National Review
U.S. right (traditional conservative)
Background
William F. Buckley Jr. founded National Review in 1955 with the mission, in his words, to stand 'athwart history, yelling Stop.' The magazine fused free-market capitalism, anti-communism, and social traditionalism into a coherent intellectual conservatism that influenced the Republican Party for decades. It played a defining role in shaping the conservative movement that elected Ronald Reagan in 1980. Rich Lowry became editor in chief in 1997 and has held the role since. In 2015, the publication reorganized under the National Review Institute, making donations to its parent tax-deductible. That same year, NR published its notable 'Against Trump' issue during the 2016 Republican primaries, calling Trump a 'philosophically unmoored political opportunist' — a position that put it at odds with much of the Republican base. After Trump's victories in 2016 and 2024, the magazine gradually shifted from outright opposition to a more ambivalent posture, criticizing specific policies like broad tariffs while avoiding sustained anti-Trump campaigning. Observers have characterized this stance as 'anti-anti-Trump' — neither a cheerleader for MAGA nor a principled opponent of it.
Sources
- National Review – Wikipedia
- National Review – Ballotpedia
- National Review Institute – Influence Watch
- National Review Institute – ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
- National Review Media Bias Rating – AllSides
- National Review – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
- 'The Most Exquisite Daily Display of Republicans Who Are Still Trying to Act Normal Under Trump' – Slate
- William F. Buckley Jr. – Wikipedia
Profile compiled 2026-06-25; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.