Nick Fuentes Rises to Prominence After Charlie Kirk's Assassination

Young right-wing podcaster gains massive exposure and interviews following the high-profile killing of conservative media star

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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In the wake of the assassination of conservative media figure Charlie Kirk, young right-wing podcaster Nick Fuentes has seen his audience and profile explode. Fuentes, who had previously been largely shunned by the mainstream media, has now landed high-profile interviews with the likes of Tucker Carlson and Piers Morgan, accumulating over 20 million views in just a few weeks. While Fuentes' controversial views on issues like race and Israel have drawn criticism, the author notes that he seems to have genuine beliefs rather than being a co-opted or compromised figure. However, the author is critical of Fuentes' stances on certain policy matters, attributing them to his limited life experience and education.

Why it matters

The rise of Nick Fuentes in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination highlights the shifting dynamics within the conservative media landscape, with younger, more radical voices gaining prominence. It also raises questions about the potential role of conspiracy theories and extremism in the aftermath of high-profile political events.

The details

After the assassination of conservative media star Charlie Kirk, young right-wing podcaster Nick Fuentes has seen his audience and profile skyrocket. Fuentes, who had previously been largely shunned by the mainstream media, has now landed high-profile interviews with the likes of Tucker Carlson and Piers Morgan, accumulating over 20 million views in just a few weeks. The author notes that while Fuentes' controversial views on issues like race and Israel have drawn criticism, he seems to have genuine beliefs rather than being a co-opted or compromised figure. However, the author is critical of Fuentes' stances on certain policy matters, attributing them to his limited life experience and education.

  • In the weeks prior to Kirk's killing, the New York Times published a surprisingly favorable profile of Fuentes.
  • Fuentes' interviews with major figures like Carlson and Morgan were conducted in the months following Kirk's assassination.

The players

Nick Fuentes

A 27-year-old right-wing podcaster who has seen his audience and profile skyrocket in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination.

Charlie Kirk

A conservative media figure whose assassination in September 2025 was a major political event.

Tucker Carlson

A conservative media superstar who has interviewed Fuentes and suggested a possible Israeli role in Kirk's killing.

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What they’re saying

“I'd think that the lead-time of this sort of journalistic project might be about a month or so, suggesting that it may have been put into the works just after the complete failure of the early August effort by Bill Ackman and others to bribe or browbeat Kirk into submission. So to take a very conspiratorial slant, perhaps some powerful individuals then concluded that there might soon be a new opening at the top for a youthful right-wing podcaster, and decided to audition Fuentes for that role.”

— Ron Unz, Author (The Unz Review)

“Powerful Colombian drug cartels used to offer local officials the choice of plata o plomo —'silver or lead' —and these two options may have been implicitly extended to Kirk, with the decision he made sealing his fate. Then after his death, perhaps a similar sort of offer was extended to Fuentes as well, and mindful of his predecessor's violent demise, he decided to take the other path.”

— Ron Unz, Author (The Unz Review)

What’s next

The author suggests that the FBI's case against the alleged shooter in Charlie Kirk's assassination appears weak, raising questions about whether the suspect was merely a patsy and the killing was the result of a conspiracy. The author indicates he will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Kirk's death and Fuentes' sudden rise to prominence.

The takeaway

The rise of Nick Fuentes in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination highlights the shifting dynamics within the conservative media landscape, with younger, more radical voices gaining prominence. It also raises questions about the potential role of conspiracy theories and extremism in the aftermath of high-profile political events, and the limited life experience and education of some of these new media figures.