So, what exactly is the “New Right?” | The Gray Area

Quick Overview

The "New Right" is an intellectual movement that fundamentally rejects American liberalism, advocating for a return to traditional values, nationalism, and a strong state, often expressed through economic nationalism, secure borders, and an "America First" foreign policy. This movement, characterized by a preoccupation with gender roles and a deep commitment to certain visions of the good, is fractured into distinct factions like the Claremontists, Post-liberals, and National Conservatives, each with differing approaches to economics and social issues, but united in their opposition to liberal democracy.

Key Points: The "New Right" is defined as an intellectual movement and an umbrella term for various pro-Trump factions, fundamentally rejecting American liberalism in favor of nationalism, economic nationalism, secure borders, and an "America First" foreign policy. Key ideological drivers include a strong, often extreme, social conservatism and a notable preoccupation with gender, particularly "manliness" and traditional gender dynamics. The movement is broadly divided into three main camps: Claremontists, National Conservatives, and Post-liberals, each with distinct, though sometimes overlapping, focuses on American founding principles, nationalism, and traditional Catholic doctrine, respectively. The New Right operates on an "ideas first" principle, believing ideas have causal power to shape reality and aiming to redefine moral norms and create a virtuous citizenry, often drawing on thinkers like Carl Schmitt and historical conservative thought. Laura Field critiques the liberal intellectual class for a "tepid intellectual reserve and cluelessness" in responding to the New Right's "coarse brazeness," highlighting a perceived failure to defend liberalism robustly or engage with fundamental questions about the "good life." Despite internal contradictions and a lack of liberalism's inherent pluralism, the New Right's influence on the Republican Party and its strategy of building parallel institutions and impacting state-level politics are significant, posing a continued challenge to liberal democracy.