Trump Coalition Believes Experts and Elite Institutions Have Failed

This week, the Senate will consider the cabinet nominations of a Kennedy scion who has previously endorsed full-term abortions and of a surrogate for Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign. That Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard became nominees of a Republican administration, and that they developed a passionate fan base among many conservatives, speaks to the evolution of the party’s coalition under President Trump.

Political philosophy junkies have long evaluated Republicans by where they stood on each of the legs of the “three-legged stool” (comprising economic, social, and national security issues). They have debated whether certain candidates were limited-government advocates or more open to social welfare, whether they were culturally conservative or liberal, and whether they were hawkish or dovish on defense. But this approach isn’t particularly useful to understand Trump or his unique appeal.

About the Author

Philip Klein

Philip Klein is the editor of National Review Online.

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This week, the Senate will consider the cabinet nominations of a Kennedy scion who has previously endorsed full-term abortions and of a surrogate for Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign. That Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard became nominees of a Republican administration, and that they developed a passionate fan base among many conservatives, speaks to the evolution of the party’s coalition under President Trump.

Political philosophy junkies have long evaluated Republicans by where they stood on each of the legs of the “three-legged stool” (comprising economic, social, and national security issues). They have debated whether certain candidates were limited-government advocates or more open to social welfare, whether they were culturally conservative or liberal, and whether they were hawkish or dovish on defense. But this approach isn’t particularly useful to understand Trump or his unique appeal.