Conservatism

From Buckley to Trump, Conservatism Has Endured an Ugly Slide

Intellectual curiosity used to define the political right. Now, imbecility rules the day.

Steven Greenhut | 6.26.2026 7:30 AM

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(Illustration: Adani Samat. Photo: AdMedia / MEGA / Newscom/JGLIT/Newscom)

Politically active people my age fondly remember conservative intellectual William F. Buckley hosting the wildly popular TV show, "Firing Line," where he for years interviewed luminaries from across the political spectrum. He sparred with leftist Noam Chomsky about American imperialism, chatted with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher about the future of free markets, and talked to poet Allen Ginsberg about drugs and spirituality. Heady stuff.

These lofty civil debates went beyond politics and delved into psychology, art and literature. The show reflected an emerging conservative movement that was clever and optimistic, and which preferred to out-argue opponents rather than "own" them. That era's leading right-leaning commentators often criticized intellectuals, but not intelligence and expertise.

Which brings us to our current moment. We have an undreamed-of abundance of information—podcasts, social media, cable TV, talk radio, streaming and endless publications of every type. We can hear first-person utterances from our country's leaders. We have extensive access to governmental budgets, legal decisions, public........

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