The Republican Party is not having its best period. On the one hand, the multiple electoral massacres in critical states and important municipalities – with the case of New York being the most characteristic. On the other hand, the rapid decline in his popularity, with many citizens resenting the White House’s tariff policy.
But the problems don’t stop there, since the introversion inside the historical conservative party grew due to a rather unpredictable event, namely the interview of the far-right influencer, Nick Fuentes, defender of white supremacy, openly anti-Semitic and sympathizer Adolf Hitler to the famous conservative TV host Tucker Carlson.
Turbulence
The experienced journalist certainly did not miss the opportunity with his experience and the special television talent he possesses to take advantage of the occasion, giving plenty of time to his interlocutor, firing appropriate “shots” at politicians friendly to Israel (such as the governor of Texas Ted Cruz and former president George Bush) and thus turning the meeting between them into a real nationwide event. In it, the 27-year-old Fuentes did not hesitate, among other things, to talk about the “disproportionate influence of Jewry in the USA” while he was quick to declare himself a fan of Joseph Stalin (!). Predictably, there was an uproar, with Cruz sounding the alarm about increased incidents of anti-Semitism on the broader Right and Florida Gov. Rick Scott stressing that Republicans must be clear about their condemnation of anti-Semitism and support for Israel.
Of greater interest, however, was the reaction caused in the second year by the two-hour four-four within the governing faction, after the placement of the head of the highly influential conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, Kevin Roberts, who, after distancing himself from Fuentes’ views, hastened to defend the latter’s right to free expression, even succeeding against “the policing of Christian consciences”.
What followed was the mass resignation of members of the foundation, who were tasked with combating anti-Semitism, while Stephen Moore, a longtime partner, also left. As a result, Roberts apologized and stated his intention to work to repair the damage caused. But the damage was already done, as prominent Heritage contributors such as Luke Moon highlighted incidents of anti-Semitism “from certain groups on the Right” in the wake of Trump’s re-election.
The soul of MAGA
Fuentes, leader of the ultra-nationalist movement called Groypers, is himself the most emphatic expression of radicalization (Make America Great Again). His political activism goes back to the violent incidents of August 2017 in Charlottesville, during a gathering of anti-death organizations, called “Unite the Right”. He then pursued a career as a YouTuber, supporting – from his own point of view and in his own style – the current US president. He has since branched out, starring in the video service platform Rumble and ending up in 2020 founding the think tank America First Foundation, which proclaims “the role of God in society and promotes the principles of nationalism and Christianity.”
It is this constant movement to ever more “radical” positions that seems to be rewarded with popularity that worries many analysts and journalists about the limits of the political current called “national conservatism.” And to point out that the debate on the role of the Jewish lobby, as well as the anti-Semitic features, existed before Fuentes, but are exacerbated by a series of internal and external factors such as the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and the pervasive mood of questioning the established institutions introduced by the first president Trump and expanded with multiple vehemence by the second. Against this trend, the pro-Israel section of Donald Trump’s supporters considers such views dangerous, endangering the alliance between the conservative nexus known by the acronym WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) with the Jewish lobby and the traditionally powerful evangelical churches of the South.
In this frenzied competition, figures like Nick Fuentes or conspiracy theorist and podcaster Candace Owens – also known for her strongly anti-Jewish speech – are emerging more and more powerfully, claiming the primacy of the “MAGA people”. And they raise the question of whether these forces can be tamed by the Republican Party establishment and what damage they might do in the long run to an America characterized by increasing racial and ethnic diversity.
