Can a magazine founded to oppose neoconservatism become the voice of the modern right?

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded in 2002 to challenge the Iraq War and neoconservative hegemony, The American Conservative spent years as an isolated, iconoclastic voice. Today, the publication finds itself in a transformed political landscape, with observers noting that the Republican Party has increasingly adopted the very positions it once stood alone in advocating.

Launched in October 2002 by Pat Buchanan, Scott McConnell, and Taki Theodoracopulos, The American Conservative was designed to counter the influence of publications like the National Review and The Weekly Standard. Its founders sought to promote a paleoconservative vision centered on realism and restraint in foreign policy, while opposing what they termed the hubristic fantasies of global hegemony and a hyperglobal economy. In its early years, the magazine was frequently at odds with the broader conservative movement, particularly for its vocal opposition to the Bush administration and the invasion of Iraq.

The publication's early stance was so distinct that it drew comparisons to left-leaning outlets. Ralph Nader once remarked that The Nation could have published much of its content without issue, citing the magazine's devastating critiques of neoconservative foreign policy. Despite being largely ignored or reviled by elite conservative opinion during its first decade, the magazine maintained a dedicated following. By 2012, New York Times columnist David Brooks identified it as a dynamic force on the political web, noting its writers' deep-seated suspicion of concentrated power in both government and big business.

The magazine's trajectory shifted significantly over the last two decades. It played a pivotal role in the rise of JD Vance, with a 2016 interview helping to launch his book Hillbilly Elegy. By 2023, reports suggested that the Republican Party had evolved to embody many of the principles the magazine had championed since its inception. Today, the publication continues to assert its independence, recently declining to adhere to Department of Defense reporting rules, with executive director Curt Mills declaring that the magazine is not in the business of stenography.

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