"Typically, the long-running MAGA influencer feud between white supremacist streamer Nick Fuentes and Jewish conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro - who despise each other for obvious reasons - would have been contained within the internet. Last week, it ratcheted up when Fuentes, an unrepentant antisemite who has said that "Hitler was really fucking cool", suddenly achieved a new level of legitimacy within the right: Tucker Carlson, the Fox News host-turned-podcaster, invited Fuentes on his show for an hourlong interview."
"Even then, it could have still been contained online. Carlson, who's frequently criticized Israel and often dabbles in antisemitic tropes, has a massive audience and significant sway within the GOP. Nevertheless, other conspiracy theories he previously espoused - Ukraine was developing bioweaponry, COVID-19 was bioengineered to leave Ashkenazi Jews immune, male infertility could be reversed by blasting one's testicles with infrared light -"
Tucker Carlson invited Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist livestreamer who has praised Hitler, onto an hourlong interview, elevating Fuentes's prominence within parts of the right. The move intensified an existing feud between Fuentes and Jewish conservative Ben Shapiro and pushed the dispute beyond internet subcultures. Carlson maintains a large audience and significant influence within the GOP and has a history of promoting fringe conspiracy claims. Those past conspiracies have included assertions about Ukraine, COVID-19, and unproven health remedies. The platforming of Fuentes pulled mainstream conservative institutions into the ensuing intra-right controversy.
Read at The Verge
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