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Thursday, September 11, 2025

Tag: Populists
February 5, 2025
Jack Montgomery
World

Foreign Leader Lauds Trump for Exposing ‘Dark Conspiracy’ Against Him.

The anti-mass migration conservative leader of Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has thanked President Donald J. Trump for uncovering the “dark conspiracy” of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) using American taxpayer dollars to fund global leftism. “So apparently USAID financed ultra-progressive Politico in Brussels and basically the entire left-wing media in Hungary under the previous US administration,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“I think the world owes a debt of gratitude to President [Donald Trump] for uncovering and putting an end to this dark conspiracy,” Orban added, in reference to the Trump administration’s move to effectively shut down USAID and absorb any surviving functions in the State Department. Tech mogul Elon Musk, leading Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), had said of the agency, “We dug into USAID. It became apparent that what we have here is not an apple with a worm in it, but actually just a ball of worms.”

POLITICO, which regularly attacks Orban for his stance against escalating the war in Ukraine, efforts to curb the influence of George Soros, and opposition to mass migration within the European Union (EU), has been exposed as particularly reliant on federal funding. The German-owned news outlet has received an astonishing $8.1 million in government payments through over 200 transactions.

Image by Annika Haas (EU2017EE).

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The anti-mass migration conservative leader of Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has thanked President Donald J. Trump for uncovering the "dark conspiracy" of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) using American taxpayer dollars to fund global leftism. "So apparently USAID financed ultra-progressive Politico in Brussels and basically the entire left-wing media in Hungary under the previous US administration," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). show more
January 14, 2025
Jack Montgomery
News

Bannon: ‘I Can Turn Elon From a Tech-Feudalist to a Populist Nationalist.’

War Room host Stephen K. Bannon believes that, despite his differences with the MAGA base, Elon Musk “deserves a place at the table” in President-elect Donald J. Trump’s administration—and that he can be turned into a true populist.

“Elon Musk came in and totally backed the… populist, MAGA play,” Bannon said of the tech mogul at a POLITICO event, noting how he “wrote $250 million worth of checks to back that play… not over a whole cycle, [but] in five months.” Bannon stressed that he had “said from the beginning” that Musk “deserves a place at the table” for his contributions.

“[T]his is a new coalition, much broader than 2016,” Bannon said of the current iteration of the America First movement, likening it to a “1932 FDR-type realignment in American politics.”

“[C]learly, you’re going to have members of that coalition that don’t agree on everything,” he said, readily assenting that he “fundamentally” disagrees with figures such as Musk, Peter Tiel, and Mark Zuckerberg in several areas, and “there’s going to be clashes.” However, he noted that “President Trump is particularly good about people arguing ideas, and the best idea and the best policy wins.”

Bannon believes that, so far, the MAGA base is “actually, I think we’re winning this round, and we’re winning this round pretty big.” He cited Musk having “backed off the H-1B visas,” saying they have “got to be reformed”—although Bannon’s camp wants the visa program “to be done away with.”

“I think we’ll get Elon there, and as soon as I can turn Elon Musk from a techno-feudalist to a populist nationalist, that will start making real progress,” he added.

EARLY BATTLES.

Bannon recalled that around 2017, he and Musk clashed “virtually every day about the EV tax credits” and that similar clashes are now taking place over appointments and the aforementioned H-1B visas.

“[Musk] was adamant about Howard Lutnick being Secretary of the Treasury, actually trashed Scott Bessent. Last time I looked, Scott Bessent’s hearing, I think, is on Thursday or Friday for Secretary of the Treasury. Many of the picks he wanted didn’t come to pass,” Bannon said, suggesting Musk’s influence has been exaggerated by the corporate media.

“Look, when you write $250 million worth of checks, when you’re that involved, when you’ve actually backed a ground game, you’re going to have a seat at the table… [but] it can’t be at the head of the table,” Bannon said.

The former White House chief strategist said the X platform owner has “had some influence over policy,” but his own view of the tech community as “essentially importing indentured servants to take jobs of American citizens” with H-1B visas seems to be prevailing.

“Elon’s not going to go away, and quite frankly, he shouldn’t go away,” Bannon said. For his part, Bannon acknowledges he has “been quite intense,” largely because it is his goal to “shift the Overton window,” and he is untroubled by a “continued fight over ideas.”

WATCH:

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War Room host Stephen K. Bannon believes that, despite his differences with the MAGA base, Elon Musk "deserves a place at the table" in President-elect Donald J. Trump's administration—and that he can be turned into a true populist. show more
Alice Weidel
January 9, 2025
Jack Montgomery
TECH
World

Musk Interviews German Populist Leader.

Tech mogul Elon Musk hosted a live-streamed conversation with Alice Weidel, the co-leader and chancellor candidate of Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, on his X platform on Thursday, showcasing the populist, anti-mass migration party’s message to a vast audience just before crucial national elections. This event, which attracted around 200,000 live viewers, underscores Musk’s commitment to using his platform to champion populist parties, emphatically endorsing the AfD by saying it is the only party that can “save Germany.”

Musk and Weidel aligned on several key issues: they both criticized Germany’s high taxation, excessive immigration, and the misguided decision to phase out nuclear energy, especially in light of the war in Ukraine cutting off Germany’s supply of Russian gas. Musk, partly of German descent, has significant business interests in Germany and agreed with Weidel that the country’s bureaucracy and regulations stifle business.

The AfD is being monitored by Germany’s domestic intelligence for alleged extremism, and the country’s left and notionally center-right parties are combining against it. Weidel, who used Musk’s platform to stress that the AfD is a libertarian and conservative party, views this surveillance as an unjust political smear campaign aimed at suppressing the AfD’s growing popularity.

Despite the accusations of extremism, Weidel told Musk the AfD is actually the “only protector of the Jewish people” in Germany, with the Islamic immigration enabled by the other parties leaving German Jews increasingly under threat. Additionally, she praised Musk’s commitment to free speech, noting that Adolf Hitler curtailed such freedoms soon after gaining power. She and Musk also negatively emphasized the socialist policies of Hitler’s Nazi party, formally the National Socialist German Workers’ Party.

Musk and Weidel alluded to efforts by the European Union (EU) to enforce censorship on X under its Digital Services Act (DSA). The European Commission is also probing whether X policies on, for instance, blue ‘verified’ checkmarks, alleging they may not align with European transparency and accountability standards.

The AfD is polling in second place ahead of federal elections set for February 23, 2025, behind only the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), formerly led by Angela Merkel.

Image by Olaf Kosinsky.

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Tech mogul Elon Musk hosted a live-streamed conversation with Alice Weidel, the co-leader and chancellor candidate of Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, on his X platform on Thursday, showcasing the populist, anti-mass migration party's message to a vast audience just before crucial national elections. This event, which attracted around 200,000 live viewers, underscores Musk's commitment to using his platform to champion populist parties, emphatically endorsing the AfD by saying it is the only party that can "save Germany." show more
January 8, 2025
Jack Montgomery
TECH
UK

PODCAST: Kassam Explains UK-Right Rift, Warns Against Letting Billionaires Set Political Agenda.

Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, believes European populists such as Nigel Farage should be wary of accepting money from Elon Musk and other “tech bros” who may seek to alter their agenda. Speaking to Puck’s Tara Palmeri on the Somebody’s Gotta Win podcast, Kassam also predicted tech sector leaders entering D.C. politics as President-elect Donald J. Trump reclaims the White House may have a rude awakening when things do not go their way.

Kassam told Palmeri that Musk, possibly the world’s richest man, seeks power and influence rather than more money. This explains his political activities not only in the United States and the United Kingdom but also in countries where he has relatively weak personal ties, such as Italy.

HE WHO PAYS THE PIPER.

The former senior adviser to Nigel Farage—leader of Britain’s Reform Party—recommended that the Brexit leader not accept the donations the Tesla owner has been considering offering to Reform. This is not only because Farage could not run a U.S.-style political campaign with the money due to British campaign laws but also because Musk—who recently said he wishes to replace Farage as party leader—could negatively influence the party’s direction.

“I think they should refuse it, and I do think I’ve changed my mind on it, having seen how he’s behaved,” referencing incidents such as Musk pushing Trump to embrace legalized mass migration through H-1B visas.

“I always give Soros as the example,” he said, explaining how, before the Hungarian-born plutocrat and other corporate donors came along, the Democratic Party “still classed itself as a pro-American worker party; a pro-union party… an anti-war party, and then suddenly all these corporate donors… come along and fundamentally change [the party].”

He recalled how the same transformation overtook the Tea Party movement, which was “completely bought and sold” by the neoliberal Koch brothers.

THE TECH BROS GO TO WASHINGTON.

Kassam predicted the “socially awkward” tech bros who have injected themselves into the America First movement may struggle to adapt to Washington politics, not least since they include “lots of people who aren’t used to being told ‘no.'”

“[M]y biggest worry is that a lot those tech bros have subscribed to a political philosophy where they truly believe that democracy, American democracy, representative democracy, is passé,” Kassam said.

“[P]eople are right to be extremely, extremely skeptical of those people,” he added. However, he stressed that the fact that he and other established figures in the conservative movement are alive to the danger, as demonstrated by the pushback to H-1B migrants, means there is hope the newcomers’ worst tendencies can be kept at bay.

LISTEN:

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Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, believes European populists such as Nigel Farage should be wary of accepting money from Elon Musk and other "tech bros" who may seek to alter their agenda. Speaking to Puck's Tara Palmeri on the Somebody's Gotta Win podcast, Kassam also predicted tech sector leaders entering D.C. politics as President-elect Donald J. Trump reclaims the White House may have a rude awakening when things do not go their way. show more
January 7, 2025
Jack Montgomery
UK

‘Pack It In!’ – Kassam Blasts ‘Splitters’ on the Right, Urges Focus on the Real Enemy.

Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, has warned against “splitters” driving a wedge between the populist right in Britain over Tommy Robinson. His intervention follows Elon Musk, who previously backed Reform and met with party leader Nigel Farage at Mar-a-Lago, calling for the Brexiteer to be ousted over his refusal to support Tommy Robinson.

“I’m friends with both of those men; I have been for a long time. I talk to them both very frankly about it, and I’ve fallen out with both of them about talking to the other one,” Kassam said on The Charlie Kirk Show.

“But what I say is this: the people who have been critical of Nigel over the last couple of days because he doesn’t want to be allied with Tommy Robinson… This is not the time to be watching a party, the only political movement that could surge and replace the Tories and Labour, and trying to drive a wedge through the political right,” he stressed.

“The people doing that, I regard as splitters, I regard it as contrary to the greater cause, and I just think, this is a fight that the establishment, the EU, Davos, and the left, absolutely love, and we just all need to pack it in.”

Reform established a parliamentary beachhead in Britain’s July 2024 snap election, and polls now show it tying and occasionally outpacing the incumbent Labour Party and the Conservatives (Tories), who governed from 2010 to mid-2024.

Multiple high-profile Conservatives are defecting to the insurgent party, which is more authentic to conservative principles.

WATCH:

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Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, has warned against "splitters" driving a wedge between the populist right in Britain over Tommy Robinson. His intervention follows Elon Musk, who previously backed Reform and met with party leader Nigel Farage at Mar-a-Lago, calling for the Brexiteer to be ousted over his refusal to support Tommy Robinson. show more
January 7, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Politics
World

A New Populist Govt May Be Emerging in Europe.

After rounds of negotiations among establishment parties that ultimately collapsed, the President of Austria has called on populists to form the next government. President Alexander Van der Bellen met with populist Freedom Party (FPOe) leader Herbert Kickl on Monday, January 6, and announced that Kickl would be tasked with forming the next government.

The meeting comes after the center-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP or OeVP) and the leftist Social Democrats (SPOe) failed to agree on forming a coalition. Van der Bellen invited the two parties to attempt to create a government despite the FPOe winning the last national election last September, albeit without an outright legislative majority.

Previously, the OeVP had stated it would not form a government with Kickl and the FPOe, but it recently changed stances, opening the door to a potential right-wing coalition.

“The voices that rule out cooperation between the ÖVP and Herbert Kickl’s FPOe have become quieter,” Van der Bellen said over the weekend.

HERBERT KICKL.

Kickl is known for his fiery speeches, vaccine skepticism, and anti-mass migration stance. If he becomes Austrian Chancellor, he could become one of the most prominent populist voices in Europe. It would also be the first time in history that the FPOe has led a national government.

During the election campaign last year, Kickl went as far as backing a policy of “remigration,” or mass deportations, for illegal immigrants, bogus asylum seekers, and those taking advantage of Austria’s social benefits. During a speech, he even referred to such people as “invaders.”

While populist, the FPOe is also classically liberal on several issues, including being pro-firearms ownership and supporting several classical liberal economic policies. In the European Union, Kickl and the FPOe are key allies of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban and are members of Orban’s Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament.

Image by Roderick Eime.

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After rounds of negotiations among establishment parties that ultimately collapsed, the President of Austria has called on populists to form the next government. President Alexander Van der Bellen met with populist Freedom Party (FPOe) leader Herbert Kickl on Monday, January 6, and announced that Kickl would be tasked with forming the next government. show more
December 20, 2024
Jack Montgomery
World

Musk Backs German Populists: ‘Only the AfD Can Save Germany.’

Tech mogul Elon Musk believes “Only the AfD can save Germany,” referring to the populist, anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany party. The Donald Trump and Nigel Farage ally offered this endorsement in response to a video posted by Naomi Seibt, a Geman conservative commentator previously dubbed “the anti-Greta Thunberg.”

“Dear Elon, thank you so much for your note,” said AfD co-chairwoman Alice Weidel in a video response to the statement by Musk, who is of partly German descent.

“The Alternative for Germany, the AfD, is indeed the one and only alternative for our country; our last option, if you ask me,” she continued, wishing Musk, President-elect Donald J. Trump, and the American people “a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”

Currently, the AfD is polling well ahead of Germany’s ruling Social Democrats, their junior coalition partners, the Greens, and their former coalition partners, the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP). However, the AfD is behind the notionally center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), formerly led by Angela Merkel. Additionally, all of Germany’s establishment and far-left parties enforce a so-called cordon sanitaire against the AfD, barring any cooperation with the populist party.

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Tech mogul Elon Musk believes "Only the AfD can save Germany," referring to the populist, anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany party. The Donald Trump and Nigel Farage ally offered this endorsement in response to a video posted by Naomi Seibt, a Geman conservative commentator previously dubbed "the anti-Greta Thunberg." show more
December 18, 2024
News

Le Pen Wants an Early Election to Oust Macron.

Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s National Rally (RN) party, wants an early presidential election as President Emmanuel Macron appoints his fourth prime minister of 2024. Le Pen, speaking to Le Parisien, stressed “the fragility of Emmanuel Macron” and the limited institutional tools at his disposal. The ‘Macronist’ faction in the French legislature has had no working majority since a snap election in July.

So far, Macron has maintained his intention to complete his second term, which concludes in 2027. However, Le Pen believes it is “over or almost over” for the French president, as he has “lost control everywhere.”

Le Pen, who has previously run against Macron, currently leads polls to succeed him by a significant margin. However, she is navigating potential obstacles, including an ongoing legal case concerning the alleged misappropriation of European Union (EU) funds by National Rally figures. If this lawfare effort is successful, Le Pen faces a five-year ban from national office, jeopardizing her presidential prospects.

Beyond these legal issues, Le Pen must contend with a French electoral system designed to uphold establishment party power. The system features a two-round voting process, often resulting in alliances between the far-left, center-left, and so-called center-right that thwart populist candidates.

However, dissatisfaction with the political establishment is growing. A recent poll indicates that 56 percent of French citizens support establishing a new republic, ending the Fifth Republic that began in 1958. Additionally, 75 percent expressed a negative view of Macron, reflecting citizens’ increasing frustration with the current leadership.

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Marine Le Pen, leader of France's National Rally (RN) party, wants an early presidential election as President Emmanuel Macron appoints his fourth prime minister of 2024. Le Pen, speaking to Le Parisien, stressed "the fragility of Emmanuel Macron" and the limited institutional tools at his disposal. The 'Macronist' faction in the French legislature has had no working majority since a snap election in July. show more
November 19, 2024
World

Polish Prez Hopeful Vows Bitcoin Adoption if Elected.

Slawomir Mentzen, a candidate for the Polish presidency, has vowed to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve if elected in 2025. The announcement follows U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump’s proposal for a similar U.S. reserve. Mentzen, leading the New Hope party and co-leading the right-populist Konfederacja (Confederation) coalition, revealed his plan on November 17 on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Mentzen aims to transform Poland into a cryptocurrency-friendly nation with supportive regulatory frameworks, lower taxes, and banking assistance for digital currencies. This initiative positions cryptocurrency at the forefront of his presidential campaign, appealing particularly to younger voters and cryptocurrency advocates.

“Poland should create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. If I become the President of Poland, our country will become a cryptocurrency haven, with very friendly regulations, low taxes, and a supportive approach from banks and regulators,” he wrote, adding: “BTC to the Moon!”

Previously, Nayib Bukele’s El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as a legal tender in 2021.

Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who is aligned with the liberal globalist government; Speaker Szymon Hołownia, who is aligned with one of the government’s junior coalition partners; and former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who is of the former national conservative Law and Justice Party government, are also running for the Polish presidency in 2025. Polls indicate they have roughly equal support.

Mentzen’s appeal is significant among younger male voters, highlighted by a 2022 IPSOS survey showing that one-third of men under 40 would consider voting for his coalition. Confederation also performed well with younger voters in the European Parliament elections earlier this year—part of a populist shift taking place across many Western countries.

The Polish presidential elections are held in a two-round system. In the first round, candidates must win over 50 percent of the vote to win the presidency. Otherwise, the top two contenders face a runoff.

Image by thausj.

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Slawomir Mentzen, a candidate for the Polish presidency, has vowed to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve if elected in 2025. The announcement follows U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump's proposal for a similar U.S. reserve. Mentzen, leading the New Hope party and co-leading the right-populist Konfederacja (Confederation) coalition, revealed his plan on November 17 on X, formerly known as Twitter. show more
October 27, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Podcast

WATCH: Kassam on the Campaign, Populism, and People Power.

Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, has given a lengthy interview providing his thoughts on the state of the U.S. election campaign, the populist movement, and his journey into it. Speaking to Hearts of Oak podcast host Peter Mcilvenna, Kassam charted his journey from a youthful supporter of the Bill Clinton-like Tony Blair to a seasoned populist and his experiences with “locomotives of populism” like Donald Trump, Stephen K. Bannon, and Nigel Farage.

On the elections, Kassam said he senses that “we are on a winning course right now… despite [Trump’s] campaign leadership, not because of his campaign leadership.” He explained the turnaround is due in part to the fact that MAGA stalwarts such as Corey Lewandowski have been brought on board and given a greater role relative to the likes of Chris LaCivita, who was steering the campaign onto the rocks after the Democrats ousted Joe Biden in favor of Kamala Harris.

Harris herself is also given credit for the change in fortunes, with the public finding her more unlikeable the more they see of her: “She’s become almost as unpopular as Hillary Clinton—and I say ‘almost’ because America got to know Hillary Clinton really well for decades and decades. If they got to know Kamala as well as Hillary, she would be half as popular, if that,” he said. “She is just a fundamentally unlikeable person.”

PEOPLE POWER.

Speaking to imprisoned War Room host Stephen K. Bannon, a longtime friend and collaborator, Kassam argued that the great strength of the former White House chief strategist’s following is that it is “people-led.”

“He’s just the guy who’s conducting the orchestra; the musicians are the ordinary Americans out there… who are doing the heavy lifting in the communities every day, who are building these families and teaching their kids the right values,” he explained.

The fact Bannon has not been released already under the First Step Act, Kassam continued, is proof that the Democrats and their allies have gone beyond “weaponization” of the legal system, as they are “now breaking the law… to keep this man detained unlawfully.”

“It’s so far beyond a disgrace that I pray to God that, when Trump gets back in the White House, that there isn’t this 2016 mentality of, ‘We can reform some of these things; if we just send some nice Bush-era conservatives into these departments…’ This is like the Civil Service in the UK; they’re not interested in being reformed. You have to just get rid of them; you have to fire them,” he stressed.

However, Kassam’s number one piece of advice to the conservative movement is to take on Citizens United and “get big money out of politics.”

“The real threat to democracy is not Donald Trump or anything like that, it’s Corporate America,” he said.

WATCH:

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Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, has given a lengthy interview providing his thoughts on the state of the U.S. election campaign, the populist movement, and his journey into it. Speaking to Hearts of Oak podcast host Peter Mcilvenna, Kassam charted his journey from a youthful supporter of the Bill Clinton-like Tony Blair to a seasoned populist and his experiences with "locomotives of populism" like Donald Trump, Stephen K. Bannon, and Nigel Farage. show more