For Conservatives, a Disconnect Between Principle & Party

This week’s cordial summit at Gracie Mansion between President Trump and Mayor Mamdani coaxed the New York Post to dub the pair of New Yorkers “the political odd couple.” The socialist mayor and the MAGA president represent the two poles in a polarized America, right?

Rhetorically, this seems about right. Socialists rail against red hats and MAGA, and red-capped MAGA enthusiasts rail against socialists. But in terms of policy, opposites increasingly attract. The president’s plan to pay every adult American $5,000, his response to the Federal Reserve’s rate increase that the body’s lending price to banks “should be 1%, or less,” his addition of $12 trillion to the debt during his time in office, and his pursuit of ownership stakes of about 10 percent of Intel, in IBM’s Anderon after a $1 billion investment, and in numerous other companies involved in semiconductors, AI, and minerals combine to suggest we’re all socialists now.

About the Author

Daniel J. Flynn

Daniel J. Flynn, the author of The Man Who Invented Conservatism: The Unlikely Life of Frank S. Meyer, is an American Spectator senior editor, visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, and YouTuber @RightWingWilderness.

Featured Tags

Manage following

Donald Trump

Conservatism

This week’s cordial summit at Gracie Mansion between President Trump and Mayor Mamdani coaxed the New York Post to dub the pair of New Yorkers “the political odd couple.” The socialist mayor and the MAGA president represent the two poles in a polarized America, right?

Rhetorically, this seems about right. Socialists rail against red hats and MAGA, and red-capped MAGA enthusiasts rail against socialists. But in terms of policy, opposites increasingly attract. The president’s plan to pay every adult American $5,000, his response to the Federal Reserve’s rate increase that the body’s lending price to banks “should be 1%, or less,” his addition of $12 trillion to the debt during his time in office, and his pursuit of ownership stakes of about 10 percent of Intel, in IBM’s Anderon after a $1 billion investment, and in numerous other companies involved in semiconductors, AI, and minerals combine to suggest we’re all socialists now.