Most of us thought conservatives wanted to keep or conserve the world more or less as it is. The dictionary definition is “Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values.” Until recently, conservatives had the reputation for being somewhat dull but reliable, steady, and “conservative”. By definition, conservatives have always been resistant to change.
Since 2015, American conservatives have taken a bizarre turn away from their sacred conservative principles. Instead of conserving American cultural, social, and political values, the MAGA movement has been hellbent on destroying traditional conservative values. In effect, MAGA has absorbed or assimilated the conservative movement. Instead of loyalty to conservatism, MAGA has corrupted most of its core Conservative principles. The allure of fleeting political power has been irresistible to those willing to sacrifice their ideals. In reality, despite many outward displays of conservative symbols, MAGA led conservatives into a dark, anti-conservative tunnel. MAGA has destroyed conservatism by dressing up like a conservative, talking like a conservative, but acting more like a money-grubbing, unprincipled libertine hedonist.
Until 2015, traditional American conservatives were committed to education, a hawkish foreign policy, close relations with America’s allies, limited government, civility, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, science, free markets, and active participation in the global economy.
Since 2015, MAGA has been committed to the destruction of education as we know it. Instead of traditional educational freedom, MAGA demands that all levels of education, including libraries, follow a restrictive Christian Nationalistic orthodoxy, similar to the theocracies in Iran and Afghanistan. MAGA bans books, withholds billions in medical research, and compels universities to accept agreements to restore federal funds. Heaven forbid that anyone discuss the truth about history, slavery, racism, or sexism. To paraphrase Archie Bunker, MAGA says, “We need to sweep the dirty dishes under the rug.”
MAGA destroyed America’s role as the world’s leader by turning American foreign policy on its head. Instead of actively leading the world toward peace and finding solutions to common problems, MAGA has reverted to an isolationist, nationalistic posture. MAGA emphasizes Christian Nationalism, protectionism, anti-globalism, anti-immigration (unless the immigrants can pay a $5 million ticket to arrive), antipathy toward historic friends (e.g., Canada and France), and the red carpet treatment for historic enemies (e.g., Russia and North Korea). The MAGA foreign policy actions have severely damaged, if not destroyed, America’s standing in the world. MAGA celebrates authoritarians around the world, while distancing America from our democracy-loving allies.
MAGA is destroying the principle of the separation of church and state. Many early founders, such as Jefferson and Madison—whose arguments resonate with classical conservative thought—contended that religious exercise and church autonomy must be protected against government control, without excluding religion from public or civic engagement. A key principle of traditional conservative thought was that the state’s role is to protect, not define, religious freedom. Christian nationalism seeks to explicitly privilege Evangelical Christianity in law and public life, often supporting the religious establishment and restricting the public presence of other religions.
While traditional conservatism has occasionally been at odds with science, the conflict was not inherent to the scientific method itself. Sometimes, traditional conservatives object to scientific achievements that may conflict with conservative values (e.g., in vitro fertilization). In contrast to conventional conservatism, MAGA goes beyond value debates and directly attacks and attempts to destroy the foundations of the scientific method. There is nothing sacred about the scientific method; unlike religion, science is built on skepticism and continuous improvement. However, MAGA continually demonstrates an affinity for scientifically unsupported fringe theories and even hoaxes.
Trump’s Liberation Day in 2025, the day after April Fools, was his announcement of the largest and most amateurish round of tariffs in U.S., if not world, history. Executive Order 14257 imposed tariffs on virtually every country and island in the world. Trump called his order a “declaration of economic independence.” However, his executive order triggered global market chaos, resulting in the destruction of $8.56 trillion in global stock markets by April 8, 2025. In the aftermath of Liberation Day, Trump’s administration was forced to withdraw, pause, and equivocate. The stock market pundits called him a TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) because he was the reverse of Teddy Roosevelt. Roosevelt walked and spoke softly but carried a big stick. Trump walks and talks loudly, but always chickens out.
The Trump administration’s tariff and immigration policies are likely to harm, rather than benefit, America’s domestic economy. For example, a South Korean company invested in the State of Georgia to build an EV battery plant. Trump’s administration sent ICE into the plant and arrested 300 South Koreans who were there to help construct the plant. Needless to say, the South Korean government was not very happy and commented, “We will be reluctant to invest further in the USA.” There are countless tales of woe in numerous industries that have developed efficient global trade relationships over decades that the erratic, amateurish policies of MAGA have virtually destroyed. Additionally, MAGA leaders said that Trump’s tariffs would bring factory jobs back to America. There is one problem with his thinking. Chinese laborers are willing to work 12-hour shifts to assemble iPhones worth $800. How many American workers are willing to work like that? Bringing iPhone assembly to the USA would at least double the cost of the iPhone.
MAGA’s attack on late-night comedians lays bare the fantasy that it supports the freedom of expression. It is clear now that MAGA does not support the First Amendment; it intensely supports the Second Amendment, but not the First. Instead of defending the freedom of expression, MAGA seeks to destroy newspapers, television networks, and even comedians, unless they kiss the Trump ring. MAGA operates, in the words of the occasional conservative, Ted Cruz, “Like a mafia don’s shakedown.”
How can MAGA say that America comes first when it charts the course for America to lose? Instead of winning the economic race with China, will the USA receive a participation badge like a clumsy eight-year-old soccer player who only plays in the last two minutes of the match? America cannot win the economic contest with a fractured supply chain, a tariff war, a divided country, and an idiotic plan to Make America Lose Again.
What does Europe think of Trump’s recent UN speech?
Traditional conservatives favor limited government, but MAGA is daily increasing the overreach of the Executive Branch. How can traditional conservatism’s limited government principle be consistent when the President unilaterally decides to invade your city with unwanted, federalized military personnel? As a principle, should the next Democratic president be allowed to send troops into Palm Beach, Florida? This destruction of the Constitution is just another nail in the coffin of conservatism.
Aside from Richard Nixon, most Republican conservatives demonstrated civility and grace in victory and defeat. Trump and his MAGA gang are the opposite. They routinely destroy all vestiges of civility in their speeches, tweets, and executive actions. The character of conservatism was once exemplified by figures such as William F. Buckley, George Will, Mitt Romney, Bill Kristol, and Ronald Reagan. These civilized conservatives have been replaced by a mob of nasty, unprincipled MAGA soldiers reporting to a mafia-type don (no offense to Italian Americans).
MAGA has required former conservatives to convert to the new political game plan and authoritarian regime. MAGA’s standard response to the claim that conservatism is dead is that conservatism is evolving. This is rhetorical nonsense. Conservatism is not evolving; it is dying. In the real world, it is being replaced by a self-serving mob of billionaires and ideologues. In the past, the TEA Party and MAGA claimed that the Liberal Left, led by George Soros, was leading America into an autocratic hell. This never happened, and it’s ridiculous to blame all this on one Liberal billionaire. However, MAGA has been supported and sustained not by one billionaire, but hundreds of billionaires intent on continuing their dominion over the American economy and society.
Click on the play button above to hear the conclusion of this post.
In conclusion, American conservatives have fallen down the rabbit hole of authoritarianism and a Robber Baron kleptocracy. MAGA has destroyed American conservatism and is on track to take the whole country down with it.
The strangest thing about the demise of conservatism is that conservatives do not seem to care. Many conservatives believe that politics is genetically predetermined, much like the Y Chromosome. Like the captain of a ship, it is the conservative’s duty to go down with the ship.
One refuge of the queasy conservative is to become a libertarian. Two groups practice libertarianism. One group consists of ultra-wealthy people who do not care if other people starve. The other group is comprised of individuals, primarily men, who idealize personal responsibility to the extent that they do not care if others go hungry.
The other exit strategy for conservatives is to become immersed in religion. The most active members of this group are preparing for the rapture. If you don’t know what that means, count yourself lucky.
We end with a memorial prayer to conservatism.
“Dear God, we lift up American conservatism in prayer as we remember its existence. Please bring comfort and peace to those who mourn its loss, and may they find hope in your loving presence and the promise of eternal life. Amen.”