How Charlie Kirk's killing sparked unfounded theories about Groypers
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Nick Fuentes speaks to his Groypers followers in Washington, D.C.., in 2020. Photo: Zach D Roberts/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Soon after Charlie Kirk's assassination, some on the political left quickly spread a baseless theory that the conservative podcaster was killed by a follower of the ultra-right-wing group called Groypers.
The big picture: Internet searches for Groypers skyrocketed last week as critics tried to connect Kirk's suspected shooter, Tyler Robinson, and the group's leader, Nick Fuentes, a podcaster known for edgy, racist and socially transgressive content.
- Fuentes said early Saturday on X that his followers are being "framed" for Kirk's killing, "based on literally zero evidence."
- Authorities told Axios they believe Robinson's romantic relationship with his transgender roommate could be key to determining a motive for Kirk's killing, and that Robinson believed that the conservative was spreading transphobic hate.
- More details are expected to emerge this week when charges are formally filed against Robinson.
Between the lines: The partisan battle to define a killer as a follower of an ideological opponent has become a common response to high-profile slayings, from Florida to Texas to Pennsylvania.
- Soon after Robinson's Friday arrest, left-leaning personalities and social media accounts speculated he was a Groyper.
Zoom in: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) said Sunday on NBC's "Meet The Press" that Robinson showed signs of leftist ideology, though he was raised by a conservative family. Investigators have also said they believe he has leftist ideals.
- Much of what has been reported about his childhood and home life is pulled from his mother's Facebook page, which multiple outlets reported painted an image of a promising future — but also demonstrated his literacy in internet culture, with her sharing a photo of him dressing up as "some guy from a meme" for Halloween called "The Squatting Slav."
- Robinson "wasn't too fond of Trump or Charlie [Kirk]," a former coworker of his told CNN.
What are Groypers?
According to Know Your Meme, "Groyper" refers to a variation of Pepe the Frog, a meme that the alt-right has co-opted.
- The meme gained traction online on platforms like fringe-right site 4chan in 2017, according to the Anti-Defamation League, and was adopted by alt-right followers.
- They describe themselves as Christian nationalists, oppose feminism and LGBTQ+ rights and believe the U.S. should close its borders.
Groypers became associated in 2019 with Fuentes, an underground podcaster labeled a "white supremacist" by the FBI.
- Fuentes, who once dined with President Trump and rapper Ye at Mar-a-Lago, has since turned against the president.
- He was previously banned from Twitter (both in the pre- and post-Elon Musk era) before Musk announced in May of last year that he would reinstate Fuentes' account on X.
Groypers' feud with Charlie Kirk
Zoom in: Groypers often confront more "mainstream" organizations, like Kirk's Turning Point USA, for failing to promote their vision of an "America First" agenda, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
- In 2019, Fuentes' fans became the soldiers of a "Groyper war," in which they antagonized and trolled Turning Point speakers and events.
- Several individuals who federal investigators said were connected to the Groyper movement were arrested in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
As reported by The New York Times in a recent profile, Fuentes has been barred from some of conservative America's most prominent events, including Turning Point USA gatherings.
- He was also booted from the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and has held a competing conference — the America First Political Action Conference.
Kirk's killing sparks Groyper theories
Context: When authorities announced Robinson's arrest, they revealed that bullet casings recovered by investigators were inscribed with messages that appeared to be related to gamer and meme culture.
- "Tyler Robinson, the alleged assassin of Charlie Kirk, is speculated to be a Groyper based on his memes and rhetoric," the left-libertarian hacking collective Anonymous told its 5.3 million X followers Friday.
- Pointing to the "Squatting Slav" pose and Halloween costume Robinson wore, some liberals online argued it was associated with Groypers. But others disputed the claim, as does Fuentes.
- "So you have these Resistance boomers who found out what a Groyper was yesterday," Fuentes told Axios. "These people have no idea what they're talking about."
Two other engraved bullet casings referenced fascism: one apparently referenced a video game and said "Hey, fascist! Catch," and another referenced the antifascist Italian song "Bella Ciao."
- While liberals online have said the song was ironically adopted by Groypers, Fuentes told Axios he never heard the song before.
Reality check: As noted by Time Magazine, those who have covered Fuentes downplayed connections between Robinson and the movement.
Avery Lotz contributed reporting for this article.
