Nick Freitas

Soldier, Republican politician, TikTok influencer

There aren’t many people who can boast Nick Freitas’ absurd resume. In the last few years, Nick has become one of the world's most popular right-of-centre social media influencers. His hilarious, no-holds-barred videos have been viewed hundreds of millions of times and earned him over 3 million followers. Across the platforms, you can find Nick, in his trademark style, commenting on issues like masculinity, gun rights, raising kids, mass entertainment, and the battle of the sexes. He also hosts the popular Making The Argument podcast and The Why Minutes on YouTube.

All the while, he’s been an active voice in the Republican Party. In 2015, Nick ran for the Virginia House of Delegates, taking office in January 2016, where he has remained ever since.

Much of his message is rooted in his experience as a Green Beret and his two tours of Iraq. The importance of resilience is self-evidently close to Nick’s heart – it permeates nearly all aspects of his worldview. Embracing challenge, taking responsibility and fulfilling one’s duty.

So why did we invite him on?

Well, with a backstory like that, we wanted to know how it happened. What makes up the personality that can handle those disparate roles, and how does one inform the other? The best way to get to the root of that, we felt, was to discuss all the things that have defined his career.

And what are they?

Nick spoke at length about his experiences as a father. We discussed the role of a father in the home and the well-meaning damage that coddling parents inflict on their children. How do you protect your kids without bubble-wrapping them?
Nick relays the fundamental values he and his wife instilled in their children and explains his hope that these will safeguard them from the arrogance and entitlement that typifies those who grow up with wealth and security.

Naturally, this leads to the subject of education - another issue that Nick is particularly passionate about. He perceives a worsening influence of woke thinking on America’s curriculum. When does ‘fostering awareness’ tip over into indoctrination? Is homeschooling the answer?

While it was a fascinating back-and-forth, the bulk of our conversation concerned military matters.

Nick is remarkably willing to discuss his service, offered with a disarming degree of honesty: “I know some of the guys who aren’t walking around anymore, and I sleep like a baby. They were horrible, evil men.”

But it’s not all pride and bluster. Looking back at his time in Iraq, Nick shares the “animosity” he still feels for America’s decision-making.
“We have every right to be proud of our service, but we also have every right to be pissed.”