Who are the NELK Boys and what's their connection to Trump?

As campaign season has heated up, Vice President Harris and former President Trump have stepped outside traditional media circles and into the world of podcasting and streamers.

Harris has appeared on the famous "Call Her Daddy" podcast and has an account on the streaming platform Twitch, while Trump has joined the podcasts of comedians Theo Von and influencer Logan Paul. Both are trying to court young voters, but the former president's campaign has been specifically trying to target younger men through alt-media appearances.

One group of influencers with a background in pranks, the NELK Boys, which has hosted the former president on their podcast, is heavily backing Trump in his 2024 presidential bid. Their account on the social platform X features many pro-Trump posts, and their members have appeared on stage with the former president for a rally.

Here’s what you need to know about the NELK Boys:

According to a 2021 report from The New York Times, 2010 marked the beginning of the group, featuring Kyle Forgeard and three other members, Nick, Elliot and Lucas Gasparini, collectively making the acronym "NELK." They were all from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Nick and Elliot left the group early.

Per the Times report, Forgeard would leave Canada for Los Angeles four years later, alongside fellow NELK member Jesse Sebastiani. NELK's first widely successful video, which is now at over 50 million views, was posted in 2015. Other members have since joined the NELK Boys.

Back in 2020, YouTube temporarily demonetized the NELK Boys' account following them allegedly throwing big college parties as the COVID-19 pandemic raged. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) went after the group that same year, saying they should “be taken to task” over a large event they hosted in Seaside Heights.

The group has recently hung around figures on the right, including Trump, Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro. In April 2023, the former president came on their “Full Send Podcast” and went after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

Forgeard and fellow NELK Boys member Salim Sirur went on a rally stage with Trump in Las Vegas last month, with Forgeard telling the crowd, “We need Trump back and we need him back bad.”