On Thursday, freshman Republican state Rep. Josh Schriver of Michigan appeared on the Fox 2 Detroit program "Let It Rip" to discuss allegations that Democrats are ramming bills through the legislature without giving Republicans proper time to examine them. The discussion itself was rather mundane, but as the host was closing out the program, Schriver did something interesting: He quickly threw up a one-finger salute.
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While seemingly innocuous, Schriver's action appears to be signal that he is a follower of antisemitic white nationalist Nick Fuentes, as the raised one finger is routinely used by Fuentes and his followers in the America First movement:
Nick Fuentes and his diminished cluster of groyper fanboys, desperate to point to any sign that they’re still relevant in MAGAland, are celebrating that the crowd at Trump’s recent rally raised their index fingers. This gesture has long used by the America First/groyper movement. pic.twitter.com/CvXkVoYm7P
— Ben Lorber (@BenLorber8) September 19, 2022
Following his appearance on "Let It Rip," Schriver posted a screencap of himself making the guesture on his Twitter page, with the message "Autumn is my favorite 🍂 Have a nice trip…see you next Fall 🗳️" and the hashtags #ChristisKing and #AmericaFirst.
These hashtags are commonly used by Fuentes and his followers, and Schriver's enigmatic language about "Autumn" being his favorite season appears to be a reference to Fuentes, who, despite being repeatedly banned from Twitter, is currently operating an account on the platform behind the pseudonym "Autumn Groyper."
The "Autumn Groyper" account is undeniably Fuentes, who used it just last night to participate in a Twitter Space with several other far-right antisemites.
— Keith Woods (@KeithWoodsYT) November 17, 2023
Schriver first came to the attention of Right Wing Watch earlier this year when a streamer on Fuentes' livestreaming platform, Cozy, showed the direct message exchanges he had had on Twitter and Schriver's account was clearly visible.
Also taking a vacation at the same time as Nick J Fuentes and Ali Alexander Akbar - @repjoshschriver
Who is in contact with CP Paul, friend of both Akbar and Fuentes. An America First Foundation Groyper is also close to Schriver https://t.co/JsykFbZbuR pic.twitter.com/ONQw4EE6xE— VHS Archive 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 🇬🇧 (@VHS_Archive) August 14, 2023
That user was Paul Escandon, who not only streamed on Fuentes' platform as a co-host of the CancelProof show but also produced a glowing documentary in 2022 about Fuentes called "The Most Canceled Man In America."
Escandon's Instagram page features multiple clips of Fuentes, as well as a photo of he and Fuentes together on set of the Alex Jones Show, where both made the same America First gesture that Schriver made during last night's broadcast.
If Rep. Schriver was exchanging direct messages on Twitter with Escandon, who has direct ties to Fuentes, then it seems reasonable to conclude that in making the America First gesture during the broadcast and then posting an image of himself doing so, accompanied by a seemingly unrelated message about how much he loves "Autumn," Shriver was not-so-subtly signaling to Fuentes and his far-right allies that he is part of the America First movement.
This would also substantiate the boast that Fuentes made earlier this year when he claimed to have myriad supporters working in influential political positions all over the nation, thereby allowing him and his far-right agenda to be enacted "by proxy, inside the system everywhere."
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