Groypers, also known as the Groyper Army or the America First Movement, represent a subculture and loose network of alt-right and white nationalist individuals and groups in the United States that are engaged in activism, online provocation, and trolling activities. They gravitate around key online influencers and political figures, most notably Nick Fuentes, and share many beliefs associated with far-right movements and ideologues.
Who Are the Groypers? Inside the America First Network Targeting Conservatives and Progressives Alike
Origins
The exact origins of Groypers are hard to pinpoint because the entire subculture traces its roots from other subcultures and more specific earlier meme cultures that emerged in the anonymous imageboard website 4chan. The Institute for Strategic Dialogue notes that its formal emergence occurred around 2019, coinciding with the rise of America First podcast host Nick Fuentes.
Moreover, in a book chapter, political science professor George Hawley explained that the group serves as the follower base of Fuentes and demonstrates a phenomenon that fits within a larger and much older debate within the American racist right. Their emergence is attributed to the remnants of the earlier but decimated alt-right groups and movements.
It is also worth mentioning that the name “Groyper” comes from the cartoon amphibian Groyper meme. This particular meme is a variant of Pepe the Frog. Those in the subculture adopted the Groyper meme both as their name and memetic. The meme is specifically depicted as a green and frog-like creature, which often sits on a floor with its chin resting on interlocked fingers.
Nevertheless, starting in late 2019, the group has begun to act more outside online spaces. They often attend and mobilize in conservative events, especially in open forums with question-and-answer sessions, in which they push their talking points, debate with other right-wing individuals and conservative figures, and even troll mainstream conservative events.
Beliefs
At the core of Groypers is the political ideology called white supremacy. This is the belief that white people are superior to those other races and is based on the now-discredited doctrine of scientific racism. This same ideology was also used to rationalize European colonialism and even sociopolitical ideologies and movements like Aryanism and Nazism.
Nevertheless, when it comes to the specific Groypers subculture, its adherents repackaged the concept of white supremacy to fit the modern American context. These people believe that shifting demographics and specific ethnic profiles in the U.S. threaten white European-American identity and culture. They argue for preserving and promoting this identity.
The group also puts emphasis on Christian nationalism and the promotion of traditional Christian values. This means merging white supremacy with Christian nationalism to create or support a white American-centric viewpoint where the U.S. is placed at the center of their worldview. This entire ideological underpinning produces the following core beliefs:
• White Christian Nationalism: Remember that at the heart of Groypers is a white Christian nationalist ideal. They believe in the superiority of white people and emphasize the need to place Christianity at the center of national identity and politics.
• Opposition to Immigration: The group opposes immigration because they consider it a mechanism for boosting the political strength of non-white, liberal groups, or left-leaning populations, or specific segments of the population.
• Closing of American Border: Not only do they not want immigrants, but they also want the U.S. to stop participating in the greater international stage through an America First foreign policy and reduced international relations and geopolitics.
• Opposition of Liberal Ideals: The group also opposes progressive ideologies like LGBT rights, feminism, anti-discrimination, various pro-choice positions, and other elements of civil rights because these are unaligned with Christian values.
• Anti-Semitic and Anti-Israel: Another defining element of their belief system is their stance against Israel. They believe that Israelis are taking advantage of the U.S. and have maintained a strong grip on U.S. politics and business.
It is important to underscore the fact that the ideology of Groypers differs strongly from traditional conservative principles. Specifically, rather than focusing on preserving institutions and keeping or protecting the status quo, the subculture and its adherents focus primarily on provocative racialized politics that appeal to xenophobia and resentment.
The group also opposes mainstream conservative figures in the U.S. These include Charlie Kirk and even Donald Trump. The group blames mainstream conservatism, along with liberal and left-wing ideologies, as responsible for destroying America. Note that they still identify as Republicans and consider themselves the right-wing flak of the party.
Goals
Explainers from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and Anti-Defamation League indicate that the primary goal of Groypers is to target mainstream conservatives and Democrats through a full-scale culture war. All their efforts or tactics are intended to shift mainstream conservatism further right and create a stronger capital for the alt-right or far-right politics.
The most popular tactic they use is the so-called Groyper Wars. This involves attending events of mainstream conservatives like Turning Point USA or even the public appearances of figures like Donald Trump. Their goal is to use open forum sessions to ask provocative questions intended to expose weaknesses in positions. They also troll events through heckling.
It is still important to reiterate that the Groypers remain a loose network of different individuals and groups. They are not structured like a formal organization. There is no single leader. Fuentes appears to be a critical figure keeping like-minded people together, but other Groypers also look into other figures like Patrick Casey of the American Identity Movement.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Anti-Defamation League. 2020. “Groyper Army and America First.” ADL Resources. Anti-Defamation League. Available online
- Hawley, G. 2021. “The ‘Groypers’ Movement in the U.S.” In Eds. A. J. McAdams and A. Castrillon, Contemporary Far-Right Thinkers and the Future of Democracy. Routledge. ISBN: 9781003105176-17
- Institute for Strategic Dialogue. 2022. “Groypers.” ISD Explainers. Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Available online