Overview of The future of MAGA is... Nixon?
Vox’s Today, Explained examines why some younger conservatives and MAGA-aligned thinkers are revisiting Richard Nixon as a political model. The episode argues that Nixon’s legacy is being reframed less as “the Watergate president” and more as a fierce anti-liberal culture warrior who can serve as a template for preserving Trumpism after Donald Trump leaves the stage.
Why Nixon is being rehabilitated
The episode explains that figures on the right — including J.D. Vance and activist Christopher Rufo — are praising Nixon because:
- He is seen as a symbol of resistance to the liberal establishment
- He reportedly wanted to centralize power and use the presidency aggressively
- He can be cast as a martyr, wrongly destroyed by hostile media and institutions
- He offers a way to extend Trump-era politics beyond Trump himself
In this framing, “Nixon-maxing” is about building a new right-wing narrative: one that treats Nixon not as a warning, but as a model.
Watergate, briefly explained
The episode walks through the core facts of Watergate and why Nixon’s downfall mattered:
- After the Pentagon Papers leak, Nixon authorized the creation of the “plumbers” unit
- That group carried out illegal break-ins and political espionage, including the burglary at the Democratic National Committee offices in the Watergate complex
- The scandal expanded in 1973 when it became clear Nixon and his aides were involved in the cover-up
- The famous line is that Watergate was not just about the crime, but the cover-up
- Nixon’s approval rating collapsed, and impeachment became likely, leading to his resignation in 1974
The traditional view is that Watergate showed the system working: Congress, the courts, the press, and the public held a corrupt president accountable.
What the episode says conservatives are getting wrong
Historian Michael Koncewicz argues that today’s right-wing Nixon revival misunderstands both Nixon and Watergate.
Nixon was not a conventional conservative
Nixon is described as:
- A “liberal Republican” in some policy areas
- Supportive of ideas like price controls, affirmative action, industrial policy, and even universal health care
- A politician who was often more interested in state power and control than free-market conservatism
So the appeal is not classic conservatism. It is authoritarian-style political aggression combined with anti-establishment resentment.
Watergate is being reinterpreted
The episode suggests some conservatives want to weaken the lesson of Watergate by arguing that:
- The scandal was exaggerated
- Nixon was unfairly targeted by elites
- Political institutions are always weaponized against the right
That reinterpretation matters because it could make future scandals around Trump-like figures easier to dismiss.
Jonah Goldberg’s argument on the future of conservatism
Conservative commentator Jonah Goldberg says Nixon appeals to the post-Reagan right because he fits the movement’s current priorities better than Reagan does.
Why Nixon fits the new right
Goldberg says today’s right is increasingly attracted to:
- Protectionism
- Industrial policy
- Using federal power to reward allies and punish enemies
- Culture-war politics
- A more hostile view of universities, media, and elites
That makes Nixon a more useful avatar than Reagan for people who want to preserve Trump-style politics.
Why J.D. Vance matters
The episode argues that many MAGA stakeholders see Vance as the likeliest vehicle for continuing Trumpism after Trump:
- He is positioned as a Trump successor
- He can help institutionalize Trump-era instincts
- He is being promoted as someone who can unify the movement after Trump
But Goldberg cautions that this is not inevitable. He argues that:
- MAGA is unified mainly around Trump personally
- Once Trump exits, the coalition could fracture
- Vance may be the preferred heir among elites, but not necessarily among voters
Main takeaway
The episode’s central point is that Nixon’s revival is less about historical accuracy than about building a political future for the post-Trump right. By recasting Nixon as a culture-war hero and anti-liberal martyr, some conservatives hope to create a durable ideology that outlasts Trump and legitimizes more aggressive uses of state power.
Notable ideas from the episode
- “Nixon is a martyr for the cause.”
- The goal is to turn Nixon into a symbol of anti-establishment conservatism
- The real project is not nostalgia — it is succession planning for MAGA
- Watergate remains important because it represents a time when institutions were strong enough to stop a president
Bottom line
This episode argues that the right’s Nixon revival is a strategic move: a way to preserve the emotional energy of Trumpism, give it historical cover, and prepare for a post-Trump Republican Party led by figures like J.D. Vance.