Prominent right-wing figures have their claws out and pointed at … each other?
Oliver Willis at Daily Kos:
Right-wing podcaster and co-founder of The Daily Wire Ben Shapiro lashed out at his fellow conservatives Friday—the latest in a series of high-profile conflicts between conservative media personalities. Shapiro’s diatribe came in response to reports of problems at his company, which launched several years ago with lofty ambitions of being a conservative answer to “woke” media. The Daily Wire has seen a recent mass layoff of 13% of its workforce, and the Washington Post characterized the problems facing the company as a “MAGA meltdown” in which the “‘anti-woke’ company faces contentious layoffs, ideological battles, and dwindling relevance online.”
[...]
The Daily Wire’s audience has reportedly shifted away from Shapiro’s brand of conservatism, which has been more affiliated with the pre-MAGA right—though he has often shilled for President Donald Trump—in favor of Trump-friendly pundits and outlets. For example, when news of The Daily Wire layoffs first hit last week, Kelly called out Shapiro for openly criticizing other conservatives and apparently being too closed-minded about what conservatism should be. But what’s happening is even more contentious than simple infighting. Right-wing media had a sense of unity and purpose under Democratic presidents, like Barack Obama and Joe Biden. But in Trump’s second term, they’re finding it hard to keep up the sustained attacks against Democrats while also making excuses for Trump’s increasingly unpopular policies.
[...] Figures like Shapiro, Owens, the Kirks, and Carlson, as well as outlets like The Daily Wire and Fox News have also made millions of dollars in the process. The increasingly extreme beliefs among the right—and the need to constantly one-up each other—have reached a natural end point, with figures like Fuentes gaining a foothold within the Republican Party. Meanwhile, figures like Shapiro have realized that, outside of the right-wing media bubble, this is a bad look, and he would prefer a more mainstream form of bigotry to dominate the right. Without their pro-Trump unity to bind them, right-wing media is breaking apart. But at least the fissures have become an entertaining spectacle as some of the worst people in the world tear each other down.
The Daily Wire’s empire is sinking fast, as its modus operandi under Ben Shapiro is focusing on pre-Trump era conservatism updated for the 2020s isn’t extreme enough for certain MAGA-aligned conservatives.
