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A controversy over Nick Fuentes’s rise has exposed tensions on the right as national conservatism struggles to distance itself from explicit bigotry. After Tucker Carlson interviewed him, Republicans including Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Mitch McConnell and Mike Johnson condemned it, even as parts of the movement echo Fuentes on identity and immigration. Vice President JD Vance and Senator Eric Schmitt sketched visions skeptical of mass immigration and civic identity. Amid leaked racist chats, a withdrawn nomination and a power vacuum after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Fuentes asserts leverage while conservatives dispute elites, Israel and the party’s direction.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.