Our summer series on “What Is the Right?” has examined the factions that shape the modern conservative movement, from libertarians and traditionalists to fusionists and the New Right. Yet one force has loomed in the background throughout our conversations: Trumpism. While we have focused on ideas more than individuals, it’s impossible to take stock of today’s Right without considering the MAGA movement and the impact it has had on conservative policy and priorities.
As we look ahead to a post-Trump political era—whether in 2029 or sooner—the question isn’t just what becomes of Donald Trump the man, but what becomes of Trumpism as a set of ideas and a policy agenda. In this episode, we explore what MAGA means, how it has shaped the intellectual and institutional life of the Right, and what influence it may continue to exert in the years ahead.
Two leaders well positioned to speak to this are Greg Sindelar and Adele Malpass. Greg is the interim president of the America First Policy Institute and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, one of the nation’s most effective state-based think tanks. Adele is the president of the Daily Caller News Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Daily Caller, a key voice for many MAGA-aligned ideas and policies.