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Brandon Herrera

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Brandon Herrera
Herrera in 2025
Personal information
Born (1995-11-20) November 20, 1995 (age 29)
Fort Bragg, North Carolina, United States
YouTube information
Channels
Also known asTheAKGuy
Years active2015–present
GenreFirearms/Weaponry
Subscribers3.96 million (Main channel)[1]
Views725 million (Main channel)[1]
Silver Play Button100,000 subscribers2019[2]
Gold Play Button1,000,000 subscribers2021[3]
Last updated: May 19, 2025

Brandon Joseph Herrera (born November 20, 1995), also known as The AK Guy, is an American YouTuber whose videos primarily focus on firearms. Herrera was a candidate in the race to represent Texas's 23rd congressional district in 2024, but lost by approximately 1 percentage point to incumbent Tony Gonzales in the Republican primary runoff.

Early life

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Brandon Joseph Herrera[4][better source needed] was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to a family originating from Texas.[5] Both his parents are military veterans. Herrera attended Campbell University, where he studied pre-law, before dropping out to run his firearms manufacturing business.[6] He moved to San Antonio in early 2021.[3]

Career

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YouTube

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Started in 2014, Herrera's YouTube channel focuses on testing and reviewing firearms.[7] Subjects of his videos include tests of antique and military weapons, such as the AK-47 and RPG-7; discussions about gun laws and politics; and a series recreating the assassinations of public figures, including John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.[6] In 2024, Herrera released a rifle he engineered nicknamed the "AK-50", which consisted of an AK-47 rifle platform chambered in 50 BMG in an attempt to blend the durability and power of the two separately.[8]

His videos often feature guests who have served in the military; Herrera himself is not a military veteran.[9]

Politics

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Main article: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas § District 23
2024 GOP primary runoff results by county:
  Gonzales
  •   50–60% Gonzales
  •   60–70% Gonzales
  Herrera
  •   50–60% Herrera
  •   60–70% Herrera
  •   70–80% Herrera
  •   80–90% Herrera

On June 23rd, 2023, Herrera testified at a field hearing led by representative Matt Gaetz on the subject of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.[10][11]

Later, in August of the same year, Herrera, a Republican, ran for the U.S. House to represent Texas's 23rd congressional district in 2024, citing a frustration in incumbent Tony Gonzales' votes and gun policy.[12] In the primary, Herrera received 25 percent of the vote, while Gonzales received 45 percent; as no candidate received more than 50 percent, a runoff was held between the two, where Herrera lost by 400 votes.[9][12][13] Herrera called for a recount, saying, "I don’t expect the results to change, but I feel I owe it to my volunteers, voters, and supporters to leave no stone unturned."[14][15]

Several political action committees from outside of Texas donated million of dollars to Gonzales' campaign against Herrera. AIPAC accused Herrera of having "glorified Nazis and mocked the Holocaust" in his YouTube videos.[16][17] After the primary, U.S. Term Limits, a congressional term limits advocacy group, tapped Herrera to be their Texas chair.[18]

Herrera has described himself as libertarian-leaning, often emphasizing gun rights and limited government, but has generally aligned himself with right-wing populists such as Jim Jordan, and far-right Republicans, such as Matt Gaetz and appealed to anti-establishment voters in the primaries.[19][6]

Electoral history

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2024 United States House of Representatives election, District 23 (primary)
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tony Gonzales (incumbent) 25,988 45.1
Republican Brandon Herrera 14,201 24.6
Republican Julie Clark 7,994 13.9
Republican Frank Lopez Jr. 6,266 10.9
Republican Victor Avila 3,181 5.5
Total votes 57,630 100.0
2024 United States House of Representatives election, District 23 (primary runoff)
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tony Gonzales (incumbent) 15,023 50.6
Republican Brandon Herrera 14,669 49.4
Total votes 29,692 100.0

Criticism

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Herrera's content often contains self-described dark and politically incorrect humor.[6] He co-hosts a podcast which was described by the Houston Chronicle as displaying "offensive commentary or repeats racist stereotypes", such as an episode where he joked he was essentially a military veteran because he "often [thought] about putting a gun in [his] mouth".[19] Tony Gonzales, who had served in the United States Navy, criticized Herrera, saying that there was a "special place in hell for scum and villainy who mock veteran suicide".[7] Herrera responded to the attacks, explaining both in the episode including the joke and later that he brought the joke up when describing how he didn't say it while speaking at a veteran suicide awareness panel.[20]

His YouTube videos have incorporated Nazi imagery and jokes about Nazis and the Holocaust.[21] He adds later in the video that he made “really f***ed up jokes,” saying he did so to encourage his audience to learn from and not repeat history. He adds that he’s “not really a big fan of fascism.”[21] In one 2022 video, he sarcastically referred to the MP 40, a submachine gun developed by Nazi Germany, as the "original ghetto blaster". The video, which appears to take a sarcastic tone, includes a montage of Herrera and an associate firing the weapon, goose stepping to "Erika",[21] Herrera suggests in the video that he’s aware of the connotations of “Erika,”. Herrera says in the video: “If you’re one of the few people out there that realize, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the song we just used, and it’s just a bunch of soldiers singing about a pretty girl they miss at home".[21] The song which was popularized as a German marching song used by the modern-day far right.[21] Another video featured the flag of Rhodesia, a symbol co-opted by white nationalists.[22] Herrera responded to criticism, saying, "This should be obvious, but I am not, nor have I ever been a neo-Nazi."[9]

Since at least 2013, Herrera has also been a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a neo-Confederate organization that promotes the Lost Cause and has ties to white supremacist groups.[21][23] He appeared in welcome videos produced by the organization, where he referred to the American Civil War varyingly as the "War of Northern Aggression" and the "War for Southern Independence", and advertised the group's "annual Yankee shoot", where members used antique rifles to shoot at "posters of [their] favorite Yankees".[21][23]

References

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  1. ^ a b "About Brandon Herrera". YouTube.
  2. ^ Brandon Herrera (18 July 2019). I Finally Have It!. Brandon Herrera. Retrieved February 1, 2025 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ a b Brandon Herrera (31 December 2021). 2021 Was A Year... Brandon Herrera. Retrieved February 1, 2025 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Brandon Herrera (2024-11-13). I Could Be The Next ATF Director?. Retrieved 2024-12-21 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ "Meet Brandon". Brandon Herrera for Congress. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  6. ^ a b c d Harris, Cayla (March 27, 2024). "San Antonio's 'AK Guy' is famous online. Can that take him to Congress over U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales?". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on 2024-09-15. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  7. ^ a b Choi, Matthew; Downey, Renzo (March 25, 2024). "Gun rights YouTuber Brandon Herrera gains momentum in race against U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  8. ^ Peterson, John (December 4, 2024). "Brandon Herrera's AK-50 Is Finally Complete, And It Was Well Worth the Wait". Survival World. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c Svitek, Patrick (May 2, 2024). "Texas runoff between Rep. Tony Gonzales and pro-gun YouTuber is key GOP test". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  10. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99du6kPh8eM
  11. ^ https://www.legistorm.com/stormfeed/view_rss/2246999/member/3136/title/media-advisory-monday-rep-matt-gaetz-leads-republican-coalition-on-atf-accountability-field-hearing-in-northwest-florida.html
  12. ^ a b Spriester, Steve; Barraza, Adam (23 May 2024). "Tony Gonzales declares victory with 400 votes more than Brandon Herrera in GOP runoff for US Representative District 23". KSAT.
  13. ^ Choi, Matthew (2024-05-29). "U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales prevails in primary runoff over gun influencer Brandon Herrera". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  14. ^ Downey, Renzo (2024-06-06). "Brandon Herrera to request recount in primary runoff against U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
  15. ^ Harris, Cayla (2024-06-07). "'AK Guy' wants a recount in loss to U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
  16. ^ Rod, Marc (May 15, 2024). "AIPAC launches ad blitz against Brandon Herrera, challenger to Rep. Tony Gonzales". Jewish Insider.
  17. ^ Choi, Matthew (April 16, 2024). "U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales vastly outraises challenger Brandon Herrera ahead of heated congressional runoff". The Texas Tribune.
  18. ^ Velasco, Donna (July 25, 2024). "Brandon Herrera Tapped As Texas State Chair For U.S. Term Limits".
  19. ^ a b Harris, Cayla (March 27, 2024). "Who is Brandon Herrera? What to know about the 'AK Guy' and YouTube star running for Congress". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2024-06-04. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  20. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD3jB0DbQFc
  21. ^ a b c d e f g Rod, Marc (April 1, 2024). "Rep. Gonzales' right-wing GOP challenger posted videos featuring Nazi imagery, songs, jokes". Jewish Insider. Archived from the original on April 1, 2024. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
  22. ^ Jacobs, Ben (May 9, 2024). "Uvalde's Next Congressman Might Be a Gunfluencer". New York. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
  23. ^ a b Harris, Cayla (April 2, 2024). "Texas congressional candidate Brandon Herrera posted video with Nazi imagery, jokes". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2024-04-16. Retrieved 2025-03-17.
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