White supremacist and self-described MAGA influencer Nick Fuentes ignited controversy over the weekend after openly declaring support for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, over Vice President JD Vance — not on policy grounds, but because he considers Newsom more “handsome.”
Fuentes, who has repeatedly attacked Vance in the past with crude insults, took to social media Sunday to promote what he framed as a belief in “physiognomy” and aesthetics. In his post, Fuentes wrote that he “only believe[s] in beauty and aesthetics,” before deriding Vance and claiming he would vote for Newsom “100x over just because he’s handsome.”
The post included mocking references to Vance and a sarcastic line imitating critics telling him he must vote Republican. Fuentes used the slang term “mogs,” which Meta AI defines as internet shorthand for outshining or dominating someone.
The comments come as Vance has faced accusations in recent weeks of attempting to broaden the MAGA coalition by warning against ideological purity tests. Vance made those remarks during a speech at Turning Point USA, in the context of dueling addresses by Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson over how the movement should handle anti-Semitism and open hate speech within conservative circles.
Fuentes’s remarks appeared to echo comments from fellow online influencer Braden Peters, known as “Clavicular,” who recently made similar claims during an interview with Michael Knowles of The Daily Wire. Peters asserted that Newsom would defeat Vance in a hypothetical future election because, in his words, Newsom “mogs” the vice president.
When pressed by Knowles to explain the claim, Peters focused on physical characteristics, criticizing Vance’s appearance and praising Newsom’s. Knowles pushed back repeatedly, pointing out that Vance is tall and disputing Peters’ descriptions. Peters nonetheless doubled down, insisting Newsom would dominate and predicting electoral victory on that basis alone.
we need a complete and total shutdown of podcasts https://t.co/WUdOe440ib
— Keith Edwards (@keithedwards) December 28, 2025
The exchange, marked by its fixation on looks rather than ideas, quickly went viral. Peters struggled when Knowles asked whether he actually preferred Newsom to the vice president, eventually conceding uncertainty while continuing to emphasize appearance as a deciding factor.
The episode drew sharp reactions online. Robby Soave of Reason weighed in, noting that Fuentes and his so-called “Groyper” followers appear to despise Vance despite him being, in Soave’s words, the Republican leader most tolerant and patient with them. Soave argued the hostility stems not from policy but from personal factors, including Vance’s marriage to an Indian woman and his refusal to conform to their aesthetic obsessions.
The comments have renewed questions about whether the GOP should engage with or actively court figures tied to extremist and racist ideologies. While Fuentes has attempted to cloak his views in internet irony and cultural commentary, his open praise for a Democratic governor over a sitting Republican vice president underscores how detached the fringe has become from conservative principles.
As the episode spread online, it highlighted a growing divide between mainstream conservatives focused on policy and governance, and an extremist subculture more interested in provocation, identity, and internet spectacle than winning elections or advancing ideas.
[READ MORE: China Surrounds Taiwan With Live-Fire Drills in Escalating Blockade Rehearsal]
