It was the chicken and waffles that really did it.
Back in 2022, when Steven Bonnell—better known as Destiny—sat down for a meal with white nationalist Nick Fuentes, the internet basically imploded. It wasn't just a debate; it was a bizarre, friendly-looking hangout between a hardcore liberal debater and a man who has been banned from almost every corner of the digital world. People were furious. They called it "platforming." They called it a betrayal. But honestly? It was just the start of a saga that has now migrated almost entirely to Elon Musk’s X.
Since Nick Fuentes was reinstated on X in May 2024, the dynamic has shifted from awkward dinners to high-stakes digital warfare. If you’ve been on the platform lately, you’ve probably seen the "Groypers" clashing with "DGG" (Destiny’s fan base) in the replies of every major political post. It’s messy. It’s loud. And it’s arguably the most influential rivalry in the current "Alternative Political Media" landscape.
The Reinstatement That Changed Everything
For a long time, the Nick Fuentes Destiny X dynamic was one-sided because Fuentes was effectively a ghost. He was bouncing between Telegram and his own site, Cozy.tv, while Destiny was growing his presence on YouTube and X after his own indefinite ban from Twitch in 2022.
Then Elon Musk happened.
📖 Related: Barack Obama and Charlie Kirk: What Really Happened Between Them
In May 2024, Musk reinstated Fuentes’ account. Almost immediately, Fuentes began hosting X Spaces that pulled in millions of listeners. We’re talking 2.1 million viewers for a single Sunday night broadcast. This changed the math for Destiny. Suddenly, his "arch-nemesis" wasn't just some guy in a basement—he was a player again.
Why do they keep talking?
You’ve gotta wonder why a guy like Destiny, who spends his time defending liberal democracy and secularism, keeps engaging with someone whose views are so far outside the mainstream.
It’s about the "bridge." Destiny’s whole philosophy is built on the idea that you can't just ignore radicalization; you have to out-argue it. He believes that if he can pull even 5% of Fuentes’ audience away from the "Groyper" ideology, it’s a win. On the flip side, Fuentes uses Destiny as a gateway to a more "normie" audience. It’s a symbiotic, toxic relationship that thrives on the unique lack of moderation on X.
The Groyper War 2.0 and the X Battlefield
Lately, the conflict has spilled over into actual political strategy. In late 2024 and early 2025, Fuentes launched what he called "Groyper War 2." This wasn't just about memes. It was a targeted campaign to pressure the GOP from the far-right, often using X to harass mainstream conservative figures they deemed "too soft."
Destiny has been one of the few voices consistently tracking and counter-posting against these moves.
- The Trump Factor: Fuentes has had a roller-coaster relationship with Donald Trump, ranging from dining with him at Mar-a-Lago to calling him a "scam artist" in early 2025 over the failure to release Epstein files.
- The Tactical Shifts: While Fuentes uses X to mobilize "edgelords," Destiny uses it to fact-check the Groypers in real-time.
- The Spaces Debates: They’ve shared the stage in several X Spaces, often moderated by other influencers like Mario Nawfal or Fresh & Fit. These aren't your grandfather's debates. They are 5-hour marathons filled with insults, esoteric political theory, and "gotcha" moments.
The Controversy That Won't Go Away
You can't talk about these two on X without mentioning the darker side of the rivalry. In late 2024, a series of alleged "leaks" involving Destiny began circulating on the platform. These were weaponized by Fuentes and his followers to attack Destiny’s personal life and credibility.
It got ugly. Fast.
Destiny, for his part, has been blunt about the situation, often taking a "it is what it is" approach while doubling down on his political critiques. This is the reality of Nick Fuentes Destiny X interactions: it’s rarely just about policy. It’s about character assassination. It’s a blood sport where the goal isn't to convince the opponent, but to demoralize their followers.
Why This Matters for the 2026 Landscape
As we move through 2026, the influence of these two figures on X is a bellwether for how political discourse is evolving. We are seeing a move away from "curated" news toward raw, unedited, and often offensive "citizen commentary."
Mainstream figures like J.D. Vance have even been forced to address the "Fuentes problem" in interviews, acknowledging the reach these online movements have. When a guy who was once banned from the internet is now pulling millions of views on X Spaces, the gatekeepers have officially lost control.
How to Navigate the Discourse
If you’re following this saga, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. Here’s the reality:
- Verify the Clips: X is full of "out of context" clips from both sides. Before you believe a 10-second video of Destiny or Fuentes, find the full VOD.
- Understand the Rhetoric: Fuentes uses a lot of "ironic" humor to mask his more extreme views. It’s a tactic designed to make his critics look like they "can’t take a joke."
- Watch the Algorithm: Your "For You" page on X will quickly become an echo chamber for one side or the other depending on whose posts you linger on.
The battle between the "Omniliberal" and the "Groyper King" isn't ending anytime soon. As long as X remains the "Wild West" of social media, these two will continue to use it as their primary arena, shaping the political leanings of a generation of young men in the process.
Keep an eye on the upcoming X Spaces schedules. Often, the biggest "events" in this rivalry are announced only an hour or two before they happen. If you want to see the friction in real-time, following the "Community" tabs for both DGG and the Groypers is the only way to stay ahead of the curve.