Exploring America's Emerging Conservative Movement

The New Right, a political ideology that has gained significant traction in recent years, has been a driving force behind some of the most debated actions of the Trump administration. This understanding can help clarify some of the seemingly counterproductive or overly risky decisions made during this period.

Ideology serves as a primary organizing principle for leaders, advisors, and commentators in formulating policy. It provides a coordination mechanism to ensure that a group of people are in agreement about what they should do. The New Right, in particular, emerged from a profound identity crisis in America, attempting to answer the question of America's national identity as posed by Samuel Huntington in 2005.

The New Right gained traction as Americans began to question their cultural, historical, and racial basis due to immigration, globalization, and the internet. Social media accelerated this process in the early 2010s, leading to Americans sorting into like-minded communities online. This shift led to a society wondering if it was even a place.

The most important authors and influencers of the New Right include intellectual founders of neoconservatism such as Daniel Bell, Nathan Glazer, Irving Howe, and especially Irving Kristol, who played a key role in the ideological origins of this movement. Today, one can understand the New Right by listening to leaders like JD Vance and Joe Rogan, and reading influencers like Charlie Kirk, Jack Posobiec, Tucker Carlson, Auron MacIntyre, and blogs like Aporia and The Upheaval.

The actions of the Trump administration, such as tariffs, abandoning Europe, embracing Russia, purging the government, amassing executive power, kicking out immigrants, and more, can be explained by the New Right's ideology. For instance, Trump's tariffs were an ideologically driven attempt to isolate America from foreign dependency and resemble the country's "glory days" of the pre-WW2 period.

Elon Musk's actions, such as his support for DOGE, were an attempt to purge "woke" progressivism from the U.S. government and other institutions. This aligns with the New Right's goal of preserving Western civilization and clarifying America's identity.

Notable figures like JD Vance, Vance expressed concern in texts that the planned bombings might be inconsistent with the President's message on Europe. He also argued in a Signal group that the Houthis were more Europe's problem than America's, reflecting the New Right's focus on isolating America from foreign entanglements.

The New Right provides a sense of coherence and identity for a large number of Americans in this dizzying maelstrom. It tells a coherent story about who Americans are, where they come from, and what commonalities tie them together, focusing on the concept of "Western civilization". The New Right is not an attempt to pass an "ideological Turing test" or to be judgmental, but instead to explain the New Right to those who aren't part of it in a productive manner.

In the two months since the Trump administration came to power, its actions can largely be explained by ideology. This understanding can help us navigate the complex political landscape and better understand the decisions being made. As Thorin, a character in the article, exclaims, "Now we are not outnumbered! Now WE have an army!" This sentiment encapsulates the feeling of unity and purpose that the New Right has provided to its followers.