In a recent discussion that brought influential thinkers of the Right together for an unprecedented public debate, Curtis Yarvin, Christopher Caldwell, Patrick Deneen, and Chris Rufo tackled the conservative movement’s future in a panel convened by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and held at The Heritage Foundation.

Moderated by Intercollegiate Studies Institute President Johnny Burtka, the interlocutors discussed the successes and failures of the Department of Government Efficiency in combating the abuse of taxpayer dollars and the left wing’s ideological capture of the federal government. The panelists contemplated what it would take to restore the right as the dominant force in America more permanently.

The discussion is part of a long-form video series, “Project Cosmos,” that seeks to explore what a synthesis between the new right and the tech right would look like to promote freedom and virtue in the future. In a crowded media landscape, the conversation stands above the fray because of the participants’ roles in shaping the philosophy of the second administration of President Donald Trump.

The prominent right-wing journalists on the panel discussed whether the libertarian efficiency credo of DOGE was a good argument to make to the American public. Caldwell was a proponent of the messaging tactic, but Rufo said the Trump administration should address the question of conforming the federal bureaucracy to conservative principles head-on with the American people.

“We’re going to be more efficient in how we demand transgender teaching in class. We’re going to reduce the cost of transgender surgeries for minors and save taxpayer money,” Rufo said, parodying the efficiency arguments.

The rhetorical flourish by Rufo was indicative of how he burst onto the national scene during the COVID-19 era. A documentarian-turned-muckraker of academia, Rufo........

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