‘No Enemies to My Right’ Is Right-Wing Moral Relativism

The “no enemies to my right” ethos is the conservative mirror image of queer theory’s war on norms.

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About the Author

Julian is a columnist for Reality’s Last Stand and a member of the Braver Angels media team. He’s also the founder of Heal the West, a Substack movement dedicated to combating illiberalism via spiritual formation and rebuilding the American community.

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Last week, Politico published a bombshell report containing leaked text messages from several mid-level GOP operatives. These men and women referred to African Americans as “n**ga[s]” and as “monkey[s],” and praised Republicans they believed still supported slavery as “mega based.”

The revelations triggered a civil war on the right. Many conservatives condemned the operatives, and several of the operatives themselves apologized. But others refused to denounce them, invoking a “no enemies to my right” rule. Conservative commentator Matt Walsh summarized the logic of this view: “The Right doesn’t stick together. That’s our biggest problem by far. Conservatives are quick to denounce each other, jump on dogpiles, disavow, attack their allies.” When criticized for this mentality, Walsh doubled down: “Yes. We want to win.”

But there are several reasons why those of us who are not on the left should reject the “no enemies to my right” approach.