‘Old ideas are for old people’: A new MAGA group looks to push GOP further right
Its partners include an array of new-right allies of Vice President JD Vance, including Turning Point Action, which has already endorsed Vance for president in 2028, as well as the conservative think tank Claremont Institute and the watchdog group Oversight Project.
Key points
- The effort is being bankrolled by an initial $12 million by GOP megadonor Thomas Klingenstein, the septuagenarian chair of the Claremont Institute’s board of directors and a major donor to Surabian’s American Leadership PAC as well as Trump-aligned Club for Growth and the socially conservative American Principles Project.
- A PAC that has backed challenges to other GOP incumbents led by Andy Surabian, a longtime aide to both Vance and Donald Trump Jr., will also partner closely with the effort.
- A new Republican group thinks their party is too old, too moderate and too weak.
While the new organization is not affiliated with Vance — Neuhaus was adamant it is not a “Vance political project” — the effort parallels the new-right conservatism championed by the vice president.
Additional details
- “The American people told us pretty clearly that they want to see younger, more energetic politicians leading in America, representing them.
- American Ascent shall find such leaders and then develop them.” This new initiative’s organizers want to see a Republican Party aligned to the conservatism that Vance, a close ally of the Claremont Institute, has come to represent.
- “But I'll prepare any young and able and competent American to run for higher office.” Neuhaus is the former Heritage Foundation chief of staff who shouldered the blame for Kevin Roberts’ controversial video defending Tucker Carlson last year, after the podcaster hosted a friendly interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes.
- American Ascent launches Monday with an eye toward building a bench of young conservatives that could flip some of the dozens of congressional seats that will be held by aging lawmakers in 2028.
- Surabian’s PAC will focus on open seats in safe red districts, a person familiar with the group’s plans said.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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