The US MAGA movement has erupted into bitter public disputes over the movement’s philosophical direction. On May 14, 2025, Vox reported that the intellectual coalition behind Trump’s return to power is experiencing significant internal conflicts, with prominent anti-woke pundit James Lindsay attacking religious and nationalist conservatives as the “woke right” while neo-monarchist Curtis Yarvin faces accusations of betraying his own principles for political access. The article begins:
It’s been a rough week in the world of the online intellectual right, which is currently in the midst of two separate yet related blowups — both of which illustrate how the pressures of power are cracking the elite coalition that aligned behind President Donald Trump’s return to power. The first fight is really a struggle over who should determine the philosophical identity of MAGA, pitting a group of anti-woke writers against a wide group of illiberal or post-liberal figures. The lead figure in the anti-woke camp, the prominent pundit James Lindsay, has been attacking his enemies as the “woke right” for months.
Key Points
- Lindsay defines “woke right” as religious nationalists and ethnic conservatives who practice identity politics, equating Christian nationalism with left-wing collectivism in threatening American individualism.
- National conservative leader Yoram Hazony warns that Lindsay’s “woke right” attacks are designed to fracture the MAGA coalition by weaponizing anti-woke sentiment against fellow conservatives.
- Rationalist Scott Alexander accused Yarvin of “selling out” by supporting Trump despite previously warning against authoritarian populists like Hitler and Mussolini.
- Both conflicts reflect power struggles within Trump’s intellectual coalition, with former allies now competing over policy direction and access to the administration.
How “Wokism” Fuels the Global National Conservative Alliance
The concept of “wokism”—now weaponized in Western culture wars—has become a rallying point for the emergent Global National Conservative Alliance, linking American MAGA figures, European far-right leaders, and Russian strategists through a shared opposition to progressive identity politics and social justice movements. Russian influence operations have actively amplified anti-woke populists in Eastern Europe, as demonstrated by Kremlin tactics boosting anti-woke populist candidates in the Romanian presidential election.
Within the European Union, German far-right politicians predict that “woke politics” will deepen economic and social crises, fostering closer ties between nationalist parties in Germany and Hungary, while Hungary is portrayed as a “bulwark” against a Europe overrun by woke ideology. These narratives are echoed in the U.S., where political figures like Tulsi Gabbard have left mainstream parties over “woke gender ideology”, aligning themselves with the broader anti-woke, national conservative movement. The Global National Conservative Alliance (GNCA) is thus characterized by its focus on national sovereignty, cultural identity, and resistance to global institutions, with Russia seeking to position itself as the ideological center of this coalition.
This anti-woke, nationalist convergence is not isolated: leading EU far-right figures are increasingly aligning with the MAGA movement, as seen at CPAC, and U.S. initiatives like Project 2025 aim to institutionalize Christian nationalist policies while dismantling progressive reforms. Analysts note that while both woke and nationalist movements mobilize identity politics, the latter’s appeal to majority populations and state power presents a more potent political threat, especially as nationalist agendas gain traction across the Atlantic. The ideological and operational links between MAGA, European national conservatives, and Russian actors highlight how opposition to “wokism” has become both a unifying cause and a strategic tool for the global right.
External References:
Disclaimer
The Global Influence Operations Report (GIOR) employs AI throughout the posting process, including generating summaries of news items, the introduction, key points, and often the “context” section. We recommend verifying all information before use. Additionally, images are AI-generated and intended solely for illustrative purposes. While they represent the events or individuals discussed, they should not be interpreted as real-world photography.
PREVIOUS POST