A prominent rightwing influencer, Nick Sortor, has found himself at the center of controversy after being linked to violent incidents in Minneapolis, where he has been accused of driving his truck at protesters. Sortor, who is close to the Trump administration, has a history of inflammatory content on social media platforms and has been repeatedly accused of escalating conflict for the sake of his online audience.
Sortor's relationship with the Trump administration is well-documented, having attended an October 2025 White House influencer roundtable on "antifa" alongside other rightwing influencers. Despite his checkered past, including previous DUIs and a misdemeanor conviction for criminal mischief, Sortor has received full-throated support from the administration.
Critics argue that Sortor's content is directly fueling the violent enforcement actions of federal immigration agents in Minnesota and beyond. Jeff Tischauser, a senior researcher at the Southern Poverty Law Center, says that "It doesn't matter what your political affiliation is... if they deem you to be un-American or insufficiently loyal to their goals they will drag your name, they'll call you domestic terrorists, they'll call you a criminal, they'll call you a violent thug."
Sortor has been accused of fabricating stories and exaggerating the severity of incidents involving protesters in Minneapolis. In one instance, he posted a video claiming that anti-ICE rioters had surrounded his vehicle, smashed his windows, and attempted to kill him and fellow rightwing influencer Cam Higby. However, an investigation by Andrew Mercado, a pro-Trump media outlet, found that Sortor's account of events was significantly different from what actually happened.
Despite the controversy surrounding his content, Sortor has continued to build his influence as a rightwing journalist and provocateur. He bills himself as a fearless journalist who is not afraid to take on mainstream media outlets, but critics argue that his focus on provocative content is more about generating clicks and attention than seeking truth or justice.
Sortor's rise to prominence coincided with Elon Musk's ownership of X, which has been criticized for tilting the algorithm in favor of rightwing accounts and incentivizing the production of low-quality material. As a result, Sortor has seen his following grow significantly, but concerns have been raised about the impact of this on public discourse and the spread of misinformation.
Sortor's Kentucky roots are also worth noting, as he has a history of run-ins with the law in his home state. According to reports, he was charged twice and convicted once for driving under the influence in Kentucky, and was arrested for menacing a police officer in downtown Lexington. Despite this history, Sortor appears to have received little attention or criticism from the Trump administration, which has instead offered him support and encouragement.
Sortor's relationship with the Trump administration is well-documented, having attended an October 2025 White House influencer roundtable on "antifa" alongside other rightwing influencers. Despite his checkered past, including previous DUIs and a misdemeanor conviction for criminal mischief, Sortor has received full-throated support from the administration.
Critics argue that Sortor's content is directly fueling the violent enforcement actions of federal immigration agents in Minnesota and beyond. Jeff Tischauser, a senior researcher at the Southern Poverty Law Center, says that "It doesn't matter what your political affiliation is... if they deem you to be un-American or insufficiently loyal to their goals they will drag your name, they'll call you domestic terrorists, they'll call you a criminal, they'll call you a violent thug."
Sortor has been accused of fabricating stories and exaggerating the severity of incidents involving protesters in Minneapolis. In one instance, he posted a video claiming that anti-ICE rioters had surrounded his vehicle, smashed his windows, and attempted to kill him and fellow rightwing influencer Cam Higby. However, an investigation by Andrew Mercado, a pro-Trump media outlet, found that Sortor's account of events was significantly different from what actually happened.
Despite the controversy surrounding his content, Sortor has continued to build his influence as a rightwing journalist and provocateur. He bills himself as a fearless journalist who is not afraid to take on mainstream media outlets, but critics argue that his focus on provocative content is more about generating clicks and attention than seeking truth or justice.
Sortor's rise to prominence coincided with Elon Musk's ownership of X, which has been criticized for tilting the algorithm in favor of rightwing accounts and incentivizing the production of low-quality material. As a result, Sortor has seen his following grow significantly, but concerns have been raised about the impact of this on public discourse and the spread of misinformation.
Sortor's Kentucky roots are also worth noting, as he has a history of run-ins with the law in his home state. According to reports, he was charged twice and convicted once for driving under the influence in Kentucky, and was arrested for menacing a police officer in downtown Lexington. Despite this history, Sortor appears to have received little attention or criticism from the Trump administration, which has instead offered him support and encouragement.
. And it's not just that he's got a history of making stuff up, it's that his whole schtick is built on stirring up conflict and getting attention from the Trump folks 
. I mean, can't he just produce some decent journalism or something? Instead he's out here fabricating stories and exaggerating what actually happens 
.
. It's like they're actively trying to spread misinformation and amplify right-wing nonsense 
. I'm all for free speech and all, but come on, can't we have a little more nuance in our discourse? 
. And the Trump administration's lack of accountability for their own influencers is just mind-boggling 
. It's like they're more interested in peddling conspiracy theories than actually governing 
. Let's hope someone holds him accountable soon 
This guy Nick Sortor is like a ticking time bomb 
. I mean, come on, dude has been arrested multiple times for DUIs and menacing a cop, but that's just overlooked because he's got an "influencer" badge on his forehead 
. It's like he's playing a bad joke on society, using his platform to whip people up into a frenzy, all while pretending to be some kind of fearless journalist 
. Newsflash Nick: your clicks are bought and paid for, not earned through integrity or journalism skills 
. We need more critical thinking and less sensationalism online! 
He's literally driving a truck at protesters and getting a free pass because of his connections 
And don't even get me started on the fact that he's been endorsed by the Trump admin 
It's like they think our social media platforms are some kind of bad dream 
I mean, fabricating stories and exaggerating incidents is NOT okay 
And the fact that he's been endorsed by the Trump admin is just wild 
Like, what's next? Should we all be calling ourselves domestic terrorists for having differing opinions? 
That's so not how it works in a democratic society 
Can't we just have real journalism without all the drama and clicks? 
the fact that he's getting full-throated support from the trump admin is just wild, like they're all in on some big prank 
i mean, are they trying to create more chaos or something? also, X needs to step up their game and fix those algorithm issues ASAP, sortor isn't doing anyone any favors 
. I mean, what's next? We're living in a world where some influencers think they can just incite riots & get away with it? Nick Sortor's gotta stop using his platform for clickbait & propaganda... it's ridiculous how he can just fabricate stories and get a pass from the Trump admin 
and now he's fueling violence and hatred against protesters, all for the sake of getting clicks and attention. what a sickening excuse for "journalism". it's like he thinks his privileged status and connections to the Trump administration give him a free pass to spread hate and misinformation.
he thinks he's all high and mighty just cuz he's got a connection to trump 
plus the way he fabricates stories and exaggerates things is just lowkey crazy 
they're just using him 2 get clicks & attention while people r getting hurt. its so sad that our media platforms r more focused on sensationalism than actual journalism 
x is a major contributor 2 this problem, it's all about algos favoring right-wing accounts. Sortor's got a history of makin' stuff up 4 the sake of drama, like w/ Cam Higby incident 
. Trump's gotta love someone who's willing to stir up trouble for clicks, though. Meanwhile, his followers are just getting more and more radicalized... not good for the country 
.
. Can't we just focus on real journalism and actual issues here?