Dave Rubin recently shared a Direct Message clip on his show responding to a bizarre new conspiracy: the claim that Nick Fuentes is not a genuine alt-right provocateur but actually a secret leftist posing as a conservative troll. Whether Rubin was amused, skeptical, or simply bemused, the episode underscored how fractured our media ecosystem is when shady internet theories get treated like breaking news.

You can see why the rumor spreads. Fuentes thrives on spectacle, shock value, and controversy, and his stunts often create more chaos than coherent political argument, which leaves fertile ground for conspiracy-minded viewers who love a narrative that explains everything. But reality matters more than the latest meme: Fuentes has a long record of antisemitic and extremist provocations that aren’t easily shrugged off as parody or plant operations.

Conservatives should be clear-eyed about two separate truths: first, the left and the establishment media will always seek to weaponize fringe figures to tar the broader movement; second, figures like Fuentes do real damage to the cause when they normalize bigotry and cheapen conservative arguments. It’s intellectually lazy and politically dangerous to dream up elaborate conspiracies when the simpler explanation — that some people traffic in outrage for clicks and influence — fits the facts better.

Dave Rubin’s reaction — publicly engaging with the clip and treating the idea like something worth debating — reflects a necessary conservative instinct: don’t let the conversation be dominated by echo chambers or unchallenged extremism. Rubin has repeatedly warned about antisemitism and the need for the right to police its own house, and that sober, unapologetic stance is exactly what responsible conservatives should applaud.

That said, patriots who love this country should reject both the sloppy conspiracymongering that suggests everything is a false flag and the nihilistic tendency to platform anyone who screams the loudest. We win by arguing substance, defending our allies, and discrediting haters with facts and conviction — not by trading in rumor mills that make our movement look unserious.

At the end of the day, whether Nick Fuentes is an opportunist, a true believer, or — as some wild theories claim — a leftist plant, the conservative response must be consistent: condemn antisemitism and racism, refuse to normalize extremism, and focus on common-sense policies that help hardworking Americans. That’s the kind of principled, patriotic leadership this moment demands, and anything less hands the cultural battlefield to the very people who want our country divided and weak.