By Jesus MesaShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberWhile the high-profile feud between President Donald Trump and Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie over the release of the Jeffrey Epstein case grabbed national headlines this month, a deeper and potentially more consequential conflict was unfolding within the broader conservative movement.
What began in late October—when former Fox News host Tucker Carlson hosted the far-right, antisemitic provocateur Nick Fuentes for a friendly, unchallenged interview on his digital show—continues to fracture the right nearly a month later.
Fuentes, who is extremely popular on the youth right and is known for openly racist rhetoric and white nationalist organizing, faced almost no pushback during the appearance, triggering immediate outrage from many Republicans. Conservative figures such as the conservative influencer Ben Shapiro, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Florida Representative Randy Fine denounced the interview. Still, others defended Carlson’s decision to platform Fuentes, if not Fuentes' ideology, further hardening the lines of an internal rift that has yet to settle.
The incident placed the Heritage Foundation in the spotlight over its defense of Carlson. Kevin Roberts, the establishment conservative think tank’s president, initially refused to distance Heritage from an increasingly right-wing Carlson, referring to a “venomous coalition” of critics and insisting the organization would not issue a disavowal. The statement provoked internal dissent. Staff members voiced their concerns publicly, and Princeton professor Robert George resigned from the board over it.
The controversy has become emblematic of a broader ideological struggle within the GOP. As Republicans assess the damage from a string of electoral defeats in Virginia, New Jersey, and parts of Pennsylvania and Georgia along with brutal poll numbers for their lame-duck leader, some are beginning to question the coalition's direction—and its ability to mobilize voters without Trump atop the ticket.
This matrix, built by Newsweek and based on an analysis of statements and policy positions throughout 2025, helps explain the current fault lines. The GOP is increasingly split along two main axes: populist versus institutional conservative, and loyalty to Trump versus autonomy from him. Each quadrant of this matrix corresponds to a distinct policy orientation:
The Republican Party’s ideological landscape in 2025 is increasingly split among traditional conservatives, populist activists, and figures aligned with President Trump.
America First Champions
Within the populist wing, Vice President J.D. Vance has emerged as a defining voice. His approach to foreign policy—favoring a restrained role abroad and a heavier focus on domestic strength—closely aligns with Greene’s isolationist instincts rather than with Republican hawks that include, lately, the president himself. Vance has argued that continued involvement in foreign conflicts stretches U.S. resources, a position that has put him at odds with Republicans who continue to champion robust support for Israel and potentially offensive use of force in Venezuela.
...Greene, once one of Trump’s most vocal supporters, now occupies a more complicated position. Her public split with the president over the Epstein files and her criticism of expanding H-1B visas has placed her on the populist side of several high-profile policy fights, even as she continues to back many of Trump’s broader goals.
Traditional Conservatives Draw Boundaries
Traditional conservatives continue to shape the party’s definition of acceptable discourse. Ben Shapiro has been outspoken in criticizing attempts to normalize extremist rhetoric, most recently by denouncing Carlson’s interview with Fuentes. His stance reflects a broader concern within the party that the embrace of fringe figures risks alienating voters the GOP needs to regain ground nationally.
...Senator Tom Cotton has also diverged from the populist bloc, maintaining a national-security posture rooted in longstanding GOP principles. He has pressed for continued U.S. engagement overseas—particularly in Israel—positions that have drawn challenges from Carlson and activist Laura Loomer, who argue that foreign conflicts contradict the America First approach.
Republicans Between Two Worlds
A number of Republicans remain positioned uncomfortably between the party’s competing factions. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator Josh Hawley frequently employ populist rhetoric on cultural and economic issues but differ from the populist wing on questions of tech regulation and federal authority. Both have pushed for greater scrutiny of technology companies and resisted federal proposals they believe override state power.
...Secretary of State Marco Rubio has taken a different turn. After years of emphasizing traditional diplomatic strategies, he now closely supports the administration’s approach to Venezuela, China, Israel, and emerging technologies—part of a broader realignment by institutional Republicans adapting to Trump’s leadership style and shifting priorities.
Activists and Enforcers at the Edges
At the movement’s outer edges, media and activist figures continue to shape the conversation that takes place every day on social media. Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer, using their streaming platforms and megaphones on X, frequently mobilize the GOP’s most loyal grassroots segments and criticize officials they see as insufficiently committed to the MAGA wing.
...Fuentes sits in a different category. Once elevated by his online following, he has been pushed out of mainstream and even pseudo-mainstream conservative circles after denunciations by elected officials and commentators. Despite breaking with Trump on several issues in recent years, the president offered unexpectedly positive comments about Carlson, saying, "You can't tell him who to interview". He praised Carlson, who he said has "said good things about me over the years," and suggested people should be allowed to come to their own conclusions about a guest.
Tech Reveals a New Policy Divide
Emerging debates over technology and AI regulation have introduced yet another layer to GOP divisions. Vance and several Trump-aligned officials argue that the U.S. must bolster its technological leadership and streamline federal oversight to compete globally. Vance also has personal ties to Big Tech, having worked in Silicon Valley and enjoying the backing of Peter Thiel.
DeSantis, Greene, Bannon and other skeptics contend that such efforts to bolster AI investment risk further empowering tech companies and weakening states' rights. These disputes reflect this growing fault line, as the right weighs innovation against concerns about automation, workforce disruption and centralized regulation.
...A Party Still Negotiating Its Direction
Taken together, these developments suggest a party still working to define its identity as it recovers from a humbling wake-up call on November 5, approaches the 2026 midterms, and looks ahead to future without the man who has led Republicans to victory whenever he was on the ballot.
While Trump remains the dominant figure in Republican politics, differing strategies, policy priorities and foreign-policy philosophies indicate the long-term direction of the GOP will be determined by which faction—traditional conservative, institutional MAGA, or populist nationalist—ultimately consolidates influence.
As the party moves toward 2026 and ultimately 2028, potential successors to the MAGA movement,such as Vance, Cruz, Rubio, DeSantis — even Carlson — have pointedly avoided discussing their plans, emphasizing instead that the president is still early in his second term.
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