Matthew Continetti on Tradition and Transformation in Conservative Politics

In this episode of The Future of Liberty, Governor Mitch Daniels sits down with Matthew Continetti, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and founding editor of the Washington Free Beacon , to examine the evolving landscape of American conservatism in the age of Trump. Drawing on historical context, Continetti explores whether the MAGA movement represents a natural evolution of conservative thought—or a populist departure from its traditional principles. Columbia’s Ideological Legacy & Campus Unrest (1:37) Populism vs. Conservatism: Trump’s Challenge to the Right (7:47) Can MAGA Outlast Trump? Institutionalizing a Movement (20:15) Gen Z’s Rightward Shift & the Future of American Politics (27:44) Does Character Still Matter in Politics? (38:16) You can find The Future of Liberty with Gov. Mitch Daniels podcast wherever you get your podcasts including on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , and YouTube . Stay connected with Liberty Fund on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and X .