Young Republicans show alarming rise in antisemitic views

Adding to the disturbing global rise  of antisemitism, newly released data from a study by the Manhattan Institute non-profit think tank details a growing trend toward increased antisemitism among younger (under 50) Republicans.

Among this group, 25% report openly expressing antisemitic views. That number drops to 4% among their elders. An increase in antisemitism from 4% to 25% equates to a 600% rise in just a generation or two. But hidden in these figures is the living reality of antisemitism, white supremacy, and racism among young Republicans, spurred on by the shocking indifference of many of their most influential elders.

This was on display in November when former Fox News host Tucker Carlson granted a two- hour interview on his podcast to Nick Fuentes, the notorious neo-Nazi who, among a litany of vile pronouncements, has called for the annihilation of “perfidious Jews”.

Carlson’s stature on the American Right led to his role as a leading spokesperson for Donald  Trump’s re-election campaign and his prime-time speaking slot at the Republican National Convention. That someone of such prominence would give free rein to Fuentes to express his white supremacist, antisemitic views is chilling. The Carlson podcast has an audience of millions, and among them are more than a few under-50 Republicans.

In the aftermath of that interview, the battle for the soul of the American Right was exposed. The president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, which created the Project 2025 blueprint for Trump’s second term, released a video defending Carlson’s platforming of Fuentes.