The Ruin of Conservatism
For conservatives, the deal with Donald Trump is looking worse by the day.
Written by Bo Winegard.
About Donald Trump, they were right—the Never Trump Republicans. Supporting him is not worth it.
One of Nietzsche’s most cited aphorisms applies with eerie precision: “He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster.” The monster was wokeness. Back then progressivism was regnant. Police were assailed and ridiculed. Racism, sexism and a thousand other isms were said to be everywhere. Scholars were fired for stating basic biological truths. An illiberal ideology pervaded the media and universities. In this hostile environment, conservatives made a Faustian bargain with Donald Trump: Kill the monster and we will support you. But for many on the right, embittered by years of culture-war losses, even victory was not enough. The left had to be punished, had to suffer. Owning the libs became central to the MAGA movement. And thus conservatism began to mutate into a monster.
Of course, Trump’s fitness for office has always been dubious. In 2016, one could be excused for supporting him. He was brash and boorish—but also new and audacious. In an era of stifling political correctness, his freedom with language and willingness to speak candidly about taboo subjects, even if crudely, seemed refreshing. The Reaganite Republican party seemed obsolete, built for a different era with different challenges. Trump was the creative destroyer. What was strong and worth preserving would survive his chaos, while the rest would fall away in ruin.
But this is no longer plausible. Trump is not a creative destroyer who preserves what is great about the country. Rather, he is a malignant destroyer. And whatever is redemptive about him is dwarfed by the damage he inflicts on the country and on conservatism here and around the world. His narcissism, his ignorance, his impulsiveness and his pettiness are all disqualifying. If conservatives continue to support him, they will squander any moral credibility they have. Their appeals to religion, decency and family values will seem little more than hypocritical cant.
This was once something conservatives understood. Character is destiny. Trump is Trump as a lion is a lion. If you invite a lion into your mansion, it does not become a house cat. And if you embrace the lion, it might tear you apart. Certainly, Trump is tearing conservatism apart.
