In recent days, X has engaged in animated discourse over the appointment of Kai Schwemmer as the new Political Director of the College Republicans of America (CRA). The CRA described itself as “proud” of the pick, but prominent figures on the Right are far less approving. Joel Berry, the Managing Editor of the Babylon Bee, criticised the appointment, labelling Schwemmer a “Groyper” and calling on conservative institutions to push back. Author James Lindsay also attacked the appointment, suggesting that the CRA was a “Groyper front” organisation.

Schwemmer, a Mormon who spent two years on a mission in Argentina, describes himself as a “full-time child of God” and “political commentator” on his X profile. But the truth is a little more complicated. He first gained prominence in 2021, when he started posting clips on TikTok about a variety of Right-wing issues. Since then, his online presence has grown dramatically, with over 20,000 followers on Instagram and numerous YouTube clips in which he debates activists across the political spectrum. He also hosts a stream on YouTube, X, and Rumble called Out Of Touch, where he discusses a range of political topics. Last year, he appeared on Jubilee — a popular YouTube channel — with Left-wing journalist Mehdi Hasan in a video titled “1 Progressive vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives”. In the video, which has over 15 million views at the time of writing, he suggested that America had undergone “demographic replacement” and that the country should get rid of birthright citizenship. This increased presence has seen him gain a prominent following among the online Right community, and he has made frequent appearances at Turning Point USA events.

But Schwemmer has proved divisive within the broader GOP ecosphere. He is heavily associated with the “Groypers” — a movement on the hard-Right associated with white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Schwemmer himself is closely associated with Fuentes and was at one point described as being in his “inner circle”, with the two appearing in a video on Rumble together in 2021. In a now-deleted post, Schwemmer stated that he supports Fuentes and “anyone who calls themselves a conservative should too.”

This has been reflected in Schwemmer’s views. He has been extremely critical of Israel and American support for the Jewish state, but this has drifted into what some have described as antisemitism. There is a recording in which Schwemmer uses an antisemitic slur, which he has claimed was taken out of context. He also came under fire when debating the Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles late last year, when he falsely suggested that it was illegal to burn the Israeli flag in America. Schwemmer responded by suggesting that a legal precedent had been set after a 2025 ruling that attacking the Star of David constituted racial discrimination. He has also praised the Unabomber and described it as an “honour” to meet E. Michael Jones, a historian who is known for writing books including The Holocaust Narrative, which, among other things, claims Jews operate a shadow government and control world affairs.

Schwemmer drew yet more criticism following the death of Charlie Kirk last year. He defended a statement by online commentator Jon Miller which suggested that Kirk’s death was “funny”, claiming that he “agreed with the substance of what was said”.

Despite this controversy, Schwemmer is clearly popular among sections of the Right. Some, like News Force presenter William Branson Donahue, have claimed that activists like Schwemmer are “the next generation” of the GOP, and that shutting out these voices would damage the party’s future. Regardless of whether this is true, it raises an important point. Schwemmer, like Fuentes, belongs to a portion of the American Right which believes that the Republican Party and the country as a whole is moving towards Groyper-aligned politics. Fuentes himself has said the American First movement is ready to take over the GOP and that all it needs is a leader. Schwemmer, or someone like him, may well be preparing for such a role.