Arizona state Rep. Wendy Rogers thanked white nationalist Nick Fuentes for his support on Telegram Wednesday in the latest exchange between the two expressing mutual admiration.
On Tuesday, Fuentes shared a Jan. 31 post from Rogers in which she wrote, “I don’t really want friends. I want to do what is right. Eventually people will show up and support what I am trying to do.”
“This post goes so hard,” Fuentes added. “We support you Wendy Rogers!!! We are behind you 100%.”
“Thank you @nickjfuentes! ❤️” Rogers replied.
While the exchange may seem innocuous to the uninitiated, the adoration between the two—a 23-year-old white nationalist who says his own mother is afraid of him and a state legislator who raised $2.5 million last year for reelection—is strange let alone troubling.
Fuentes has a long history of extremism. He has denied the Holocaust, launched into antisemitic tirades, and suggested interracial marriages cause drug use. In 2017, Fuentes took part in the white supremacist Unite the Right gathering in Charlottesville, Virginia, that left one dead; two years later, he sympathized with the El Paso shooter’s white supremacist manifesto. Last month, he was subpoenaed by the House select committee investigating Jan. 6 for his role in potentially coordinating events that took place that day. Following that subpoena, another politician from Arizona, Rep. Paul Gosar, was quick to come to his defense.
Just this past month, Fuentes used the N-word, then defended his use of it. He also claimed to be a “proud incel”—a term to describe men who are involuntarily celibate and often blame women for their problems—who doesn’t have time for relationships or sex because he’s too busy becoming a “historical figure.”
Rogers, for her part, became a MAGA celebrity by traveling the country questioning the results of the 2020 presidential election and calling for the fraudulent audit in Arizona. She has also claimed to be a member of the Oath Keepers, a far-right anti-government group that saw some of its members attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and whose leader now faces seditious conspiracy charges. While her social media is rife with “groyper” content—from conversations about Bitcoin to links to the white nationalist-affiliated VDARE—her campaign speeches are focused almost exclusively on the Big Lie.
Wednesday’s exchange is just the latest between the two. Media Matters documented Rogers’ praise and defense of Fuentes over the past year, which included this line: “I am officially based because Nick Fuentes says I’m based. It is like knighthood.”
In case you’re wondering what “based” is, let us provide you with Nick Fuentes’ definition: “It means racist, sexist, antisemite. That’s what it means.”
Nick Fuentes: "Do you know what 'based' means? It means racist, sexist, antisemite. That's what it means." https://t.co/iq8ldPGXmw pic.twitter.com/iDmzTfIUKa
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) January 17, 2022
