Nick Fuentes, a neo-Nazi and rising right-wing influencer among young Americans, announced he would not allow Vivek Ramaswamy to win the Ohio gubernatorial race, calling it “the only race” that matters to him, and citing overtly racist reasons for his opposition.
"I think I’m going to go to Ohio," Feuntes said on a Tuesday livestream. "And the word that we are looking for is denial. We have to deny Vivek Ramaswamy the governorship. This is the only race I care about in ‘26. It’s the only one I care about."
He went on to describe Ramaswamy using a slur, and said that he did not care if a Democrat won the election, as long as the 2024 presidential candidate did not.
"This is not your home. And you know it's not your home. That's why you married an Indian, and you had Indian kids. You gave them Indian names, and you didn't assimilate; you didn't even adopt the religion of our country. And you go around telling us that we don't even have to speak English to be American. F**k you. You should go back to India, where there's a lot more people like you. There's a billion and a half Indians in India, and you don't have to worry about being called a J**t there because there's a billion and a half f**king J**ts in India and they won't call you one over there," Fuentes raged.
“This anchor baby cannot become the governor of Ohio, I don’t care if it’s a Jewish woman who wins,” Fuentes said. “What kind of message would that send? That sends a message that you can say and do anything to white people — they’ll tolerate any level of disrespect."
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In response, Ramaswamy’s campaign said on Wednesday, "We’re focused on the issues that matter most to Ohioans, not fringe voices that prefer a far-left Democrat to the Trump-endorsed conservative."
This comes shortly after it became apparent at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest last week, where it became clear that competing visions of conservatism are jostling for influence and positioning themselves to seize power once President Trump’s second term concludes in 2028. Those competing ideas revolve around support for Israel, growing antisemitism among conservatives, an unwillingness to call out those who claim to be conservative infiltrating the right, and what it means to be an American.
And while many older conservatives are dead set on the side of Reagan conservatism, attendees at AmericaFest noted that the younger generation seemed more supportive of those like Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, conspiracy theorists, and even Nick Fuentes (who was not a speaker), than they did those like Ben Shapiro and Vivek Ramswamy.
While Ramaswamy argued both in a New York Times op-ed and in his speech at AmericaFest, that it means believing in American ideals and striving to defend the rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, he acknowledged that certain fringes of the right, a nod at Fuentes, are declaring that it has more to do with a person's heritage than anything else.
We will see whether Fuentes actually mobilizes to try and defeat Ramswamy, or if he is simply running his mouth.
However, there is an increasing need for people to recognize the threat of Fuentes and the concerning number of young people who believe his rhetoric and are positioning themselves to run for political office.
For example, a little-known candidate for Florida governor, James Fishback, at a recent campaign event donned a piece of merchandise from Fuentes. He publicly praised groypers (followers of Fuentes) as "incredibly informed and insightful" and vowed never to disavow them during an event at the University of Florida. Keep in mind, Fuentes and his followers are not shy in their support of Hitler, Stalin, racism, and blatant antisemitism.
BREAKING: Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate James Fishback dons an America First hat at a campaign event. pic.twitter.com/8q7Vq0j5ld
— Joan (@joanfromdc) December 22, 2025
While Fishback polls extremely low, his campaign should serve as a reminder of the risks when conservatism lacks clear ideological and philosophical guidance. Moments like these underscore the value of strong, principled leadership—the kind exemplified by William F. Buckley Jr., who helped define and maintain a coherent conservative vision.
