They’ve always been there: those on the radical right who embrace Christianity—at least on the surface—and try to weaponize it into an extreme movement. They oppose globalist elites, distrust mainstream media, decry nation-building wars, seek to prioritize domestic problems rather than foreign aid, and are skeptical of traditional U.S. alliances—particularly when it comes to Europe and Israel. Many of these figures have held anti-Semitic beliefs, but certainly not all of them.
This grouping of the conservative movement, however, particularly its most radical members, was often seen as something of a fringe aberration—exaggerated by the Democratic Party to smear the MAGA (“Make America Great Again”) movement and Republicans as a whole. Yet, over the past several months, and certainly since February of 2025, something has changed with what has come to be known as the “Woke Right.” Rather than the pendulum-stopping return to common sense that many American voters desired last November, this Woke Right embraces the very grievance-based identity politics it claimed to shun from the Woke Left—posing a grave danger to our democratic republic, and Western civilization as a whole.
The Woke Right’s main representatives are a host of people from differing professional and ideological backgrounds. Podcast hosts and political commentators such as Tucker Carlson, Darryl Cooper, Joe Rogan, the Hodge Twins, Candace Owens, and Jackson Hinkle. Comedian Dave Smith and various social media personalities can also be added to the list. But one must ask: how could such a diverse array of characters come to represent and broaden such a fringe movement? In particular, how can a former “Bernie bro” like Joe Rogan, a one-time establishment-friendly Fox News reporter like Tucker Carlson, or even a social media attention addict like Candace Owens, embody anything having to do with wokeness? Perhaps it is because some of them came from the Left, yet I think the issue runs deeper. Author Vivek Ramaswamy warned in his 2022 book Nation of Victims: Identity Politics, the Death of Merit, and the Path Back to Excellence that a certain segment of the Republican Party was subconsciously embracing woke ideology. This time, however, the perennial “victim” is not a Muslim transwoman of color, but rather straight, Christian white men. Rather than using Woke Left language, such as “my truth” or pronouns, the Woke Right is, as Owens regularly says, “just asking questions.”
Historical revisionism has become popular, too: whether through The 1619 Project or suggesting that the real villain of World War II was British Prime Minister Winston Churchill—let alone that the Holocaust occurred because the SS were “completely unprepared to deal with the millions and millions of prisoners of war.” Identity politics is another shared worldview, even if from opposing sides. Elements of the Woke Right have taken their opposition to gender ideology to an entirely new level—the rejection of equality for gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. Radical Christians among the Woke Right have been lambasting gay conservative activists like Dave Rubin, Douglas Murray, and Scott Presler. In place of “black lives matter” or “trust the science,” Woke Right slogans like “Christ is King” and “Deus vult” are used to virtue-signal and harass Jews, liberals, or anyone else seen as an enemy. Rather than being an expression of faith, such people weaponize these words to rally the gang, using these words almost as a tribal chant.
Rather than using Woke Left language, such as “my truth” or pronouns, the Woke Right is, as Owens regularly says, “just asking questions.”
As is the case with the Woke Left, foreign policy is perhaps an oversized concern among the Woke Right. The evildoers for adherents of wokeness on both sides of the political aisle are, of course, “Western imperialism”—specifically NATO, which, according to this narrative, egged on Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Another shared feature is an aversion to foreign entanglements and free trade policies embraced by both major political parties for decades. Increasingly, the Jews and the State of Israel are also somehow blamed for the world’s problems. To avert World War Three, both far-left groups like Code Pink and pro-Putin talking heads like Tucker Carlson suggest that Volodymyr Zelenskyy must receive no American support of any kind. The alternative is the threat of nuclear war.
That the Woke Left would adopt such viewpoints is no surprise—a good section of them are communists nostalgic for the days of Soviet power “resisting” capitalism. Yet it is truly mind-boggling that anyone on the right would support Russia. Ukraine consists of various groups, yes, but it also is a strongly Christian and relatively conservative society. For all the legitimate arguments about Ukrainian corruption, the Kremlin is infinitely more so. Moscow’s constant nuclear threats during the war—none of which have materialized—are still somehow seen as credible, despite the West’s own nuclear deterrence. Russia’s numerous military failures and catastrophic losses on the battlefield are discounted in favor of a lazy narrative that Kyiv is incapable of victory. Somehow, Russia’s declining economy and “no-limits partnership” with China are not to be taken seriously; Kremlin apparatchiks will be a trustworthy, useful ally against Beijing, and should be courted as such. Vladimir Putin, the Russian dictator who paid bounties for the deaths of U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan, has appealed to these America First isolationists by, at varying points, slamming the Woke Left, oppressing the LGBT community, and praising Trump while appearing next to Russian Orthodox patriarchs. Yet Russia has one of the lowest church attendance rates in the world, alongside an incredibly low fertility rate and a very high abortion rate. If the Woke Right wants to emulate a Christian Fatherland, modern Russia is clearly not what they’re looking for. And yet, that is who they are supporting.
That the Woke Left would adopt such viewpoints is no surprise—a good section of them are communists nostalgic for the days of Soviet power “resisting” capitalism. Yet it is truly mind-boggling that anyone on the right would support Russia.
It isn’t just the Russians, though. Tucker Carlson’s bizarre interview with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani was just one noticeable shift toward radical Islam that some on the Woke Right are embracing. This may have started years ago, with Andrew Tate’s promotion of, and conversion to, Islam. Tate, a wanted sex offender, criminal, and misogynist, has espoused anti-Semitic views as he gained more popularity online. Carlson—who warned President Donald Trump not to attack Iran during his first term in the White House—has now done so again, urging diplomacy to avoid a war he believes the U.S. cannot afford and will lose. The details don’t matter; nobody is floating the idea of an American ground invasion of Iran, and Iran’s economic and military capabilities have been seriously degraded with Israel’s destruction of its defenses and decapitation of Hezbollah.
When it comes to Iran, Carlson’s anti-war rhetoric has to do with promoting Doha’s narrative of avoiding regional upheaval. Carlson designated a large portion of the interview with al-Thani toward advocating against fighting Tehran, then promptly tweeted out his position just as the U.S. was warning of a strike on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities. Carlson also suggested that Qatar—which has funded terrorist organizations under the banner of the Muslim Brotherhood while spending billions of dollars buying influence in foreign countries—is unfairly scrutinized by Western media outlets and watchdogs.
Another interview conducted by Tucker Carlson allowed for the intersection of the ongoing Ukrainian and Israeli wars, and the Woke Right’s position on them. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff praised Qataris as “generous” people, displayed an incredible ignorance and naïveté about Hamas’ terrorist tactics, and whitewashed Russia’s imperial designs on Ukraine. Other podcasters, such as the Hodge Twins and Joe Rogan, have also expressed skepticism about supporting Israel and Ukraine. One of Rogan’s friends and guests, Dave Smith—himself Jewish—likened the Gaza Strip to a Holocaust concentration camp in an embarrassing display of ignorance while debating author Douglas Murray. Indeed, it seems the Woke Right is copying the Work Left by courting “AsAJew”s.
Candace Owens and Jackson Hinkle, meanwhile, have falsely accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and promoted regular anti-Semitic canards under the guise of “Christ is King” and ancient blood libel. Hinkle—who calls himself a “MAGA communist”—has visited Lebanon and Yemen to pal around with Hezbollah and the Houthis, encouraging them to resist the American “empire.” That is, when he wasn’t too busy mourning the downfall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad or cheering on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Incredibly, Hinkle still claims to be “America First,” but expresses this viewpoint by supporting China in the ongoing trade war with the U.S., encouraging American sailors not to strike the Houthis, and rooting for every one of Washington’s enemies. As disturbing as all these developments are, it could get even worse in the years to come. As foreign policy experts gradually shift their attention to the Indo-Pacific, it is not hard to imagine the Woke Right advocating to abandon Taiwan and other regional allies of the West to the Chinese Communist Party.
Rather than embracing true diversity and merit, the Woke Right created a new class of victim.
There are, of course, some valid points worth bringing up here. Aspects of free trade deals that have been struck between governments have depleted blue-collar industries and impacted scores of Americans. Nation-building initiatives should not be irresponsibly pursued. And genuine diplomacy—though not endless rounds of talks—is almost always preferable to heading to war. The issue with the Woke Right is that it doesn’t “own the libs” by dismantling the Woke Left’s arguments. It simply flips them around like an Uno reverse card.
Rather than embracing true diversity and merit, the Woke Right created a new class of victim. Instead of using diplomacy responsibly, it calls for appeasement and surrender in a cowardly act of betrayal toward American allies. Instead of negotiating fair trade deals or trying to come up with a new economic doctrine, the Woke Right engages in endless arguments only about the failure of the current system. Back in the 2024 election, after economic malaise, perhaps a scandal a week, and woke identity politics from the progressive left, many Americans simply wanted to shut the door on wokeness forever. They wanted a strong, respected country—ruled by common sense instead of nonsense. They wanted to stop the swing of the pendulum from one extreme to the other. The danger of the Woke Right is that the pendulum will swing back even harder to the Woke Left. Sadly, instead of learning the lessons of the 2024 defeat, the Democratic Party has seemingly doubled down on radical left-wing ideology. Bernie Sanders and the Squad are empowered and going on speaking tours to rally the activist base. It is true that the establishment wing of the Democratic Party is partly to blame for this outcome, full of ineffective octogenarian leaders who lied about President Joe Biden’s mental faculties and continue defending a failed political doctrine. But the Woke Right empowers the Woke Left even further. It gives fodder to left-wing arguments that “the right is home to the real anti-Semitism,” or that the MAGA movement is hostile toward minorities, the LGBT community, and women. Then, of course, there’s the revival of the “Trump loves Putin” argument. It is true that President Trump has shown far too much lenience toward the Kremlin for avoiding a ceasefire in Ukraine, but the Woke Right’s cheerleading for Moscow gives even more credence to this tired talking point.
There is a more responsible way forward that conservatives, liberals, and MAGA should pursue. Not the complete eradication of elites or experts, but teaching diverse points of views, and including diverse voices in academia, high culture, and government. This means fostering the creation of a new mainstream media, where talking heads and analysts aren’t always getting it wrong simply because they have TDS or are wedded to the politics of 1995 rather than 2025. It means shoring up America’s genuine security concerns at the border through real immigration reform and strenuous screenings. It means encouraging our allies, especially in the West, to contribute more to fair trade, Ukraine, and to collective security without bending over for tyrants like Putin or the CCP. It means knowing when it is time to end pointless conferences, galas, and talks, and start acting if a goal is not achievable by diplomacy. Perhaps, most of all, it means true economic reform and environmentally friendly initiatives that go beyond meaningless platitudes or performative-yet-expensive goals that simply aren’t realistic. The back-and-forth arguments of the woke, on both right and left, only degrade America’s image and potential—while indulging in the worst historical aspects of Western civilization. The pendulum swing only leaves Washington more vulnerable to outside threats, such as radical Islam, which is clearly trying to buy its way into both extremes of the political aisle.
There’s no telling just how popular the Woke Right’s views have become. Surely, some of those on social media are bot accounts, and many influencers have likely been paid off to parrot the tropes of some foreign regime or other. However, there is also good news: many in MAGA, or even beyond it, are challenging the Woke Right. After the homophobic attacks on gay conservatives and amid rampant anti-Semitism by figures like Candace Owens, there was significant pushback and calls for “a new beginning” for conservatives that is genuinely inclusive and friendly to people of all backgrounds.
The sway that Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson may have once held on large swathes of the Republican Party seems to be diminishing, and may yet still further, at least slowly. But common sense requires vigilance; this is a problem that must be nipped in the bud if the American experiment is to flourish and thrive once more. And it’s a problem that the wider West and all civilization needs to squash before the tyrants waiting in the wings can swoop down and pick us off, like a hawk with a distracted rabbit.
Both a woman and an ally should be equally easy to define consistently.
If MAGA wishes to survive as a movement, and make President Trump’s second term thrive in its “golden age,” more must be done. It is especially concerning that undue influence has been given to isolationists within the administration, such as Tulsi Gabbard and Steve Witkoff. Not only is Witkoff unqualified to serve in the role he does, but had himself admitted to being “duped” by Hamas in the ceasefire-for-hostage negotiations in Gaza. Even more troubling are his personal business ties to Qatar. Not to be outdone, Gabbard has tried staffing the administration with Israel-skeptics who are averse to any armed action against Iran, should it be necessary. Gabbard and Witkoff are among those who are encouraging President Trump to sign a nuclear deal at any cost with the Islamic Republic. Vice President J. D. Vance is also among these people, and it is notable that the vice president has Tucker Carlson’s son, Buckley, among his staffers. Recently, Carlson questioned what an “ally” is when Piers Morgan mentioned the strategic alliance between Washington and Jerusalem. Yet, on Megyn Kelly’s podcast, Carlson claimed that Qatar—both a Muslim Brotherhood haven and direct agent of Iran—is one of the U.S.’ “closest allies.” Both a woman and an ally should be equally easy to define consistently.
Elsewhere, MAGA has showed enormous disdain for the Canadian Baby Boomers who voted for the anti-Trump Mark Carney to become the next prime minister in Ottawa, mainly because this has consigned future generations to a potential crisis when it comes to quality of life. Yet isolationism brings the same risks—as we have seen countless times throughout history. Signing a bad deal with actors like Hamas, Russia, or Iran, for the sake of “peace and stability,” will only lead to a bloodier conflict in the future that will be shouldered by America’s youth. Should that occur, the legacy of President Trump and his political revolution will be severely tarnished—by the resulting wars.
MAGA must make clear that “America First” does not have to mean “America Only,” or “America Only Now.” It means that America must be strong again, as the president has repeated numerous times.
November 2024, or perhaps January 2025, was supposed to introduce America to a new golden age. But this can only be accomplished by forever shutting the door on woke—no matter from which side of the aisle it rears its ugly head.
