A far-right livestreamer is reshaping Catholic identity and political power.
Nick Fuentes was supposed to be a fringe character — the kind of online provocateur national leaders could shrug off with “I don’t really know him.” But after a sympathetic Tucker Carlson interview and a wave of explosive backlash, Fuentes is suddenly unavoidable. He’s amassed a massive following of young men who see his Catholic branding as a moral compass, even as he pushes openly antisemitic, racist and authoritarian views. And institutions — from the Heritage Foundation to the U.S. Catholic hierarchy — are scrambling to respond. In this episode, RNS reporter Fiona Murphy walks us through what’s actually happening: the Groyper movement, the collapse of traditional religious authority online and why a livestreamer can now speak more directly, and more powerfully, than the church itself. It’s a revealing look at faith, digital culture and the new politics shaping a generation.