Going into election 2026, Conservatives need to choose: Go with a positive principle-based vision of conservatism, or embrace visionary Islamic/Authoritarian utopianism, in which bashing Israel is more important than promoting the best interests of America.
These battle lines of an incoming MAGA civil war were drawn when celebrated conservative commentator Ben Shapiro called other conservative commentators (Candace Owens, Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson, and others) at the latest TPUSA America First for trafficking in lies and conspiracy theories. Carlson and Bannon lashed out, blasting Shapiro as a globalist Never-Trumper. This discussion must transcend personalities.
Let's talk principles and fundamental guidelines. The conservative movement needs standards and we need leadership that will call people out when they are not abiding by those standards.
The real source of MAGA division focuses on how best to support and defend—conserve--our American traditions, heritage, country, and legacies. Shapiro pointed out the importance of free enterprise, America’s constitutional norms, the revolutionary legacy, merit over identity politics, and our Judeo-Christian heritage are fundamental non-negotiables.
Agreed.
In conflict with Shapiro’s template, a growing number of commentators, pundits, and podcasters seem interested only in grief, grievance, and grift. They want to stir up strife so that they can make money, so they can make a name for themselves, and they want to disparage any efforts for the Republican Party and the larger conservative movement to build on its successes and win. In the last book published before his assassination, Charlie Kirk explained that we have to stop being” beautiful losers,” losing with dignity and letting the culture fall away to collectivist decay. We have to start being winners, even if it's a little ugly in the process.
But we cannot be winners if we are not trafficking in the truth, and Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and many of their anti-Zionist cohorts don't care about the truth. This deviation from reality cannot stand. Podcasters like Megyn Kelly are also part of the problem due to their non- committal acceptance of this disdain for the truth. “I don’t want to be mother of the Internet,” Kelly balked when Shapiro pressed her refusal to take a stand.
The media landscape has changed dramatically, with no gatekeepers by the diverse audiences themselves. We need to take this calling seriously.
Ben Shapiro did the right thing by naming names. He correctly called out Candace Owens’ lies about TPUSA and Israel. Shapiro was right to slam Tucker for glossing over pro-Hitler apologists. Ethnic bigotry as a domestic policy is never a winning strategy, either, in a well-placed chop to the so-called “Groyper conservatives” who are attempting to undermine the conservative cause.
Shapiro’s move was not easy, and I am sure it was not pleasant, but it had to happen. If he had to suffer the wrath of followers and lose some subscribers in the process, he said, “So be it.” And I commend him for that.
A political movement should not chase headlines, likes, views, shares, or money, but principles, advocacy, and cultural ascendancy.
This money problem has lingered, especially for the conservative movement. In "Letters to a Young Conservative," Dinesh D’Souza argued that liberals care about power, while conservatives care about money: what you earn, what you accomplish, how much wealth you can acquire.
There’s nothing wrong with these goals in and of themselves, but conservatives need power to maintain the American Dream and Vision. Big Business wants money, too, but they have no qualms about flooding the country with third-world immigration, fundamentally altering our nation.
Conservative pundits should be making their case to make Americans MAGA, but too many pundits are content to sell books and hock advertisements while abandoning the larger movement to shape the culture or to shape public opinion. They don’t want to offend any section of their base, for fear of losing money.
For too long, conservatives have been so afraid of taking a stand against certain elements that call themselves conservative or right-wing. This notion of “Unite the Right! Don’t Punch Right!” makes no sense if you're expected to unite with socialism, collectivism, and racialism while rejecting truth, tradition, and natural law.
Conservative pundits must build on Shapiro’s boldness going into Election 2026. Voters should have the basis to discern proper primary candidates to carry the Republican banner going into the general election. Politicians like Marjorie Taylor Green who put themselves first and didn't really care about the larger mission, are already leaving us. Do we have any other Republicans who seem more interested in showboating or virtue signaling, rather than advancing a clear-cut agenda to make America great again? They need to go. Candidates should be committed to a policy vision of truth, boldness, and an energetic desire to make that vision manifest.
Shapiro deserves credit for initiating this fight. We should not fear losing unity or losing ground because we call out unseemly elements in our midst. The MAGA movement has grown considerably, with many disaffected liberals and independents joining our movement. Now it's time to acculturate this new broad coalition of voters. Do they understand that being conservative is a lot more than just not liking Kamala Harris? We have a right to uphold and outline clearer expectations.
On a side note, this call for principled MAGA unity does not preclude principled criticism.
No one should cancel US Senator Rand Paul, who has openly differed with President Trump over his tariff policies. I disagree with US Senator Rand Paul, since I agree with Adam Smith's arguments in his book The Wealth of Nations, all the way to the results that we see panning out in the United States. The tariffs have not created inflation, and they have forced industries and corporations to reinvest in the United States. Most importantly, a number of countries have come to the negotiating table to offer complete, fair, and free trade deals. The tariff program is working, but it should not remain a permanent feature of American commerce.
Going into Election 2026, a stable standard for conservative politics should include the following precepts:
- Economic freedom that puts the best interests of the United States first, especially American manufacturing and American workers.
- Reverence for American culture in history, putting an end to all the DEI, LGBT, CRT, and other communistic indoctrination in our schools and in institutions. This standard should reject invidious discrimination of any kind.
- Western values, including not just freedom of religion, but the civic superiority of Judeo-Christian heritage. Nations matter, borders matter, and anyone who disagrees should join the Left.
- A realist foreign policy that protects American citizens and American interests. Military ventures should not put Americans in needless danger, and investment in foreign countries must be limited.
- The conservative movement should not abandon Israel. Support for the Jewish State is about a commitment to the fight for our Western values. They are not just an ally on a military level, but a beacon of light, just like the United States. We can discuss foreign aid, we can debate the extent of our involvement in Middle Eastern issues, but if a supposed conservative supports the Palestinian cause (cult), they are siding with a left- leaning globalist agenda that will undermine Western civilization and national sovereignty.