Inside the National Conservatism Movement to Reshape the Right with Ben Lorber

On this episode of Inform Your Resistance, host Koki Mendis and guest PRA Senior Research Analyst Ben Lorber pull back the curtain on the National Conservatism Conference 2022 (NatCon 3), a gathering of far-right politicians, intellectuals, and influencers with a goal to reshape the Right. Listen in as Ben gives us an on-the-ground view of the convention. With his focus on White nationalism and antisemitism, Ben provides a unique perspective on the rhetoric, atmosphere, and anti-elite sentiment that permeated the conference. 

Ben and Koki explore the rise of White Christian nationalism within the conservative movement and its impact on the U.S. political landscape. They unpack the agenda of figures in the National Conservatism movement: an obsession with culture war and moral order as a way to promote their vision for a Christian society–including the promotion of anti-abortion policies, bans on gay marriage, banning so called critical race theory in schools, and the enforcement of cis-heteropatriarchal gender roles. They analyze the transformation of the GOP into a movement that borrows from the economic populism of the Left, at least rhetorically, in an attempt to create a new right-wing nationalist consensus. Ben considers the presence of Orthodox Jews at NatCon3 and how their views may influence the Right's agenda. Finally, Koki asks Ben what it’s like to be there in person at a right-wing conference. 

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Part 1 of the map Ben mentions in this episode–“ A Bid For Power: Mapping The Electoral Far Right in the 2022 Elections” by Ben Lorber, Olivia Lawrence-Weilmann, Steven Gardiner
• Part 2 of the map Ben mentions in this episode–“The Fight Ahead: How the Electoral Far Right Fared in the 2022 Midterm Elections” by Ben Lorber, Olivia Lawrence-Weilmann, Steven Gardiner
• “The Elite Movement Laying the Foundation for a MAGA That Will Outlast Trump and Remake America: Inside NatCon Part I” by Ben Lober
• “White Nationalist Ideology Shines Through at Elite MAGA Conference: Inside NatCon Part II” by Ben Lorber
• “The postliberal crackup: The GOP’s post-midterm civil war starts with the New Right” by Kathryn Joyce

--------- EPISODE KEYWORDS ---------

National Conservatism Conference, NatCon 3, Right Wing, White Nationalism, Antisemitism, Christian Nationalism, Christian Right, Conservative Movement, Politicians, Intellectuals, LGBTQ Rights, Gender Roles, Orthodox Jews, GOP, Republicans.