An Open Letter To Young Conservatives, From A Once Young Conservative.

I’m sure many of you are aware of the controversy surrounding the recent conversation between Tucker Carlson and the self-proclaimed admirer of Stalin and Hitler, Nick Fuentes. Several folks smarter and more eloquent than I am said what I was thinking, so I won’t recap the controversy here. To get a flavor of what happened and why I believe it poses an existential threat to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement, the Republican Party, and could even poison the entire nation, read Rod Dreher, Erick Erickson, National Review’s editorial statement, and this tweet from Andrew T. Walker.

MAGA finds itself at the crossroads as the battle for the post-Trump era is in full swing. Does MAGA invite the “groypers” to join the coalition, or try to appeal to the “normies?” Many on the political Left have made their choice and decided to turn on the normies, Israel, the Jews, and embrace “Democratic-Socialism.” They cemented their path last night by electing Zohran Mamdani to be Mayor of New York City and Jay Jones as AG of Virginia. What MAGA decides in the coming months will have enormous implications for our nation, as Rebeccah Henrichs outlined in her recent article “The Right’s 1939 Project.”

If you’re of the Christian persuasion, I have begun to sketch out how I think Christians should meet this moment on my Substack. I welcome your feedback.

Speaking of feedback, since I’ve made public my opposition to Tucker Carlson’s turn away from traditional conservatism (and indeed his turn away from Trump), and my strong opposition to whatever Nick Fuentes claims to be, I’ve heard from several people. Some are angry with me for distracting from the “real issues.” I say, take that up with Tucker. He’s the one platforming these weirdos and hucksters.

Some claim the weirdos and hucksters have no impact here in the real world. Then why get upset when I criticize them? Others claim folks like Fuentes are the future and FreeCons like me are the past. Perhaps, but I’m not going to sit by quietly while the Carlsons and Fuentes of the world distort conservatism into an ethno-ideology that thrives on eliciting negative reactions from whomever happens to be in power.

More importantly, I’ve heard from younger Republicans who are concerned about their peers and the influence folks like Carlson and Fuentes have on them. This influence is more pervasive than I realized. But rather than fill me with pessimism, I feel a sense of renewed strength for the task at hand.

As Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes, “there is nothing new under the sun.” The challenges Gen Z faces are real and substantial, and new solutions are needed to address modern problems. Previous generations of Americans also faced serious problems and uncertain futures. They successfully found their way through the trouble, and I’m convinced Gen Z can as well. The major institutions of our society are weak and ineffective. Some are beyond repair, but many are not; they merely need revitalization and repair. This can be accomplished. It must be accomplished.

I cast my first vote for President in 1984. Ronald Reagan was our hero. His strong resolve to defeat communism and belief that America was a “shining city on a hill” inspired millions of young folks like me. Together with William F. Buckley of National Review, they thrilled us with witty takedowns of the liberal establishment and roasted the Republican leadership that at the time seemed comfortable being the polite minority. We were the bothersome insurgents of our day.

For many young Republicans, Trump has provided similar inspiration. I understand the disdain many feel for older Republicans who became complacent and, in many cases, failed to keep the promises they made. I’m a Gen Xer and share the exhaustion and even disgust with the current Boomer-dominated political order.

The challenges I have for young Trumpers are these:

• Don’t seek to destroy institutions that are necessary for human flourishing; instead, seek to repair them.
• The hippies of the 1960s said, “Never trust anyone older than 30.” Instead of adopting that attitude today, learn from the wisdom and experience of older conservatives. Not all of us are soft, lazy sellouts, especially some of us Gen X conservatives. We have the skepticism of big-government solutions this age needs. 😉
• Resist the temptation to embrace the worst ideas and language in order to make the powers that be uncomfortable. Cosplaying as the worst sort of person pollutes one’s own soul. Many of your peers are walking away from Manosphere voices like Andrew Tate and Fresh and Fit because they’ve reached the logical end of their advice and found themselves in a lonely, depressing place. Folks like Fuentes will lead you to the same destination.
• Last but not least, it’s good and necessary to be skeptical of “the official story.” However, what I hear folks like Fuentes and Carlson saying is, “if the official story is xyz, then the opposite must be the real truth.” Don’t fall for that trap, or eventually, we’ll need to undergo what Thomas Wolfe called a “great relearning.” Many of the lessons those who went before learned still ring true today. The law of gravity is still the law of gravity, and the earth is still round.

I’ve issued several challenges; now let me make a promise. I have many policy disagreements with Trump, his Nationalist-Populist movement, and the NatCons that have sprung up in recent years. However, I agree things aren’t working the way they should. I agree that folks today face challenges that other generations didn’t have to face. I have three Gen Z daughters, and their futures are very important to me. I’ve devoted the forty years of my life to the conservative cause. I’m not cashing in my chips to retire to a beach house any time soon. My family and my country mean too much to me. I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing since the 1980s: fighting for policies and solutions I believe will benefit all Americans, no matter their race, creed, social and economic status, or place of birth. If that’s your fight too, know that I’m in it too. I’m a good listener if you want to talk.