“Groyper” refers to a loose, internet-native network of far-right activists—best known for clashing with Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk during the 2019 “Groyper Wars”—that tries to tug mainstream conservatism toward white- and Christian-nationalist ideas.
The term is resurfacing because Kirk was fatally shot at a Utah Valley University event on Sept. 10, 2025, and follow-on coverage is revisiting the movement’s history with him. Authorities have arrested a 22-year-old suspect; so far, officials and major outlets have not presented evidence that the shooter was part of the Groyper network, and early reporting suggests the alleged inscriptions linked to the suspect reflect a grab-bag of internet references rather than a coherent ideology.
What the term means
A “Groyper” is a supporter or fellow-traveler of the Groyper movement: a decentralized network of far-right activists and trolls aiming to normalize white-nationalist ideas inside mainstream conservative spaces. The movement coalesced offline in 2019 after the alt-right fractured.
Where the name (and frog) comes from
The name comes from a Pepe-adjacent frog meme—often a pudgier, chin-on-hands cartoon—that became shorthand for the in-group. Pepe/Groyper imagery is widely used in this milieu, functioning as both a signal to insiders and a way to maintain plausible deniability to outsiders.
The central figure
Livestreamer Nick Fuentes—who built the “America First” brand and a Cozy.tv streaming ecosystem—is the movement’s focal point, with an audience that mobilizes for meme pushes, raids, and in-person disruptions. Watchdogs and researchers describe Fuentes and the milieu around him as white-nationalist and antisemitic.
Core ideology, in brief
Groypers present themselves as defenders of “traditional” Christian conservatism and American nationalism. Researchers, however, describe the current as openly white-nationalist and antisemitic, with hardline anti-immigration and anti-LGBTQ positions and an aim of pulling mainstream conservatism further right.
Signature tactic: ambushing Q&As (“Groyper Wars”)
Their breakout moment (late 2019) was a coordinated effort to dominate Q&A lines at right-of-center events—particularly Turning Point USA and a Donald Trump Jr. book stop—using loaded questions about Israel, immigration, and sexuality to label hosts “fake conservatives,” then blasting clips across social feeds.
How they organize online
After deplatforming on major services, Groypers clustered in Fuentes-adjacent ecosystems (Cozy.tv streams, Telegram rooms, and alternative video platforms). The pipeline runs from livestream to short clips to viral posts, enabling rapid swarm behavior.
“Entryism” inside the right
Rather than rejecting the GOP, Groypers practice pressure politics from within—mocking “Conservative Inc.,” hijacking campus tours, and trying to expand the boundary of what’s sayable on the right. That’s why they target Q&A lines, conference sidelines, and youth-oriented conservative events.
Events and branding: AFPAC & “America First”
Fuentes launched AFPAC (America First Political Action Conference) as a harder-right foil to CPAC, giving the network a stage and brand while signaling distance from mainstream institutions. Clips and speeches from AFPAC circulate widely in their ecosystem.
Links to Jan. 6 and “Stop the Steal”
Researchers and reporting have chronicled overlap between Fuentes/Groyper networks and “Stop the Steal,” noting Fuentes’s presence in Washington on January 6, 2021, and Groyper-aligned figures who entered the Capitol. The crossover shows how online agitation can spill into real-world mobilization.
How to spot it (and what it isn’t)
Tell-tales include Pepe/Groyper avatars, “America First” branding tied to Fuentes, and coordinated Q&A or “ratio” efforts aimed at right-of-center figures. Not every frog avatar is a Groyper—and not everyone asking a tough campus question is part of the movement—but the cluster of symbols, leaders, and tactics is a strong signal.
Why you’re seeing it in headlines (again)
Kirk’s killing put his longtime antagonists back in the frame: Groypers first broke into mainstream view by ambushing Q&As on his campus tours in 2019, which is why many stories are re-upping that context now. The immediate news is the Sept. 10 shooting, the arrest that followed, and Erica Kirk’s vow to keep Turning Point USA’s campus operations and marquee events on track—meaning the same venues where Groypers have sought attention in the past will stay on the calendar. Coverage so far has not tied the suspect to Groypers, and some analysis of the alleged messages points away from a single organized ideology; expect the term to keep appearing as outlets connect these dots for readers.
