America First Political Action Conference

The America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC; /æfpæk/ AF-pak) is an annual political conference that has been widely described as white nationalist[2] and far-right.[3] Attendees are members of the "America First" movement and supporters of Nick Fuentes, also known as Groypers. The conference was described by The Daily Dot as a "white nationalist alternative" to CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference.[4] Rolling Stone and The Arizona Republic characterized it as an extremist rival of CPAC.[1][5]

"AFPAC" redirects here. For the air force component of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, see Pacific Air Forces.
America First Political Action Conference
AFPAC 2021 logo
DatesFebruary (dates vary)
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)
  • Washington, D.C., U.S (2020)
  • Orlando, Florida, U.S. (2021)
Years active2020–present
InauguratedFebruary 28, 2020 (February 28, 2020)
FoundersNick Fuentes[1]
Most recentFebruary 26, 2021
Organized byAmerica First Foundation
WebsiteOfficial website

Conference

AFPAC was founded in 2020 by Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist[6] political commentator.[1] The first event was held in February 2020, and it is held annually, running concurrently with and nearby the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).[7] AFPAC has been widely described as white nationalist[2] and far-right.[3]The Daily Dot has described it as the "white nationalist alternative to CPAC";[4] Rolling Stone and The Arizona Republic have characterized it as an extremist rival of CPAC.[1][5] Attendees of the conference are largely far-right followers of Fuentes, known as Groypers.[7]

History

2020

The inaugural conference was held on February 28, 2020. Speakers included the political commentator Michelle Malkin;[8] former leader of the neo-Nazi[9] group Identity Evropa, Patrick Casey; former Daily Caller editor Scott Greer; and Fuentes.[10]

2021

The second conference was held on February 26, 2021. The organizers were secretive about where the conference would be held; it was later reported it had been held at the Hilton Orlando.[11] Speakers included Malkin, Vincent James of The Red Elephants radio show, former BlazeTV host and Glenn Beck Program writer Jon Miller,[12] and former Representative Steve King.[13]

Representative Paul Gosar appeared as a surprise keynote speaker at the conference. His attendance was the subject of controversy.[7][14][15] In his speech, he discussed immigration and what he described as censorship by social media platforms.[15] Gosar skipped voting on a COVID-19 relief bill in order to attend AFPAC. Rolling Stone criticized Gosar for this decision, as well as other Republicans who, in order to attend CPAC, "play[ed] fast and loose with the rules" of a new provision allowing them to vote by proxy. Rolling Stone wrote, "In order to vote by proxy, members are required to sign a letter saying they can't attend 'due to the ongoing public health emergency,' and traveling to another state to appear maskless at an event with thousands of people doesn't seem to fit that situation."[1] Gosar, appearing on a panel at CPAC several hours after his appearance at AFPAC, said about AFPAC, "I denounce when we talk about white racism. That's not appropriate."[1][7][14][16]

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the event "was more of a dinner than a multi-day conference".[11] ABC News reported, "speakers spread white nationalist rhetoric, organizers railed about the U.S. losing its 'white demographic core,' and some called for further engagement like the ire that drove the Capitol attack on Jan. 6".[7]

References
  1. Wade, Peter (February 28, 2021). "Rep. Gosar Used Pandemic Vote-by-Proxy to Speak at Far-Right Extremist Event". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  4. Petrizzo, Zachary (February 25, 2021). "What you need to know about AFPAC, the white nationalist alternative to CPAC". The Daily Dot. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  5. Hansen, Ronald (March 27, 2021). "Rep. Paul Gosar speaks at white nationalist event in Florida, skips in-person D.C. votes". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  7. Steakin, Will (February 27, 2021). "GOP congressman headlines conference where organizers push white nationalist rhetoric". ABC News. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  8. Sommer, Will (February 11, 2020). "Michelle Malkin Endorses Racist CPAC Rival". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  10. "Michelle Malkin receives media credentials for CPAC, despite being listed for alt-right conference". Jewish News Syndicate. February 10, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  11. Lemongello, Steven (March 1, 2021). "Hilton Orlando hosted secret AFPAC conference, where organizers spouted white nationalist rhetoric". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  12. Ellefson, Lindsey (February 10, 2020). "BlazeTV's Jon Miller Backpedals After Grousing 'Parasite' Director Bong Joon Ho Accepted Oscar in Korean". TheWrap. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  13. Leber, Rebecca. "GOP congressman skipped the stimulus vote to appear at a white nationalist event". Mother Jones. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  14. Spocchia, Gino (February 28, 2021). "Republican congressman appears at white nationalist conference whose founder called Capitol riot 'awesome'". The Independent. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  15. Axelrod, Tal (February 27, 2021). "Rep. Gosar denounces 'white racism' after controversial appearance". The Hill. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  16. Weigel, David (February 27, 2021). "Rep. Gosar criticizes 'white racism' after speaking at event whose organizer called for white supremacy". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.