Valentina Gomez

{{uspolitics}}
{{cquote|So refreshing to see a female [[GOP]] candidate who never served in the military doing the whole veteran cosplay, stolen valor, [[bigotry]] as a substitute for strength routine as well as any man.|||Former Missouri Secretary of State {{wpl|Jason Kander||}}<ref>https://archive.ph/f8jwz</ref>}}
{{cquote|I serve Jesus Christ and the people of Missouri. My brother is a current service member, and the vest is to make my runs harder. You should probably get one too since you suck at baseball.|||Valentina Gomez's nonsensical reply to Kander's tweet<ref>https://archive.ph/V9u2F</ref>}}
'''Valentina Gomez Noriega''' {{lived|May 8, 1999}} is an [[United States|American]] [[far-right]] businesswoman and financier who ran as a candidate for {{wpl|Missouri Secretary of State||}} in 2024.<ref>{{cite news |author=Dereuck, Kelly |date=October 29, 2023 |title=Greene County's Schoeller among crowded field of GOP candidates for MO Secretary of State |url=https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/politics/2023/10/29/candidates-field-grows-2024-missouri-secretary-of-state-race/71304938007/ |access-date=January 27, 2024 |work=Springfield News-Leader}}</ref> Her campaign followed the [[Lauren Boebert]] style of political campaigning perfectly: act irrationally hateful and look hot. It didn't work.<ref>Terrence T. McDonald, [https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/08/07/valentina-gomez-lost-her-election-and-her-brother-lost-his-job-im-not-shedding-any-tears/ A bigot lost her election and her brother lost his job. I’m not shedding any tears.] ''New Jersey Monitor'', 7 August 2024.</ref> On December 18, 2024, Gomez announced she's [[Carpetbagger|moving to Texas]] to primary sitting Congressman Dan Crenshaw in 2026.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/valentina-gomez-texas-congress-19990188.php|title=‘Don’t be weak and gay’ candidate announces run for Dan Crenshaw’s seat in Texas|date=December 19, 2024|work=Chron}}</ref> She has produced quasi-[[fascistic]] content like a video demanding an immediate, [[extrajudicial execution]] of accused murderer Sebastian Zapeta in 2024.<ref>[https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/nyc-subway-burning-texas-republican-valentina-gomez-shares-public-execution-video-of-immigrant-internet-calls-it-horrifying/articleshow/116636118.cms NYC Subway burning: Texas Republican Valentina Gomez shares 'public execution' video of immigrant, internet calls it 'horrifying] (23 December, 2024 05:41 PM -8 GMT) ''The Economic Times</ref>

== Biography ==
Gomez was born on May 8, 1999, in [[Colombia]] and grew up in {{wpl|Jersey City||,}} [[New Jersey]]. Her family emigrated from Colombia in 2009.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Cox |first=Kallie |title=Oh Great, That Unhinged Book-Burning GOP Candidate Is From St. Louis |url=https://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/oh-great-that-unhinged-book-burning-gop-candidate-is-from-st-louis-41834640 |access-date=2024-03-01 |website=Riverfront Times |language=en}}</ref> She graduated with a bachelor's degree from Central Connecticut State University in 2019 and a Master of Business Administration from Tulane University in 2020.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Wolf |first=J. D. |date=2024-05-06 |title=GOP Candidate Welcomes White Nationalist Nick Fuentes Back to Twitter |url=https://meidasnews.com/news/gop-candidate-welcomes-white-nationalist-nick-fuentes-back-to-twitter |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=MeidasTouch News |language=en}}</ref> She was also a Division I College Swimmer.<ref name=":5" /> 

She worked as a finance employee working for [[Nestlé]] until June 3. 2024.<ref>https://archive.ph/XAAWm</ref> 
Gomez stated her that her employer Nestlé Purina tried to keep her quiet about attacking [[LGBTQ]] books in libraries. In February, Gomez [[Book burning|took a flamethrower to two LGBTQ library books]] in a campaign video, Gomez went on to state she 'fired' her employer.<ref>https://meidasnews.com/news/gop-candidate-no-longer-working-for-nestl%C3%A9-purina-after-burning-lgbtq-library-books</ref> 

According to her, she only trusts three things: the [[Bible]], the social media platform [[Twitter|X]] - "Thank you, [[Elon Musk]]" - and her AR-15.<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/C2EAbbjNoww/</ref>

== 2024 Missouri Secretary of State campaign ==
Gomez launched her campaign for {{wpl|Missouri Secretary of State||}} in November 2023. She doubts the legitimacy of the results of the [[2020 U.S. presidential election]], and has promised to 
ban
 ''blow up'' voting machines in the state of Missouri if elected.<ref>https://archive.ph/QaubU</ref> She also wants to deploy the {{wpl|National Guard||}} to oversee Missouri's elections.<ref>https://www.valentinaformissouri.com/turning-visions-into-missions-1</ref> Please forget for a moment that the Missouri Secretary of State doesn't even have that power.

These promises, which are pretty much just basic American far-right positions [[Poe's Law|taken to the extreme]], have enabled her to gain both popularity among Missouri Republicans and endorsements from several conservative firebrand figures, including current U.S. Representative [[Matt Gaetz]], who actually took the time to claim that there was "not another Secretary of State candidate in America possessing the energy of Valentina Gomez." (What?)<ref>https://archive.ph/JcCES</ref> and former U.S. Representative [[George Santos]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Cameron |first=Chris |date=2024-05-15 |title=Far-Right Candidate in Missouri Draws Backlash for Homophobic Video |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/15/us/politics/valentina-gomez-video-backlash.html |access-date=2024-05-16 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

== From nobody to MObody ==
Gomez's rise to far-right stardom began on February 6, 2024, when she posted a video on X showing her burning two [[LGBT]] books called: "Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens", and "Naked: Not Your Average Sex Encyclopedia" with a homemade flamethrower.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20240208123055/https://twitter.com/ValentinaForSOS/status/1754964444776443937</ref> For [[Sarcasm|some strange, unfathomable reason]], people freaked out. It's almost like she promised in the video to burn all "grooming books" in all of Missouri's public libraries upon getting elected or something. Oh wait&nbsp;— she ''did'':

{{quotebox|This is what I will do to the grooming books when I become secretary of state. These books come from a Missouri public library. When I’m in office, they will burn.}}

She ''actually'' said this.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2024-02-07 |title=Missouri Republican candidate torches LGBTQ-inclusive books in viral video |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/missouri-republican-candidate-torches-lgbtq-inclusive-books-viral-vide-rcna137715 |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>

Some people reacted by comparing the video to&nbsp;— [[Godwin's law|what else?]]&nbsp;— the [[Book_burning#Germany|mass book burnings]] that took place in [[Nazi Germany]]. Others compared it to the novel [[Fahrenheit 451]]. Kathy Belge, co-author of one of the books burned, said Americans “should be concerned that a candidate for public office not only thinks book burning is acceptable, but that it is something that will help her get elected.”<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2024-02-07 |title=Missouri Republican candidate torches LGBTQ-inclusive books in viral video |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/missouri-republican-candidate-torches-lgbtq-inclusive-books-viral-vide-rcna137715 |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>

On February 14-15, 2024, 706 Missouri Republicans were asked who they planned to vote for in the Republican primary of the 2024 Missouri Secretary of State election. Out of the eight candidates, Valentina Gomez came in third with 10%, which sounds great until you realize that the first-place finisher came in with 12%. 56% of those polled said they were undecided.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20240217150728/https://moscout.com/daily-updates-1/2024/2/17/moscout-weekender-lincoln-days-talk-new-statewide-republican-poll-hallway-on-2024-and-more</ref>

On May 12, 2024, Gomez's fame reached its peak (hopefully) when she released a somewhat less extreme (in the sense that a bee sting hurts somewhat less than a wasp sting) video on both X and [[Instagram]] of her jogging through the Soulard district of St. Louis, a heavily [[LGBT]] populated area, wearing a fitness vest (which many mistook for a bulletproof vest) and shorts, saying:

{{quotebox|In America, you can be anything you want, so don’t be weak and [[gay]]. Stay fucking hard.<ref>New York Post. “Missouri GOP Candidate Valentina Gomez Tells Voters Not to Be ‘Weak and Gay’ in Campaign Video.” YouTube, 15 May 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_NWgVCZHdI&pp=ygUPdmFsZW50aW5hIGdvbWV6. Accessed 3 June 2024.</ref>}}

Her video quickly went [[viral]], receiving at least 3 million views within four days.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-16 |title=Republican candidate's 'weak and gay' campaign ad sparks comedic pushback |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/republican-candidates-weak-gay-campaign-ad-sparks-comedic-pushback-rcna152602 |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> Democrats lost their cool because the video (1) insulted gay people for no reason whatsoever, and (2) looked just stupid. Many average [[Republicans]] just ignored the video for [[Don't feed the Troll|obvious reasons]], but the far-right fell absolutely in love with her. [[The Gateway Pundit]] called her video "epic," and claimed that it was "pretty funny if you have a sense of humor unlike the libs."<ref>Conradson, Jordan. “HILARIOUS! Missouri Secretary of State Candidate Burns Pornographic Children’s Books and Posts on Social Media in EPIC Video | the Gateway Pundit | by Jordan Conradson.” The Gateway Pundit, 15 May 2024, www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/05/hilarious-missouri-secretary-state-candidate-who-burns-pornographic/. Accessed 23 May 2024.</ref> [[InfoWars]] also praised her for being "quite bold."<ref>Missouri GOP Candidate’s Videos Go Viral: “Don’t Be Weak & Gay.” (2024, May 15). Infowars. https://www.infowars.com/posts/missouri-gop-candidates-videos-go-viral-dont-be-weak-gay/</ref> The comment sections of both articles are filled with people either praising her for her looks or her "courage," or claiming that Republicans shouldn't like her [[Xenophobia|because she's from Colombia]].

Instagram removed her video, causing her to claim to be "[[Bullshit|one of the most suppressed voices of Instagram]]" along with former U.S. president [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-15 |title=Missouri GOP Candidate Says 'Don't Be Weak And Gay' In Bonkers Campaign Video |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/valentina-gomez-weak-gay-video_n_66447a58e4b0411bd6ff59f3 |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> 

Shortly after the video's release, the Pit Viper company asked Gomez to stop using their sunglasses in her social media videos. She responded by calling the company "weak and gay."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Bollinger |first=Alex |date=2024-05-21 |title=Sony & Pit Viper tell unhinged Republican to stop using their products in her hateful videos |url=https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/05/sony-pit-viper-tell-unhinged-republican-to-stop-using-their-products-in-her-hateful-videos/ |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=LGBTQ Nation}}</ref> She also called {{wpl|Lupe Fiasco||}} "weak and gay" after Lupe protested one of her songs ("The Show Goes On") being used in the video.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Bollinger |first=Alex |date=2024-05-21 |title=Sony & Pit Viper tell unhinged Republican to stop using their products in her hateful videos |url=https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/05/sony-pit-viper-tell-unhinged-republican-to-stop-using-their-products-in-her-hateful-videos/ |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=LGBTQ Nation}}</ref>

== Imitating Ben Shapiro ==
{{Main|Ben Shapiro}}
On June 1, 2024, two days after [[Donald Trump]] was convicted of felony falsification of business records, Gomez appeared on a music video with conservative [[rap]] artist Hi-Rez. The song was titled "America First," but featured the hashtag, "#FreeTrump."<ref>Culture, Ryan Smith Senior Pop, and Entertainment Reporter. “Gun-Toting Republican Candidate Raps on ‘Free Trump’ Song.” Newsweek, 3 June 2024, www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-valentina-gomez-america-first-hi-rez-video-1907295. Accessed 3 June 2024.</ref> In the video, Gomez raps:

{{quotebox|"I am America First / Not benefiting my purse / I never sell out the people to raise my net worth / The [[Second Amendment]] is there to always protect my [[First Amendment|First]] / A better rapper than Lupe Fiasco and I don't even have to curse / Let's Keep the American Dream alive and put an end to all lies / [[BLM]] raised billions and what did they do for Black lives? / Politicians promise you the whole world then they backslide / What happened to Hunter's laptop? You know I'm always strapped up / Gun rights are women's rights / [[Feminists]] based on a lie / You can mess around and find out / Play stupid games, win a stupid prize.<ref>HiRezTV. “Hi-Rez - America First Ft. Valentina Gomez (Music Video).” YouTube, 31 May 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=q31SOXo2QlI. Accessed 3 June 2024.</ref>}}

She shared the video on X with the caption, "This is how to rap [[Ben Shapiro|@benshapiro]] Facts don’t care about your feelings. America First w/ @HiRezTheRapper."<ref>https://twitter.com/ValentinaForSOS/status/1796939289478963703</ref> As odd as it sounds, her music video is actually better than Shapiro's "Facts", mainly because she (1) didn't wear any goofy hoodies in it, and (2) is never recorded as having ever called rap "not music" or calling people who like rap "stupid."

== Associations with the alt-right ==
{{main|Alt-right}}
On January 6, 2024, she posed for a picture with [[Jacob Chansley]].<ref>https://media1.riverfronttimes.com/riverfronttimes/imager/u/original/41834946/screen_shot_2024-02-08_at_1.23.56_pm.png</ref> Yes, ''the'' Jacob Chansley. The guy who pretended to be a buffalo at the U.S. Capitol. [[2021 U.S. coup attempt|That day exactly three years earlier]]. That guy. She also endorsed his bid for [[Congress]] that same day.<ref>https://archive.ph/Q7Zuq</ref>

On May 3, 2024, Gomez praised white nationalist [[Nick Fuentes|Nick Fuentes's]] reinstatement on X, saying "Long live the First Amendment."<ref name=":5" /> On May 19, 2024, Gomez again wrote approvingly of Fuentes, saying that "we may have some differences but putting America First unites us."<ref name=":4" /> (Does Gomez view [[Charles Lindbergh]] as having been a fellow [[patriot]] too?<ref>Dixon, Letricia. “Charles Lindbergh - Germany and the America First Movement | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Lindbergh/Germany-and-the-America-First-movement.</ref>)

Just to put icing on her cringey campaign's cake, Gomez made sure to tag [[manosphere]] influencers [[Andrew Tate|Andrew]] and [[Tristan Tate]] on her "don't be weak and gay" post.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pequeño |first=Sara |title=A Missouri Republican tried to mock gay people for votes. She instead gave us a meme. |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/05/17/missouri-republican-valentina-gomez-dont-be-weak-gay-meme/73733135007/ |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Other cringey things she has said/done ==
Gomez pretended to shoot a [[Star Wars|stormtrooper]] in one video.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20240530124244/https://x.com/ValentinaForSOS/status/1788798328571924510</ref> If the Galactic Empire decides to invade Earth in 2025, do not fear, Missourians! Valentina Gomez will save the day! (As long as she's Secretary of State, of course.)

She managed to film herself next to [[Jordan Peterson]], [[Joe Rogan]]<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20240530000900/https://www.facebook.com/reel/340997208665271</ref> and [[Vivek Ramaswamy]].<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20240530123659/https://www.facebook.com/reel/369240499475081</ref> Our guess is that she went up to them saying something like, "Oh, Mr. Peterson/Rogan/Ramaswamy! I'm a big fan! Can I get a picture with you?" They said yes, not having a clue who she was, and now she's deceptively using those pictures to imply that those three famous [[conservative]] figures actually want her to be Missouri's next Secretary of State.

She's constantly filming herself running marathons.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20240528003403/https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=426889460052806</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20240530123659/https://www.facebook.com/reel/369240499475081</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20240530004035/https://www.facebook.com/reel/371751422560212</ref> Question: do the duties of Secretary of State require anything related to running, or even much physical skill at all? Answer: NO.{{fact|joke}}

She's also constantly filming herself shooting an {{wpl|AR-15||.}} Her shooting ability is just as relevant to the race as her marathon attendance.{{fact|joke}}

In Gomez's America, you can be anything you want... except a pro-[[Palestine]] protester. Be that and she'll shoot you.<ref>JordanConradson. “Valentina Gomez Dares Pro-Hamas Protesters to ‘F*Ck around and Find Out.’” Rumble.com, rumble.com/v4vegsl-valentina-gomez-dares-pro-hamas-protesters-to-fck-around-and-find-out.html. Accessed 30 May 2024.</ref>

On May 29, 2024, Gomez said in a tweet about Pride Month, "Why don’t we have a month celebrating American [[nationalism]]? Or a Family Month? Or Pussy Month, for all the pussies out there like Don Lemon."<ref>Hudson, David. “GOP Candidate Slams ‘Weak and Gay’ Pride Month in Vile Video Rant.” INTO, 31 May 2024, www.intomore.com/impact/politics/gop-candidate-slams-weak-and-gay-pride-month-in-vile-video-rant/. Accessed 3 June 2024.</ref>

One June 3, 2024, she "fired" her employer&nbsp;— Nestlé Purina PetCare&nbsp;— and recommended that her followers "feed your [[dog]]s something that is not weak and gay.”<ref>https://archive.ph/XAAWm</ref> Just one day earlier, she claimed that the NFL football team Kansas City Chiefs "are joining me in the fight against the weak and gay agenda.”<ref>Kishore, Divya. “Valentina Gomez Trashed for Saying Kansas City Chiefs Are Joining Her in ‘Fight against the Weak and Gay.’” MEAWW News, news.meaww.com/valentina-gomez-labeled-a-liar-for-saying-kansas-city-chiefs-are-joining-her-in-fight-against-the-weak-and-gay. Accessed 4 June 2024.</ref> (Do you believe that?)

== Why is she so popular? ==
How did a nobody running for Secretary of State actually get so popular among the far-right? Brandon Morse, a writer for the website [[RedState]], has at least part of the answer: spite.

In the article, Morse makes the case for his belief that spite is "the most powerful of human emotions." This emotion is the main factor behind the rise of what Morse calls "the anti-[[politically correct|PC]] right." He explains Gomez's unexpected popularity this way:

{{quotebox|Why [are Gomez's videos] so attractive to so many people?

Spite. 

The [[Alt-right glossary#Woke|woke]] left pushed the pendulum so far that people are hungry for the return swing at this point. Truth be told, it's hard to blame some of these people. Many are seeing this pushback as a sign that the tyrannical grip of the [[social justice]] left is weakening and they just don't have the power they used to.<ref name=morse>Brandon Morse, [https://archive.ph/8qW0V The Rise of the Anti-PC Right Is an Interesting Occurrence]. Archived from redstate.com, 20 May 2024</ref>}}

Despite holding far-right beliefs himself, Morse does not endorse Gomez's campaign, as:

{{quotebox|[S]hock for the sake of shock has a really short shelf life if history tells us anything. Moreover, saying anti-[[PC]] things isn't a policy position or indicative of how well someone will hold an office. People shouldn't base their desire to vote for someone solely on how well they piss off the left, as fun as it is to do so.<ref name=morse />}}

According to Morse, "nearly everyone is sick and tired of the left's 'morality' policing," so "they're ready to just start spouting off whatever offends [people on the left] for the sake of offending them." Gomez's campaign proves this, as it is "a strong rebuke against the woke left and an indication of just how spiteful people are." Morse also notes that spite is a big factor behind [[Donald Trump]]'s popularity as well as Gomez's.<ref name=morse /> In fact, that may just be the main answer.

Gomez is the [[Donald Trump]] (albeit a young Hispanic female version of him) of the {{wpl|2024 Missouri Secretary of State election||.}} Most of her supporters know perfectly well that she won't be able to burn all the library books they don't like or place National Guardsmen on every polling place every time Missouri has an election. They know this the same way that most Trump supporters knew in 2016 that he would never actually "lock [[Hillary Clinton|her]] up." They don't care about whether she actually follows her promises; what they do care about is that she made those promises&nbsp;— and edgy rhetoric&nbsp;— in the first place. They're angry at "the woke left," and Valentina Gomez has made it clear that she's angry too. None of the seven other candidates are doing that, so they obviously "aren't as courageous" as Gomez. Thus, she's the best choice for {{wpl|Missouri Secretary of State||.}} That's literally how her supporters' logic works.

To summarize, Gomez's supporters like her because, just like themselves, she drinks beer, shoots guns, and loves to [[trigger]] [[liberals]].<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20240528003403/https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=426889460052806</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gomez, Valentina}}
[[Category:2020 election denialists]]
[[Category:Alt-lite]]
[[Category:Antifeminism]]
[[Category:Anti-LGBT bigots]]
[[Category:Censorship]]
[[Category:Gun nuts]]
[[Category:Internalized discrimination]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:We're on a mission from God]]

Categories: 2020 election denialists, Alt-lite, Antifeminism, Anti-LGBT bigots, Censorship, Gun nuts, Internalized discrimination, Living people, We're on a mission from God