The Neoreactionary Movement Defining the Authoritarian Rise with Steven Gardiner

In conversation with PRA’s Principal Research Advisor Steven Gardiner, he and Koki discuss the wide-ranging practices, policies, and ideologies underlying the antidemocratic goals of the Neoreactionary Right—and how to resist them. Diving into the foundations of white nationalism and Christian supremacy that prop up the billionaire agenda under Trump, their conversation pieces together the connections in topics ranging from privately owned micro states and the tariff regime intended to re-industrialize a post-industrial United States, to the fascistic, curtailing of opposition and checks on power.

Steven Gardiner is Principal Research Advisor, and formerly Research Director, at Political Research Associates. He has been researching and writing in opposition to the politics of bigotry, violence, and authoritarianism since the early 1990s. In 2004, Gardiner received a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from Cornell University; since earning his doctorate, he has taught more than twenty different courses at eight universities in the United States, Pakistan, and the UAE.

Resources:

• Peter Montgomery, “Project 2025: How Trump Loyalists and Right-Wing Leaders Are Paving a Fast Road to Fascism,” Political Research Associates, Feb 14 (2024)
• Erica Verrillo, “The Neo-Reactionary Coup Erica Verrillo,” Medium, Feb 8 (2025) 
• James Pogue, “Inside the New Right, Where Peter Thiel Is Placing His Biggest Bets They’re not MAGA,” Apr 20 (2022)
• Andrew Prokop, “Curtis Yarvin wants American democracy toppled. He has some prominent Republican fans. The New Right blogger has been cited by Blake Masters and J.D. Vance. What exactly is he advocating?,” Vox, Oct 24 (2022) 
• George Michael, “An antidemocratic philosophy called ‘neoreaction’ is creeping into GOP politics,” The Conversation, Jul 27 (2022)
• Jason Wilson, “He’s anti-democracy and pro-Trump: the obscure ‘dark enlightenment’ blogger influencing the next US administration,” The Guardian, Dec 21 (2024) 
• Ben Makuch, “Extremist blogger to debate Harvard professor at unsanctioned campus event,” May 2 (2025)
• Hialy Gutierrez, “Exposing and Resisting the Coordinated Attacks on Higher Education: Q&A with Isaac Kamola on Manufacturing Backlash,” Apr 16 (2025)
• Scot Nakagawa, “Why They're Winning And What We Can Do About It: An Issue of the Anti-Authoritarian Playbook Newsletter,” Apr 9 (2025)
• Alyssa Bowen, “The Education Wars: Author Q&A with Jennifer C. Berkshire,” Political Research Associates, Dec 13 (2024)
• Ben Lorber, “Three Way Fight: Author Q&A with Xtn Alexander and Matthew N. Lyons,” Political Research Associates, Mar 11 (2025)
• Steven Gardiner, “End Times Antisemitism: Christian Zionism, Christian Nationalism, and the Threat to Democracy,” Jul 9 (2020)
• Aidan Orly, “101: Christian Zionism,” Apr 24 (2024)

Keywords: 

Authoritarianism, fascism, Far Right, techoauthoritariansim, NeoReactionary Movement, Neo-Reactionary movement, NRx, Dark Enlightenment, DOGE, Elon Musk, JD Vance, Stephen Miller, Peter Thiel, technofascism, technostate, White nationalism, Christian nationalism, private military, neoliberalism, Libertarian movement, labor, theocracy, microstates, Christian Zionism, state capture, Project 2025, Trump administration, Donald Trump, anti-immigrant, deportations, resistance, mutual aid, democracy