The statement should have been a historic moment when Sriram Krishnan, a well-known American British innovator and technical entrepreneur, was appointed by President-elect Donald Trump as Senior Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence in December 2024. It demonstrated how American Americans are leading the charge in public service and technological advancement. Rather, it became another battleground for far-right extremists, specifically the Groypers, and propagandists like Laura Loomer, who seized the opportunity to fuel racial and cultural section.
Loomer, renowned for her inflammatory language, accused Krishnan and various Indian American of” stealing work” and being part of an alleged immigrant acquisition, echoing the anti-immigrant puppy whistles that Groypers amplify. Her claims, filled with racism and fear, found fertile floor within the Groyper area, a loosely organized social of far-right agitators who thrive on world upheaval.
Who Are the Groypers?
The Groypers are more than just another online troll party. Led by characters like Nicholas Fuentes, they’ve cultivated an online culture that uses humour, jokes, and humor to disseminate greatly conservative beliefs. Their symbol—a variation of the once-benign Pepe the Frog meme—has become a twisted emblem of white nationalism, anti-immigrant sentiment, and a rejection of modern multiculturalism.
Unlike the broader, disorganized alt-right, Groypers are strategic. They target mainstream conservatives, accusing them of being too moderate, while positioning themselves as the true guardians of” America First” values. Public figures like Charlie Kirk and Ben Shapiro have frequently used their confrontational methods, which involve causing controversy by asking provocative, racist questions that are meant to make people uncomfortable and cause viral moments.
Why Indian Americans?
Because they represent the success of a group that Groypers view as outsiders, Indian Americans like Krishnan have become particular targets. Their achievements in tech, medicine, and academia are reframed in Groyper rhetoric as threats, perpetuating the baseless claim that immigrants are displacing “real Americans”. Kroypers have used the same xenophobic attacks in the past, which were amplified by social media platforms where their followers spread memes mocking Indian culture and accusing high-skilled immigrants of undermining American values.
This isn’t just casual racism. It’s a deliberate attempt to delegitimize contributions from immigrant communities while bolstering the Groypers ‘ vision of a homogeneous, exclusionary America.
A Movement Cloaked in Irony
The ability of the Groypers to operate in the murky space between humor and hate is what makes them particularly insidious. They deploy memes and jokes that, on the surface, seem absurd or satirical. But there is a clear goal hidden beneath the irony: to normalize bigotry and woo angry young people who might initially accept the joke before adopting the ideology.
Their strategies are designed for the modern era of the internet. A funny meme about Krishnan might start out as a joke in a fringe forum, but it quickly spread its toxic messages to a wider audience. Call them out, and they’ll dismiss you as humorless or overly sensitive because of this combination of humor and hate. Ignore them, and their ideas take root.
The Broader Implications
The Groypers are more than just an online nuisance. They highlight the unregulated environments of the digital world, which is thriving as a radicalization pipeline. Teenagers who scroll through edgy memes might find themselves drawn more deeply into a culture where those” jokes” serve as gateways to extremist beliefs.
Krishnan’s appointment—and the vitriol it sparked—underscores the stakes of this battle. The strength of a diverse and inclusive society is demonstrated by the success of Indian Americans and other immigrant communities. The Groypers perceive this accomplishment as a threat, and their attacks are an attempt to undermine it.
