You may have seen or heard some of the recent comments going around on the right. These are things that people have said at events like Turning Point or that important people like Tucker Carlson have said more and more often. These comments often come close to making direct accusations, but they clearly point to old lies about Jewish power, disloyalty, or secret coordination. Many people are confused by the reaction: why now and why here? Jews have been a big part of American life for a long time, and their role in public institutions hasn’t changed all of a sudden.

The ideological mood has changed. The return of these tropes is not random; it is a sign of something. To comprehend the resurgence, it is essential to focus less on the Jewish community and more on the evident tensions within modern nationalism.

Many of Donald Trump’s most devoted supporters hoped he would bring nationalism, but he never did. People like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Steve Bannon, Matt Gaetz, and a growing number of MAGA supporters wanted more than just anger or cultural provocation. They wanted a clear national vision that would tell them who belongs and who doesn’t, as well as why the country always seems to be out of whack. Instead, Trump gave people anger without a plan.

“America First” was more of a slogan than a philosophy. It stirred up anger without having to do the harder work of figuring out what it means to be an American in a diverse, globalized world. That avoidance has had serious effects. As the movement grows, it’s getting harder to ignore the difference between what nationalists want and what they actually get.

In response, “America First” has started to change into something sharper and more exclusive. More and more, it is being seen not........

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