Brandon Herrera

Brandon Herrera, widely known as "The AK Guy," transformed his passion for firearms into a massive online platform, captivating millions with his unique tests and builds. But his journey took an unexpected, and highly public, turn from digital content creation to a bid for a seat in the U.S. Congress. Let's delve into the complex story of a gun enthusiast who brought his distinctive voice—and often controversial humor—to the national political stage. Brandon Herrera built a significant online presence through his YouTube channel, focusing on firearms content and innovative weapon designs. He leveraged his digital fame to mount a challenging, though ultimately unsuccessful, campaign for a U.S. Congressional seat in Texas. Herrera's public persona is a blend of technical expertise and a provocative comedic style, generating both strong support and considerable controversy.

Source: Wikipedia

AI Summary

Brandon Herrera built a significant online presence through his YouTube channel, focusing on firearms content and innovative weapon designs.
He leveraged his digital fame to mount a challenging, though ultimately unsuccessful, campaign for a U.S. Congressional seat in Texas.
Herrera's public persona is a blend of technical expertise and a provocative comedic style, generating both strong support and considerable controversy.

Who is The AK Guy?

Born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Brandon Joseph Herrera, known online as "The AK Guy," quickly became a prominent figure in the firearms community. His early life was shaped by a family from Texas with a military background, as both his parents were veterans. He initially pursued a pre-law degree at Campbell University.

However, his path soon diverged. Herrera dropped out of university to dedicate himself to his firearms manufacturing business, a decision that ultimately led him to establish a significant presence in the industry. He later moved to San Antonio, Texas, in early 2021, a move that would eventually align with his political aspirations.

Building an Empire, One Bullet at a Time

In 2014, Herrera launched his YouTube channel, which rapidly grew into a massive platform centered on firearms. His content often features in-depth tests and reviews of various weapons, from antique relics to modern military-grade equipment.

Viewers are drawn to his hands-on approach, watching him demonstrate everything from classic AK-47s to powerful RPG-7s. Beyond weapon demonstrations, his channel also delves into discussions about gun laws and politics, and even includes a notable, though controversial, series recreating historical assassinations, such as those of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

Herrera's influence expanded beyond his solo channel when he joined the 'Unsubscribe Podcast' as a co-host in November 2023. There, he collaborates with fellow YouTubers Donut Operator, Eli Doubletap, and the Fat Electrician, further cementing his presence in online media.

One of his most ambitious projects is the "AK-50," a rifle he engineered himself. This unique firearm attempts to marry the legendary durability of the AK-47 platform with the raw power of the .50 BMG cartridge, showcasing his innovative approach to weapon design and manufacturing.

Among his fanbase, a recurring inside joke portrays Herrera as a highly decorated war hero, despite no public record of military service. This satirical narrative, often exaggerated on the 'Unsubscribe' podcast and cataloged on the parody website ForcedValor.com, adds another layer to his unique online persona.

From Screens to Capitol Steps

Herrera's engagement with political issues intensified over time. On June 23, 2023, he testified at a field hearing led by Representative Matt Gaetz, addressing concerns about alleged overreach by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives—a pivotal moment marking his direct entry into political advocacy.

He continued his advocacy on March 19, 2024, speaking outside the Colorado State Capitol to hundreds of people, and later testifying inside the Colorado Legislature. His mission was clear: to argue against a proposed assault weapons ban, championing gun rights in a very public forum.

Later that year, in August 2023, Herrera, a Republican, announced his candidacy for the U.S. House to represent Texas's 23rd congressional district. He cited frustration with incumbent Tony Gonzales' voting record and his stance on gun policy as key motivations for his challenge.

In the initial primary election, Herrera garnered 24.6% of the vote, while Gonzales received 45.1%. Since no candidate secured over 50%, a runoff election was mandated between the two leading contenders, setting the stage for a dramatic second round.

The runoff was incredibly close, with Herrera ultimately losing to Gonzales by a mere 646 votes. Despite the narrow margin, Herrera called for a recount, stating, "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."

During his campaign, Gonzales received substantial financial support from political action committees outside of Texas, totaling millions of dollars. Notably, AIPAC accused Herrera of having "glorified Nazis and mocked the Holocaust" in his YouTube videos, injecting a significant controversy into the race.

Herrera describes himself as libertarian-leaning, consistently emphasizing gun rights and limited government. While appealing to anti-establishment voters, he has generally aligned himself with right-wing populists like Jim Jordan and far-right Republicans such as Matt Gaetz, showcasing a distinct political identity.

Electoral History

Here are the results from the 2024 Republican Primary for Texas's 23rd Congressional District:

Party	Candidate	Votes	%
Republican	Tony Gonzales (incumbent)	25988	45.1
Republican	Brandon Herrera	14201	24.6
Republican	Julie Clark	7994	13.9
Republican	Frank Lopez Jr.	6266	10.9
Republican	Victor Avila	3181	5.5
Total votes		57630	100.0

And the results from the subsequent runoff election:

Party	Candidate	Votes	%
Republican	Tony Gonzales (incumbent)	15023	50.6
Republican	Brandon Herrera	14669	49.4
Total votes		29692	100.0

A Candid, Controversial Voice

Herrera's content is characterized by what he describes as dark and politically incorrect humor, a style that has undeniably contributed to both his popularity and his controversies. He co-hosts a podcast that the Houston Chronicle described as displaying "offensive commentary or repeats racist stereotypes."

One particular joke regarding veteran suicide — where he humorously suggested he "often thought about putting a gun in his mouth" — drew sharp criticism from Tony Gonzales. Herrera clarified that he used the joke to describe what he didn't say at a veteran suicide awareness panel, explaining his intent was to highlight the seriousness of the topic by contrasting it with inappropriate humor.

His YouTube videos have also incorporated Nazi imagery and jokes about Nazis and the Holocaust. He has stated that he made these "really fed up jokes" to encourage his audience to learn from history and not repeat it, asserting he is "not really a big fan of fascism."

In a 2022 video, he sarcastically referred to the MP 40, a submachine gun from Nazi Germany, as the "original ghetto blaster." The video included a montage of Herrera and an associate goose-stepping to "Erika," a German marching song. Herrera defended its use, stating there's "absolutely nothing wrong with the song... it’s just a bunch of soldiers singing about a pretty girl they miss at home," despite its modern association with far-right groups. Another video featured the flag of Rhodesia, a symbol co-opted by white nationalists. Herrera has vehemently denied being a neo-Nazi, stating, "This should be obvious, but I am not, nor have I ever been a neo-Nazi."

Adding to the controversies, Herrera has been a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans since at least 2013, a neo-Confederate organization known for promoting the 'Lost Cause' narrative and having ties to white supremacist groups. He appeared in the group's welcome videos, referring to the American Civil War as the "War of Northern Aggression" or the "War for Southern Independence," and promoted their "annual Yankee shoot" where members fire at "posters of their favorite Yankees."

Article

Brandon Herrera

Brandon Joseph Herrera (born November 20, 1995), also known as The AK Guy, is an American YouTuber, firearms manufacturer, and politician. He gained prominence through his YouTube channel, launched in 2014, which features firearms testing, historical weapon demonstrations, and commentary on gun policy and politics. Herrera is a member of the Republican Party.

In (/wiki/2024UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinTexas), Herrera ran to represent Texas's 23rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, challenging incumbent Tony Gonzales in the Republican primary. He lost by approximately 1 percentage point in a runoff. He ran again for the seat in (/wiki/2026UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinTexas#District23), forcing a runoff and becoming the presumptive nominee after Gonzales withdrew his candidacy.

Politically, Herrera identifies as libertarian-leaning and is associated with right-wing populist figures, emphasizing gun rights, limited government, and support for President Donald Trump.

Early life

Brandon Herrera

Brandon Herrera was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to a family originating from Texas. Both his parents are military veterans. Herrera attended Campbell University, where he studied pre-law, before dropping out to run his firearms manufacturing business.

Career

YouTube

Started in 2014, Herrera's YouTube channel focuses on testing and reviewing firearms. 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, Martin Luther King Jr and Abraham Lincoln. His videos often feature guests who have served in the military; Herrera himself is not a military veteran.

On October 16, 2022, Herrera collaborated with Kyle Rittenhouse in Rittenhouse's first ever YouTube video after Rittenhouse launched his own channel dedicated to guns and Second Amendment rights.

In 2024, Herrera released a rifle he and his team engineered called the AK-50, an AK-47 pattern rifle chambered in .50 BMG in order to blend the durability and power of the two separately. The gun was later added to the video game Escape from Tarkov and to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

In the aftermath of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting, an alleged manifesto by the perpetrator referenced Herrera, stating the two had met at SHOT Show. Herrera harshly condemned the shooting and perpetrator, stating that he and his friends who attended SHOT show have "zero recollection of ever meeting this creep." The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the organizers of SHOT show, released a statement in which they detailed there is no record or evidence the shooter ever attended any year of the event.

Politics

On March 19, 2024, Herrera spoke outside of the Colorado State Capitol to around 400 people and later testified inside to the Colorado Legislature against a proposed assault weapons ban.

On July 7, 2025, Herrera appeared on Fox News to discuss the impact and effects of the July 2025 Central Texas floods. 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 Matt Gaetz. He also has appealed to anti-establishment voters in the primaries. Herrera is also a staunch supporter of US President Donald Trump, having worked on the 2016 Trump campaign.

2024 congressional election

2024 GOP primary runoff results by county: Gonzales Herrera

In August 2023, Herrera, a Republican, announced he would run for the U.S. House to represent Texas's 23rd congressional district in (/wiki/2024UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinTexas), citing a frustration in incumbent Tony Gonzales' votes and gun policy. 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 354 votes. 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."

Several political action committees from outside of Texas donated millions of dollars to Gonzales' campaign against Herrera. The pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC ran an ad campaign accusing Herrera of joking about veteran suicide and having "glorified Nazis and mocked the Holocaust" in his YouTube videos. A Politico article cited this ad campaign as an example of AIPAC strategically attacking certain candidates while supporting its endorsed ones, without mentioning Israel. After the primary, U.S. Term Limits, a congressional term limits advocacy group, tapped Herrera to be their Texas chair.

2026 congressional election

Herrera again announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in Texas' 23rd Congressional district in 2026; During the March 3, 2026, primary, Herrera forced Gonzales into a second runoff, this time coming in first with 43% to Gonzales' 41%. Gonzales suspended his campaign two days after the primary, leaving Herrera the presumptive nominee.

In November 2025, Herrera announced his campaign had raised $1.1 million dollars for the primary, with over 33,000 small dollar donors contributing alongside his own PACs. On February 18, 2026, Herrera called on Gonzales to exit the race and resign over an alleged affair with a former staffer who committed suicide in November after another former Gonzales staffer backed the rumors.

In March of 2026, after an initial primary that prompted a runoff, in which Herrera placed first and Gonzalez second, Gonzalez conceded the race, leading to the cancellation of the runoff and Herrera becoming the presumptive nominee.

Electoral history

2024

<table><thead><tr><th>Party</th><th>Candidate</th><th>Votes</th><th>%</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Tony Gonzales (incumbent)</td><td>25,988</td><td>45.1</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Brandon Herrera</td><td>14,201</td><td>24.6</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Julie Clark</td><td>7,994</td><td>13.9</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Frank Lopez Jr.</td><td>6,266</td><td>10.9</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Victor Avila</td><td>3,181</td><td>5.5</td></tr><tr><td>Total votes</td><td>57,630</td><td>100.0</td></tr></tbody></table>

2026

<table><thead><tr><th>Party</th><th>Candidate</th><th>Votes</th><th>%</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Brandon Herrera</td><td>23,857</td><td>43.3</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Tony Gonzales (incumbent)</td><td>22,979</td><td>41.7</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Keith Barton</td><td>4,672</td><td>8.5</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Quico Canseco</td><td>3,554</td><td>6.5</td></tr><tr><td>Total votes</td><td>55,062</td><td>100</td></tr></tbody></table>

Criticism

Brandon Herrera

Herrera's content often contains self-described dark and politically incorrect humor. He co-hosts the Unsubscribe podcast (with three military veterans) that 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". Tony Gonzales criticized Herrera, saying that there was a "special place in hell for scum and villainy who mock veteran suicide".

Herrera has posted several YouTube videos that have featured Nazi imagery and included jokes about Nazis and the Holocaust. In a 2020 video, Herrera played "Erika", "Grüne Teufel" (Green Devils), which is a modernized Fallschirmjäger variant of "Teufelslied", and "Panzerlied" (Tank Song), with other Third Reich related songs in the background while covering firearms that were used by the Nazis; Herrera subsequently "liked" numerous comments praising his use of the Nazi marching songs in the video. In a 2022 video, he referred to the MP 40, a submachine gun developed by Nazi Germany, as the "original ghetto blaster". The video includes a montage of Herrera and an associate firing the weapon and "goose stepping" [sic] to "Erika". Another video, covering historical weapons in the Rhodesian Bush War, featured the flag of Rhodesia, a symbol used by white nationalists. Herrera responded to criticism, saying, "This should be obvious, but I am not, nor have I ever been a neo-Nazi."

Since 2008, Herrera has also been a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a neo-Confederate organization that promotes the Lost Cause. Brandon Herrera's name is listed as a new member on the 2008 May/Jun issue of Confederate Veteran Magazine and makes multiple appearances in his local chapter's social media site. 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". Herrera's support for the Sons of Confederate Veterans organization was stated in the videos citing the need to preserve history, "because those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."