Jared Holt on the failed ‘Groyper War’ attempting to influence the Trump campaign through social media manipulation

ISD Senior Research Analyst Jared Holt analyzed Nick Fuentes’ social media campaign attempting to influence the Trump campaign, noting that while Fuentes’ so-called “Groyper War” wasn’t fruitful in achieving his goals, they could serve as a blueprint for more serious actors seeking to manipulate political discourse. He notes how Fuentes’ followers, the “Groypers,” effectively trended phrases on Twitter and signed up for TruthSocial accounts as instructed, though the effort ultimately failed to influence Trump’s campaign. Jared warned that Fuentes’ actions, despite violating platform manipulation policies, could inspire more sophisticated attempts, especially given the lack of enforcement on platforms like Twitter and TruthSocial.

Jared’s investigation and commentary featured in Mother Jones.