My path to conservatism was somewhat typical: I was raised in a home with Republican parents in a post-Cold War era before social media. At 18, I moved to the liberal Mecca of New York City, where my beliefs were challenged, mocked, and debated. This made me stronger.
I got involved in College Republicans and later interned for the Sean Hannity radio show. I read every book in his office I could: the Lincoln-Douglas debates, John Locke, and Thomas Paine. Soon, I witnessed the fiery start of the Tea Party movement and the growth of “alternative” media to combat the mainstream narrative.
The conservative movement shaped who I am. But it’s scary when you look around a movement and feel as if the voice of reason is suddenly nowhere to be found.
Today, mainstream voices in conservative media are unwilling to address the slow but steady infiltration of racist thought in the movement. Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Tucker Carlson, for example, are downplaying or promulgating conspiracy theories and validating the voices of radicals who do not uphold the principles of constitutional conservatism. They have let us all down. It’s disturbing to see.
During this fall semester, I’ve been on several college campuses and spoken to hundreds of college students, some liberal but most of whom self-identify as conservative. At every single event, I’d guess 10% of the audience was part of the “army” of Groypers who follow antisemitic commentator Nick Fuentes.
These students asked other Young America’s Foundation speakers and me questions, usually related to making Christianity the sole religion in the U.S., no longer funding the military, and the supposed downfall of womanhood since no-fault divorce. They appear wearing hoods, avoiding eye contact, and giggling in the audience. These students are actively seeping their way into conservative circles on campus with seemingly zero understanding of what conservatism actually is.
But there are young conservatives who are also in these organizations and who are engaged and very concerned. Most of the concerns I field are from young women who often lead these conservative groups with bravery while being doxxed, harassed, and mocked by their liberal peers. These women are at the forefront of spreading a pro-America message on campus, yet they are being told by some in the “America First” crowd that they don’t belong.
The consensus from these young conservatives on the front line is that the newly engaged young men feel disenchanted. They were alarmed and enraged by the murder of Charlie Kirk and started showing up at right-leaning group meetings soon afterward.
One student chairman of a conservative campus group, who asked to remain anonymous, told me, “What’s depressing is that they don’t even believe the things Charlie stood for. They blame radical leftism and woke ideology and immigrants for what killed Charlie and think they’re next if they don’t stop the Jews, corporations, and non-white immigrants.”
At the heart of the issue is loneliness and frustration at the “system.” These young men feel wronged and are looking for someone to blame for it. But being a lone conservative on a college campus takes more than pithy memes and the ability to scowl at those with whom you disagree. Liberals have been playing that card for years.
The majority of the young conservatives I encounter are severely disappointed at the abject failure of many in the movement who accepted disillusioned young men with no core moral or political beliefs, allowing them to join conservative groups and poison them with racism and sexism. In an attempt to gain favor with a loud but small group of the alt-right, they have lost their moral compass.
Sometimes evil has to be called out, but mocking those who believe it does not work. Exhibiting the “why” behind those ideas being an abject failure is necessary. Being a conservative means standing up for the equal rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. It means limited government, individual freedoms, and making contributions to society through a free market system. I’d much rather take a mass number of non-white immigrants from nations the Groypers disdain who desire to pursue the American dream and assimilate to our Western civilized values over white liberal Europeans who espouse blatant socialism and radicalism.
Here lies the opportunity. To teach those who think they hate capitalism and want to own the Left, stop immigration, end all wars, etc., that their ideas lead to death and destruction. The great Dennis Prager often says that America’s founding principles, rooted in conservatism by today’s definition, aren’t just for those of us in the U.S. Our beliefs should be spread far and wide. We should evangelize about the principles of small government, individual liberty, and economic prosperity.
THE RIGHT MUST OFFER YOUNG CONSERVATIVES SOMETHING BETTER THAN HATE
It’s a win for everyone when we have more leaders like Maria Machado (Venezuela), Kemi Badenoch (Britain), Sanae Takaichi (Japan), Javier Milei (Argentina), and Nayib Bukele (El Salvador), who are spreading the message of liberty and freedom globally. It is “America First” to encourage our ideals in every nation around the globe, not limit them to those born here or of a certain skin tone.
Conservative leaders need to be wary of accepting young people without testing what they think and why, because it has led to them changing the culture on campuses, in homes, and even in conservative organizations around the country. We are at this crossroads because the conservatism that used to mean something has become about victimization instead of freedom and self-reliance. We must return to conservatism’s core principles.
Elisha Krauss is a conservative commentator and speaker who lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and their four children. She is an advocate of women’s rights, school choice, and smaller government.
