A top ally of presidential hopeful Gov. Ron Desantis (R-FL) wants to explore an armistice between the establishment Republican Party and the “dissident right”: which is often used as a euphemism for right-wing radicals, including the racists and fascists who align with the conservative movement’s current trajectory.
Christopher Rufo, a high-profile right-wing activist at the Manhattan Institute credited with forging the frameworks of modern moral panics about critical race theory and LGBTQ-inclusive educational programming, hosted a live voice chat on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in which one participant floated an ear-burning idea: if a “real white nationalist” were to rise to power, mainstream conservative movements should want to align with that person to “destroy the power of the left.”
Given Rufo’s apparent affinity for at least one self-described fascist, one might wonder whether Rufo sees himself as the person who can smooth the tensions in that gap and help curate these kinds of connections. Rufo’s track record and proximity to power certainly make him a potentially more effective person to attempt that mending.
Beyond Rufo, there are plenty more examples of this strategy in practice in today’s Republican Party. Figures like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) made themselves household names by hand-holding radicals. Presidential hopefuls lined up to kiss the rings of an “extremist group” earlier this year. Many Republican members of Congress held few qualms about cozying up with extremist groups ahead of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Whether it was former Klu Klux Klan leader David Duke, violent “alt-right” supporters, white supremacists and militia groups, or QAnon followers, former President Donald Trump has struggled to disavow his most dangerous supporters, when he’s not busy coddling them.