In the Trump era, the real center of gravity on the American right has never been the Republican Party. It has been the people who talk to the Republican base every daythe broadcasters, the livestreamers, the podcasters, the influencers. They form the ecosystem that shapes belief, defines enemies, and decides who is ascendant or finished. And that is why the most significant political story unfolding right now isn't happening on Capitol Hill or inside the White House.
About four hours after the right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk was assassinated by an unknown shooter at Utah Valley University Wednesday, FBI Director Kash Patel posted a picture of himself with Kirk on his personal X account. The undated photo shows the two men grinning, apparently about to tape Kirk's daily livestream show; Patel wears a branded shirt with his own name on it, styled as K$H.
Some of the most anti-Israel voices on the right are simply open antisemites, using the term in its narrowest sense. For example, white nationalist Nick Fuentes has espoused Holocaust denial and praised Hitler.
