What is the New Right anyway? Let’s start with a quick backgrounder on how we got here…
The Christian Right. This is the Dispensational-Independent, Pentecostal, KJV-only crowd. They are pro-Israel for reasons surrounding the Parousia (Theology of the End Times and the Second Coming of Christ). I would guess it represents about 15%. Today Ted Cruz would be their mascot. James Dobson, Revs. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell—all deceased—would be here as well. Organizations would be Christians and Jews United for Israel and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. The old Christian Right morphed into the Catholic Right in the early 80’s via the pro-life plank. A new development springing forth from the Christian Right is the Israel Right.
The Israeli Right/Israel First comes out of the Christian Right and is in direct response to real or imagined “anti-Semitism,” and when questions are raised regarding Israeli influence in Washington, or questioning Israeli actions in Palestine. This faction is led by prominent Jewish politicos Ben Shapiro, Laura Loomer, Mark Levin, as well as Christian Right politician Ted Cruz. Their aim is to determine who is anti-Semitic, and to crush any and all opposition (Heritage Foundation, Fuentes, Carlson, Owens) in order to make sure MAGA stays in the Israel lane. My guess is that about 3% of the base would fall into this category.
The Roman Catholic Right. This is where things get interesting. This is Conservative Inc., started by Bill Buckley in 1954, and the launch of National Review. The Catholic Right hijacked what had been up to that point, simply Classical Liberalism firmly rooted on Enlightenment Ideals (Maximim Individual Liberty and Minimum Government). Thomas Paine, Jefferson, Monroe Doctrine, and Declaration of Independence all represent Classical Liberalism. These ideas and personalities were radically replaced by Catholic Social and Moral teachings. Open borders, no death penalty, no serious objection to ending the Second Amendment, and it birthed the Neo-Con—a liberal who joined in on the basis of anti-communism. Alongside the anti-communism flag was the pro-life flag, which brought in the Christian Right. Those who objected to tossing the Constitution (Paleo-Conservatives), and those who did not believe in God, were tossed out of Buckley’s Roman Catholic Right, and the Christian Right didn’t object. Ayn Rand, Hayek, the Birchers, and Buchanan (the Catholic, ironically enough) tossed for “Anti-Semitism.” Libertarians, Austrian Economists, Classical Liberals, Chronicles Magazine, Sam Frances, Joe Sobran, many many others gone.
Yet three things happened: 1. Roe v. Wade was overturned. 2. Buckley died, and with it any relevance of National Review (which among its many mistakes, kicked President Trump out of the movement in a famous cover story). 3. Donald Trump.
The Roman Catholic Right survives now on legacy, institutions, and personalities. Sean Hannity, Judges Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Gorsuch, former Chief Scalia, and (almost SC) judge Bork, and author Russell Kirk, advertiser Richard Viguerie (Author of The New Right We’re Ready to Lead), Paul Weyrich and Ed Fuelner (Founders of the Heritage Foundation), VP J.D. Vance, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum. Richard John Neuhaus and his First Things Magazine, the list goes on and on and on. This group is dubbed “the intellectual right.”
Yet, with Nick Fuentes (yep, that guy) and Candice Owens, the Catholic Right may be evolving into something really, really weird. Jury out on that. Add to that, the lst few Popes whose tweets sound more like Fidel Castro or Che Guevara than anything in the American experience. Note too the Pope’s fight to maintain order among US Catholics. The idea that Catholics can be independent and think like run-of-the-mill Americans…is well…not Catholic! Who knows how this will turn out?
The New Right. This is the rebirth of the Old Right, which lasted (very roughly) from 1776 to 1954, with major updates in the form of the 2025 culture.
After being sidelined by Buckley and the Catholic Right from 1954 to 1980, it began an unlikely comeback with Reagan’s America First platform. Pat Buchanan’s 1990 America First platform kept the fires burning. The Tea Party, which morphed into Ron Paul’s Revolution and End the Fed, morphed into Donald Trump and MAGA. Trump's first term, and all of the events in between (assassination attempts, lawfare, JB False Flag, Stolen Election, etc.) and now his second, have poured gasoline on the New Right.
The New Right is many things in 2025. It is MAHA. It leans Protestant and libertarian, yet includes Catholics and “the Nones.” The NRA is part of it. It includes decidedly America First Catholics like Buchanan. It returned the John Birch Society from the outer ring of Buckley’s Purgatory. It is Chronicles Magazine and The US/UK Spectator. It is 100% America First—yes, America for Americans. Shocking, I know. It is a return of Classical Liberalism. It celebrates the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Paine’s The Rights of Man and Common Sense, and John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty, are required reading. Millions got here reading the anti-God Ayn Rand, whose writings are more relevant today than ever before. Many more came in reading F.A. Hayek’s essay “Why I am Not a Conservative,” published in the ISI book, What is Conservatism? Hayek’s essay was the only one that really stood out in the entire collection. It was either that or his tomb, Constitution of Liberty, which Margaret Thatcher carried in her purse. Thatcher, dropping a copy of the book on a table, famously said, “I believe this,” when asked about her beliefs.
Or perhaps it was Hayek’s Road to Serfdom. Today it’s Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon—the wobbly Catholic. It’s not anti-Israel, yet it’s not gung-ho Israel either. It’s MTG…sometimes. It’s End the Fed. It is concealed carry and open carry. They want term limits and a small, limited government. They smoke, they have tattoos. They fly Jesus and Trump flags. Or Trump with a machine gun. They are into marriage. They chant F*** Joe Biden—oops, I mean “Let’s Go Brandon.” Many are not into marriage. Many are. There are intellectuals. A few. It is sort of the Wild Wild West. There are no Catholic constraints (or Protestant), and for the most part, there is no kicking people out of the movement (Thank you, Kevin Roberts, for standing up for free speech). We are “I may not agree with what you say, but I’ll defend your right to say it” folks. We are the “Leave Us Alone Coalition.” We love a good conspiracy—9/11, JFK, J6—it’s all the Feds fault (No, seriously, it really is).
We’re deeply suspicious of government institutions—the Military-Industrial Complex is nefarious (Eisenhower was right) and surpasses the IRS in devilishness. We’re the unvaxxed. We don’t wear masks. We homeschool. All of it centers on the only thing I contend can bring unity: the US Constitution. It is not defined by Roman Catholicism or anti-Communism, although it has many adherents from both camps. It is not defined by belief in God or atheism, or sexuality one way or the other. It is young and old, white, and increasingly, more black and brown. It is exciting. It is crazy.
It is defined by the U.S. Constitution.
The Constitution will govern us, or it won’t. Either we will live free, or we will perish from the face of the earth. The good news is the New Right is the New Majority. And we know we have work to do.
