How a far-right MAGA think tank is feeding Ron DeSantis' 'anti-woke' obsessions: report

30 March 2023

Of all the right-wing think tanks in the United States, the most overtly MAGA has been the California-based Claremont Institute. Claremont, founded in 1979, was around long before former President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. But a think tank that was once identified with traditional Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater conservatism has, in recent years, moved to the far right and fully embraced the MAGA ideology and the "America First" agenda — much to the dismay of former Nancy Reagan speechwriter Mona Charen and other Never Trump conservatives.

Claremont draws vehement criticism from both the left and the Never Trump right. In an article published by the liberal/progressive-oriented The Nation on March 30, journalist Jennifer C. Berkshire emphasizes that Claremont is helping to shape the "anti-woke" obsessions of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

"Claremont's leaders have marshaled so much early support behind DeSantis because they see him as a staunch ally in thwarting the alleged march of 'wokeism' through virtually every American institution: the media, corporations, and education, from pre-K through college," Berkshire explains. "They view DeSantis' legislative assault on diversity and inclusion — including stripping the Walt Disney Company of some state tax breaks, reversing diversity policies, and sharply curtailing discussions of race and gender in Florida schools — as a model for right-wing activism across the country. Claremont and DeSantis both are holding forth Florida as a red-state template — a militant Republican state government providing a 'blueprint' for rolling back civil rights across the country."

Although the Florida governor has yet to make a formal announcement, he appears to be gearing up for a 2024 presidential run. And Berkshire emphasizes that DeSantis' "brain trust" is "stocked with Claremonsters," including Christopher Rufo (who advised DeSantis on Florida's Stop Woke Act) and the Florida governor's new speechwriter Nate Hochman.

"When DeSantis officially launches his candidacy," Berkshire explains, "he'll point to a long list of right-wing policy accomplishments. But using the levers of power to ram through an unpopular agenda is not the same thing as winning over hearts and minds. As he sells a retrograde vision of America with the help of a militant right-wing intellectual cadre, DeSantis is likely to learn that lesson the hard way."

Read The Nation's full report at this link.

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