shooting. Santilli proclaimed that the shooter “was copying and pasting” his racist manifesto “from the CIA and the FBI” and that “they helped him do it over a two year period.”

    White nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes posted a video to his streaming website after the Buffalo shooting with the title “False Flag Confirmed: Buffalo Shooter Groomed to Kill by FBI Agent.”

    During the video, Fuentes asserted that the mass shooting was “done by or permitted to go on by law enforcement.”

    Former Infowars host, QAnon conspiracy theorist, and failed congressional candidate DeAnna Lorraine suggested that the Buffalo shooting “could just be all just a false flag to target the white guy.”

    Lorraine also declared that the shooting was “yet another false flag” to target white conservatives who live stream events and wear tactical gear. (The Buffalo shooter live-streamed the tragedy on Twitch and wore tactical gear.)

    QAnon influencer RedPill78 argued that the shooting “is very emblematic of attacks that we’ve seen in the past where federal agents are involved and they urge these people on to commit an attack or to do something that is outside the boundaries of the law that is then going to be used to try to take away more of our rights.”

    RedPill78 continued, claiming, “These people, in my opinion, would not be dead if it wasn’t for the FBI convincing this disturbed young man to go out and commit this heinous act.”

    Uvalde

    On May 24, another mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, ended with 19 children and two teachers dead. The constantly changing narratives and information from the Uvalde police about the timeline of the shooting have sparked criticism and indignation, feeding into conspiracy theories about the event.

    During the May 25 edition of Infowars’ The Alex Jones Show, Jones agreed with a caller who suggested that the Uvalde shooting was a false flag event. Jones said that the timing of the attack was “very suspicious” and that “everybody should be able to question this because there's been so many false flags, so many provocateured operations.”

    Fuentes suggested that the elementary school shooting was a false flag operation because “40 police officers showed up on the scene of the mass shooting while it was in progress” and “waited outside the school for 40 minutes for the shooting to be finished.”

    Fuentes proclaimed that the police waited for the shooting to end before entering the classroom in order to push a “gun control agenda.”

    QAnon conspiracy theorist, antisemite, and failed congressional candidate Lauren Witzke suggested that the Uvalde mass shooting was a false flag operation intended to “change the public narrative” around Texas’ politics because “Hispanics are starting to lean more conservative and these people are crazy, midterms are coming up.”

    On May 27, QAnon influencer Jordan Sather proclaimed that it looks like the event was “orchestrated.”

    Why This Matters

    Right-wing media has a long history of claiming that acts of violence are false flags orchestrated by the federal government and outside forces. Conspiracy theorists often suggest that fabricated attacks are a tool the opposition uses to drive their own political agenda and shape the narrative around a certain topic.

    Extremists also use these “false flag” tragedies and events to distract from their culpability in problems like the proliferation of white supremacy or the gun control impasse, and to push their audiences further from reality. Some right-wing media figures have a history of using lies and conspiracy theories about these tragic events to attack and harass mass shooting survivors and their families. Survivors from both the Parkland and Sandy Hook shootings became victims again when conspiracy theorists spread debunked claims about these traumatic incidents.

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

    Steve Bannon

    Bannon Promotes GOP Candidates Charged With Sexual Misconduct

    Former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon hosted 2022 Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster on his podcast after eight women accused him of sexual misconduct, including a GOP state senator.

    On the April 19 edition of his show, War Room: Pandemic, Bannon invited Herbster to discredit the reports of sexual misconduct.

    Steve Bannon platforms Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster after eight reports of alleged sexual misconduct

    Steve Bannon platforms Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster after eight reports of alleged sexual misconductwww.mediamatters.org

    During the interview, Bannon set up Herbster to suggest that the current Governor of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, was behind the allegations.

    Bannon asked, “Do you think the Governor Ricketts is in back of this?”

    Herbster responded, “There’s no question in my mind about it. He is in back of this.”

    Published with permission from Media Matters for American.

    Steve Bannon’s 'War Room' Podcast Is Platform For QAnon Propaganda

    Steve Bannon’s 'War Room' Podcast Is Platform For QAnon Propaganda

    Reprinted with permission from Media Matters

    Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon's podcast, War Room: Pandemic, is a deceptive showcase for the QAnon conspiracy theory.

    With its conspiratorial nature, calls for revolution and violence, and overwhelming number of QAnon-connected guests and co-hosts, the podcast mirrors other QAnon programming.

    Bannon's podcast is broadcast by Real America's Voice, a far-right news site that also has a history of propagating QAnon content. Streaming platforms that host the show – including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and ViacomCBS' PlutoTV – are dispensing a program closely connected to the dangerous QAnon conspiracy theory.

    Apple Podcasts has delisted dangerous conspiracy theory content in the past, including Alex Jones' Infowars. According to ProPublica, Apple Podcasts has declined to comment on why the company continues to list Bannon's show while it seemingly violates its terms of service against "harmful or objectionable content."

    The former Trump adviser started toying around with the conspiracy theory publicly on his show in October 2020, describing QAnon as "the elephant in the room" and claiming it "at least appears directionally to be correct."


    STEVE BANNON (HOST): This is the elephant in the room. The elephant in the room is this QAnon thing that's been out there.

    …

    The elephant in the room is, people say they're crazy, I'm just leaving that -- put a pin in it. But when they look at the facts of this, how are they not, at least an aspect of their argument, at least appears directionally to be correct.

    After QAnon adherents and other Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, Bannon attempted to distance himself from the conspiracy theory by labeling it an "FBI psyop."

    Despite this attempt to distance himself, Bannon has grown increasingly supportive of the conspiracy theory, defending it from scrutiny. On the July 8 edition of his show, for example, Bannon complained that mainstream media "disparages" the conspiracy theory and uses its coverage to "smear" QAnon believers.

    While "Q," the lead figure in the conspiracy theory, is not discussed on Bannon's program, the show's complete detachment from reality, its extremism, and the sheer number of QAnon connections make War Room appear essentially indistinguishable from other QAnon podcasts.

    Bannon has embraced and touted his podcast guests as trustworthy sources of information on politics, without noting their connections to baseless conspiracy theories.

    Here are some of the people connected to the QAnon conspiracy theory who have appeared on War Room:

    Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, ViacomCBS' PlutoTV, and other outlets are responsible for providing a platform to Bannon and dozens of QAnon supporters and conspiracy theorists to spread their dangerous misinformation and lies about the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines, elections, and more.