This was the idea Trump’s electoral success inspired: He (or a populist successor) could at long last give conservatives their chance — not by slowing an inevitable march to the secular left but by razing the liberal edifice altogether, making it possible to found society anew on properly conservative foundations.
That’s how Donald Trump gave the most pessimistic conservatives hope — by convincing them they need not accept the existing arrangement of things as a given. Trump inspired them to become radicals, even revolutionaries, while simultaneously holding onto their moral convictions about the rightful ordering of society. Now, those convictions both fuel the newfound revolutionary spirit and serve as a guidepost to a post-revolutionary future, when conservatives will supposedly gain the upper hand and at long last prevail over their opponents.
What comes next for these conservative intellectuals? Are they prepared to offer unconditional support for another Trump run for the White House, despite his treacherous words and deeds during the two months following the 2020 election? Are there any lies from the candidate or potentially reinstated president that would prove to be deal-breakers? Any acts or policies that would be considered a bridge too far? Or would they be willing to countenance just about anything in return for a presidential promise to crush the infamous enemy, the liberal-progressive regime that currently governs America?
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