The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg Conservatism Is Not White | Interview: Richard M. Reinsch II
19 snips
Feb 25, 2026 Richard M. Reinsch II, longtime conservative intellectual and editor at Civitas Outlook, brings deep knowledge of conservative history and political thought. He traces Nixon’s influence on modern conservatism. He rejects framing conservatism as “white culture.” He emphasizes a creedal, Declaration-centered conservatism and debates tariffs, identity politics, and the costs of populist economic policies.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Grievance Politics Encourages Dependence Not Freedom
- Populist candidates who embrace grievance and means-tested entitlements risk normalizing dependence rather than restoring citizenly independence.
- Reinsch argues J.D. Vance-style messages often assume people need government navigation rather than enabling self-government.
MAGA Mirrors Progressive Identity Politics
- The new right often mirrors progressive categories by swapping beneficiaries rather than rejecting identity-based politics.
- Jonah Goldberg notes MAGA's tendency to adopt identity, industrial policy, and group-based rewards as a right-wing mirror of the left.
MAGA Policy Promises Lack Empirical Payoff
- Many MAGA-era policies (tariffs, industrial intervention, aggressive immigration enforcement) have produced limited evidence of promised benefits.
- Goldberg and Reinsch point to weak reshoring, tariff rollbacks, and political backlash as signs of policy failure.
