Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist, seems indifferent to the fact that his content is being promoted and profited from by bot farms based mainly in Pakistan, India, and Nigeria, according to reports.
An investigation reveals that a recent analysis of his offensive, Holocaust-denying tweet is being supported online by an extensive network of foreign bots, many of which appear to be from countries looking to undermine the U.S.
Last year, Fuentes experienced a significant, yet artificial, surge in popularity driven by “algorithmic amplification” from these bot farms, as noted by the Network Contagion Research Institute, a nonprofit that examines online extremism.
Interestingly, despite having just 1.1 million followers compared to Elon Musk’s 239 million, Fuentes seems to be garnering more engagement. A senior researcher from NCRI remarked that this isn’t organic growth; it’s more like a manipulated boost that makes lesser-known figures seem more influential.
Through a new location tracking tool available on X, it’s shown that a considerable chunk of Fuentes’ followers hail from Africa and Asia, despite his comments primarily addressing a U.S. audience.
At merely 27 years old, Fuentes is known for his Holocaust denial and has recently made headlines for anti-Semitic comments on the Tucker Carlson Network. He didn’t respond to a request for comment from the Post.
The report indicates that his online presence surged dramatically following the assassination of Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk last September.
Moreover, media outlets allegedly replaced low-quality images of Fuentes with clearer studio shots to craft an image of him as a “national figure,” when in truth, he’s backed by an array of anonymous extremists and foreign activists using him to push anti-American sentiment.
It’s also noted that Fuentes’ tweets received many more views than those of Elon Musk, despite the latter having a vastly larger follower base. This post detailing the view counts was removed after a day.
A researcher noted, “Fuentes really didn’t have a genuine following; it was all about artificially inflated engagement. The media’s error was treating this distortion as reality, thereby amplifying his influence without verification.”
The NCRI’s findings have resonated within online tech circles, with one expert commenting that Fuentes seems to be leading a wave of bots aimed at targeting Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.
This entire situation aligns with tactics typically employed by foreign actors: identifying anti-establishment figures, artificially boosting their presence, and manipulating genuine grievances into cycles that could undermine targeted movements. According to a source known as Data Republican, this strategy is now being applied to MAGA, with speculations regarding foreign influence on Fuentes gaining empirical support thanks to X’s new capabilities.
