Trump Has Fundamentally Transformed and Destroyed Traditional American Conservatism
Source: Peter Wehner. "How Trump Killed Conservatism - The Atlantic." March 23, 2026. www.theatlantic.com
The Gist
The author argues that Trump has completely destroyed what conservatism used to mean in America. Instead of the thoughtful, moderate, institution-respecting philosophy that conservatives like Edmund Burke promoted, Trump has turned the Republican Party into an angry, cruel movement that tears down institutions and normalizes extremist views.
Conclusion
Donald Trump has killed American conservatism by transforming the Republican Party from a conservative institution into an angry, bigoted, populist movement that contradicts core conservative principles and temperament
Premises
- Trump has cultivated and encouraged the ugliest passions within the GOP, normalizing white supremacist and neo-Nazi rhetoric among younger Republican activists
- The MAGA movement exhibits internal civil war and vicious personal attacks between prominent figures, demonstrating a breakdown of civilized discourse
- Trump has overturned long-standing conservative policy commitments including support for free trade, NATO, and opposition to Russian aggression
- Trump has fundamentally altered the temperament and moral disposition of the Republican Party, making cruelty and transgressiveness acceptable
- MAGA represents disruption and destruction rather than the conservative values of moderation, institutional respect, and cultivation of decency that figures like Edmund Burke and Michael Oakeshott championed
Assumptions
- Traditional conservatism, as exemplified by Burke and Oakeshott, represents the proper conservative temperament and philosophy
- Political leaders have significant power to reshape party culture and values
- The incidents of extremist rhetoric among young Republicans are representative of broader MAGA movement trends
- Pre-Trump Republican Party, while imperfect, was fundamentally conservative in nature
- Conservatism requires certain temperamental qualities like moderation, decency, and respect for institutions