What’s going on with a cadre of right-wing influencers who are suddenly the focus of a series of rape and pedophilia allegations?
It’s a complicated round of he-said, he-said, but at least one individual accused in the matter has apologized, while another laments that he didn’t “get to rape anybody.”
The major players in this story are Milo Yiannopoulos, Nick Fuentes, and Ali Alexander.
The major allegations are against Alexander, who has been accused of sexting with underaged boys, specifically asking them for genital photos, though Fuentes is also making allegations against Yiannopoulos.
Alexander has now dropped a vague apology for “any inappropriate messages sent over the years,” and indicated that he’s failed to confirm “identities during flirtatious banter,” appearing to hint, without explicitly saying, that he may have been inappropriate with minors but only because he assumed they were adults.
This follows a rift with Yiannopoulos, who, apparently angered over being excluded from Kanye West’s presidential campaign, began releasing screenshots and video interviews that he says show Ali propositioned young adult men, and at least two teen boys.
Alexander started with denials, claiming the screenshots were fake, before progressing to an apology. From the Daily Beast:
“Yiannopoulos claims he’s releasing the video against Alexander because Alexander dropped Yiannopoulos’s name to entice young men. One screenshot purports to show Alexander dangling the prospect of a meeting with Yiannopoulos to a teenage boy.”
“Why will nobody talk about Milo’s predation against me? He tried to drug me and jump into bed with me. The only difference between me and the other accusers is I fought back.”
At the same time, he tried to connect the allegations to Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, with whom he was once friendly — until after she was called out for supporting him as a white supremacist, and tweeted, “Of course I denounce Nick Fuentes.”
Taking the opportunity for a little racism and anti-LGBT bigotry, Fuentes complained that “Milo and his black boyfriend” are (allegedly) staying in a property owned by Greene, and that it would damage her campaign if her supporters knew.
Despite his own history, Yiannopoulos has a lot of input with regard to sexual abuse allegations within the GOP.
When allegations hit CPAC leader Matt Schlapp earlier this year, Milo said that he, too, was hit on by the prominent conservative, and that when he turned Schlapp down, his career in right-wing politics was the next victim.
Still, if you believe Milo, the worst is yet to come for Ali.
In a new post after Alexander’s apology, Yiannopoulos claimed, “After the videos come out from his younger victims, Ali won’t be able to leave the house, much less prowl the streets of DC for nubile young boys.”
So, what’s the upshot? Alexander has not actually admitted to any wrongdoing, but has apologized anyway.
Yiannopoulos is accused by Fuentes, and has a history of defending pedophilia. He says worse is coming out about Alexander.
As for Fuentes, he’s just complaining that he didn’t “get to” commit rape.
