A Florida man known online as “Palm Beach Pete” went viral in 2026 for his striking resemblance to Jeffrey Epstein. Many online have pointed to similarities in his face, the position of his teeth, and the shape of his ears, strongly arguing that he is, in fact, Epstein using a fake name and identity. “Palm Beach Pete” has responded to the comments about his appearance, saying that he is “not Jeffery Epstein.” He further stated, “I’m 71 years old. How many people at my age get to hang out with young kids, influencers, and really enjoy the journey?” The controversy around “Palm Beach Pete” has recently revitalized in the public consciousness, with a new video emerging of Pete seemingly responding to being called “Jeffery.” The video shows Pete sitting in his car. The people recording in the car to his right roll down their window and yell “Jeffery.” Pete then turns and smiles until noticing they are recording, then quickly drives away, yelling, “It’s Palm Beach Pete.” Many suggest that he turned to the men instinctively upon hearing his real name. The theories around him have only been further exacerbated by Pete filming a video of him eating a cheese pizza and insinuating that he has attended certain “parties” where he made a lot of money. Cheese pizza is a commonly known conspiracy, popularized 10 years ago as Pizzagate, where rich pedophiles would use the term cheese pizza to refer to molesting children. Other online pedophiles have reportedly confirmed that they too used the terminology to order pedophilic and exploitative content from each other secretly. In addition, the video is filmed in a kitchen that closely resembles Jeffrey Epstein’s kitchen, as seen in photographs and video footage from the Epstein files. As the situation escalates, many people increasingly suspect that “Palm Beach Pete” is not who he says he is, as distrust festers among the younger generations.
By Alexandra Miskewitz
Over the past year or so, there’s been what appears to be an intensification of certain political sensibilities among pockets of the conservative youth. These currents bear a familial resemblance to the alt-right phenomenon of the mid-2010s, yet they have acquired a more pointed and unapologetic animus, one that frequently coalesces around explicit anti-Semitism, often cloaked in the rhetoric of patriotic realism or skepticism toward foreign entanglements. A central figure in these developments is Nicholas J. Fuentes, founder of the “Groyper” movement, a group of young online activists who have been radicalizing mainstream conservative spaces with nationalist, traditionalist, and ethnocentric provocations. Fuentes has made a name for himself through livestreamed commentary laced with anti-Semitic tropes and Holocaust revisionism, all presented as unvarnished criticism of elite influence and American foreign policy. His appeal lies in his ability to articulate a sense of disenfranchisement felt by many young men who regard themselves as politically homeless in the aftermath of the Trump years, economic stagnation, and cultural dislocation. Fuentes was present on the Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021. He addressed supporters, encouraged their advance toward the building, and afterward described the events in terms that many found celebratory, though he himself did not enter the structure. While the House Select Committee subpoenaed him in connection with its investigation, and while hundreds of participants faced legal consequences, Fuentes has thus far avoided criminal conviction for direct involvement in the riot. Observers such as Tucker Carlson have publicly noted the apparent disparity. 2 Deplatformed repeatedly from mainstream services, Fuentes has found a home on Rumble, a video platform that positions itself as a bastion of free expression amid what it portrays as widespread corporate censorship. Early investment in Rumble included participation by Peter Thiel, the entrepreneur and venture capitalist whose other major venture, Palantir Technologies, maintains extensive contracts with American intelligence and military entities as well as with the Israeli government. Thiel has expressed a general inclination to defer to Israel on matters of its national security. The convergence of such funding networks with the platform’s tolerance for extreme content invites uncomfortable questions about ideological consistency, market incentives, and the architecture of contemporary discourse. 3 Palantir’s government contracts merit particular scrutiny in this context. The company, co-founded by Thiel, has become a cornerstone of U.S. military and intelligence operations. In recent years, it secured a massive enterprise agreement with the U.S. Army worth up to $10 billion over a decade, consolidating various data analytics and AI tools into a unified system for decision-making across domains. Additional Pentagon contracts, including expansions of the Maven AI initiative, have reached ceilings of $1.3 billion or more. These tools ingest vast quantities of data to detect patterns, support targeting, and enhance operational efficiency. Similar technology has been deployed in support of Israeli defense efforts, with Palantir announcing a strategic partnership shortly after October 2023 to aid “war-related missions.” CEO Alex Karp has spoken openly about the company’s pride in supporting Israel. 4 5 Such arrangements highlight a profound entanglement between private surveillance capitalism and state power. Palantir’s platforms like Gotham are designed for integration of disparate intelligence sources, enabling predictive analytics that governments find indispensable. Critics argue this creates a feedback loop: technologies developed with public funds and deployed in foreign conflicts return home to shape domestic surveillance, while the same networks fund platforms that host dissenting or extreme voices. The optics are striking. A firm deeply embedded in pro-Israel security operations indirectly sustains spaces where anti-Semitic rhetoric flourishes. Whether this reflects deliberate orchestration or the messy logic of profit and ideology remains open to debate, but it underscores how modern power operates through layered, often opaque institutional relationships rather than cartoonish cabals. We now witness racists and anti-Semites voicing their positions with unprecedented openness through readily traceable channels. At the same time, technologies of surveillance perfected by firms like Palantir have become integral to state operations. It is tempting to discern in these patterns the shadow of a larger strategy: the subtle hijacking of legitimate grievances, particularly anti-interventionist or anti-war sentiment, so as to associate them with extremism and thereby discredit broader critiques. Historical precedent lends the suspicion some weight. During the Vietnam era, federal programs such as COINTELPRO involved infiltration and provocation of anti-war movements, pushing factions toward radicalism in ways that ultimately undermined public support for the cause. The parallels to COINTELPRO are worth examining at some length, not as proof of identical repetition but as a lens for understanding recurring dynamics of power and dissent. From 1956 to 1971, the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover ran a series of covert operations targeting a wide array of groups: civil rights organizations, Black Power advocates, New Left activists, and especially anti-Vietnam War voices. Tactics included infiltration by informants, dissemination of false information to sow paranoia and factionalism, anonymous letters to discredit leaders, and encouragement of violence to justify repression. The goal was rarely outright elimination but neutralization, disrupting unity, amplifying extremes, and tainting legitimate protest with association to chaos. Senate investigations in the mid-1970s, prompted by leaks and public outrage, exposed how the Bureau viewed any challenge to the status quo as a threat requiring disruption, even when groups remained nonviolent. In our digital age, direct analogies require care. We lack smoking-gun evidence of a centralized COINTELPRO-style program targeting today’s online right. Yet echoes persist in the way algorithms, platform policies, and occasional state-adjacent actors interact with fringe movements. Online extremism, particularly on the right, often radicalizes through recommendation systems that reward engagement with more intense content. Infiltration concerns surface periodically, with accusations of feds amplifying division within dissident spaces. Anti-war or isolationist sentiments on the right can quickly brush against conspiratorial anti-Semitism, much as anti-war left movements in the 1960s sometimes fractured along ideological lines exploited by outsiders. The effect, intentional or not, is similar, legitimate critiques of foreign policy or elite power become entangled with toxic elements, making it easier for mainstream institutions to dismiss the whole. Unlike the analog era of COINTELPRO,
By Erol Yilmaz
For many people, The Odyssey is one of those books they recognize by name but have never actually read. Written nearly 3,000 years ago by the ancient Greek poet Homer, the epic has long been regarded as one of the foundations of Western literature. Yet despite its influence, it often carries the reputation of being a difficult classroom assignment rather than an engaging story. Today, however, The Odyssey is experiencing an unexpected resurgence. From Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film adaptation to the growing popularity of Epic: The Musical and renewed interest on social media, Homer’s tale of Odysseus’ journey home has found a new generation of readers and audiences. As one of history’s oldest surviving stories returns to the cultural spotlight, an important question emerges: Why is a 3,000-year-old story still capturing people’s attention today? While the Odyssey has remained a staple of literature classrooms for generations, recent years have introduced the ancient epic to audiences far beyond academia. A combination of new adaptations, social media, and renewed interest in Greek mythology has transformed Homer’s work from a required reading assignment into a cultural phenomenon once again. One of the biggest drivers of this renewed attention is Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey. Known for Films such as Oppenheimer, Interstellar, and The Dark Knight, Nolan’s decision to bring Homer’s epic to the big screen has generated widespread interest from both longtime fans and people who have never read the poem. At the same time, Epic: The Musical, a concept album inspired by The Odyssey, has gained millions of listeners online, introducing younger audiences to the story through music rather than traditional literature. Across platforms like TikTok and YouTube, creators have also begun breaking down the poem’s characters, themes, and mythology, making the ancient text feel more accessible than ever before. Together, these cultural moments have given The Odyssey a second life. Rather than remaining a story confined to classrooms or history books, it has become part of today’s entertainment and online conversations. Yet while modern adaptations may explain why people are discovering the epic, they do not fully explain why it continues to resonate nearly three millennia after it was written. While modern adaptations have introduced new audiences to The Odyssey, they are only part of the reason the story has survived for nearly 3,000 years. Its lasting appeal comes from the universal themes at its core. Rather than simply telling the story of Odysseus’ journey home after the Trojan War, the epic explores perseverance, identity, leadership, temptation, and the search for belonging, experiences that remain just as relevant as they were in ancient Greece. Although few readers will ever encounter mythical creatures or angry gods, many can relate to overcoming obstacles, making difficult decisions, and finding their way through uncertainty. Those timeless themes have allowed The Odyssey to connect with generation after generation, proving that while the world has changed dramatically, many of the questions people ask about themselves and their lives have not. The recent resurgence of The Odyssey is about more than a renewed interest in Greek mythology. It reflects the lasting impact that classic literature continues to have on modern culture. From novels and films to television shows and video games, Homer’s epic has influenced countless stories, introducing themes and storytelling techniques that continue to shape the way narratives are told today. Reading The Odyssey is not simply about finishing one of history’s oldest books. For many, it offers an opportunity to better understand a story that has inspired generations of writers, filmmakers, and artists. Whether readers are drawn in by a new film adaptation, a musical, or simply curiosity, the epic provides insight into ideas that remain surprisingly relevant in the modern world. Not every work of literature continues to attract new audiences centuries after it was written. Yet The Odyssey has endured because it speaks to experiences that transcend time. As a new generation discovers Homer’s epic, its resurgence serves as a reminder that some stories continue to matter not because they are old, but because they still have something meaningful to say. Acknowledgement: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author, not necessarily Our National Conversation as a whole.
By Alan Jimenez
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