- Miriam and Sheldon Adelson
- Walter Williams
- JD Vance
- Matt Walsh
- Bill O’Reilly
A personal favorite of mine who didn’t make the list is William F. Buckley Jr. He’d certainly deserve inclusion on the “Top Conservatives of the Last 50 Years” — or “Top Conservatives of the Last 100 Years” — but since he died in 2008, his impact between 2000 and 2025 was too limited. (Plus, the current incarnation of National Review isn’t exactly required reading for today’s conservatives, thus kneecapping Buckley’s post-death impact.)
I met Buckley in the 1990s: He gave a speech at a nearby college (Virginia Tech), and before his lecture, Buckley went out for dinner and drinks. (Which, for Buckley, meant drinks and drinks.) He must’ve downed double-digit cocktails… but his speech was perfect. No stuttering, stammering, or slurring whatsoever; he was quick-witted and devastatingly funny. (But I did notice he was gripping pretty tightly to the podium, presumably for balance.) And once his speech was over, Buckley hastily retreated to the VIP suite for the “meet-and-greet”… and immediately started drinking again.
Of all the big names who failed to make the list, Buckley’s absence is the most glaring. I really wish I could’ve found a way to include the Godfather of the Modern Conservative Movement.
Nonetheless…
20. Ron DeSantis
Why Is He on the List: He’s America’s most accomplished conservative governor and the man who transformed the quintessential “swing state” of Florida into another GOP stronghold, à la Texas. He’s a two-term governor from the third-largest state in the union — and he’s still only 46 years old. His best years and “political prime” are probably still ahead of him.
His 2022 reelection victory was the most lopsided Florida gubernatorial election in 40 years. By turning Florida into a rock-solid, ruby-red Republican juggernaut, he completely changed American politics on a national level: The Sunshine State ain’t the home of dangling chads no mo’. Instead, Texas, Florida, the South, the Southwest, and the Rust Belt are now the heart of the new GOP coalition.
DeSantis’ biggest misstep was challenging Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. His awkwardness on the campaign trail cost him prestige and status, but it wasn’t a mortal wound. He’s still one of the smartest, most capable conservatives in America, and under his leadership, Florida has emerged as the GOP’s counterbalance to West Coast insanity, especially during the COVID lockdowns.
19. Elon Musk
Why Is He on the List: His purchase of Twitter/X, his defense of free speech, and his courageous opposition to “the liberal mind-virus” led him to embrace the MAGA movement. Well, at least for a little while.
He’s not a true conservative. For most of the last 25 years, he was a liberal darling: The real-life Tony Stark who was gonna save the planet with his electric cars! And if Musk follows through with his third-party threats, it’s unlikely he’ll make this list in the future.
Or is it? (More in a sec.)
As of right now, the enormity of Musk’s impact on modern conservatism is impossible to discount. More than anyone else, he fought — and paid a gargantuan price for — his belief in free speech and his insistence on fiscal responsibility. With one, he alienated the left; with the other, he split from MAGA.
Musk is impulsive, emotional, arrogant, and immature. But he’s not stupid, and he’s not a coward. If he can actually figure out a way to financially pressure politicians into adopting sane fiscal policies, then perhaps he will make this list in the future — and possibly even make #1. Bet against him at your own peril.
He’s transforming himself into a real-life Ayn Rand character.
18. Glenn Beck
Why Is He on the List: He’s the Godfather of the Tea Party movement and was one of the first conservative media stars to fully embrace alternative media. Glenn Beck’s star is no longer on the rise. He probably reached the high point of his celebrity during the Obama years. But for a good portion of the last 25 years, Beck was a legit top-three conservative personality and/or newsmaker. In many ways, the Tea Party movement that Beck spearheaded was V1 of the MAGA movement: Everyday Americans were suddenly inspired to make a difference.
But his long-term impact was launching TheBlaze (currently known as Blaze Media). When he walked away from Fox News, he trailed only Bill O’Reilly in popularity. Without an iota of hyperbole, he was one of the biggest names in conservative media. So, he took a chance, tried to monetize his celebrity, and see if an alternative outlet could gain traction.
How’s he doing? Hard to say: Private companies aren’t transparent.
Whether or not TheBlaze succeeds, Beck’s impact will continue to reverberate: He created the model that future right-leaning personalities, including Megyn Kelly, Bill O’Reilly — and, perhaps most noticeably, Ben Shapiro and The Daily Wire — have emulated. Without the rise of alternative media, it’s unlikely Trump would’ve won in 2024.
It was an absolute game-changer.
17. Pat Buchanan
Why Is He on the List: Pat Buchanan was “America First” before “America First” was cool. Pre-Trump, I don’t think Buchanan would’ve had a prayer of making this list: His big moment was way back in 1992, when he led a grassroots challenge to then-President George H. W. Bush, after Bush the Elder broke his “read my lips” promise. Since then, other than the occasional book, newspaper column, or “Crossfire” TV appearance, we haven’t seen too much of Buchanan.
But somehow, Buchanan’s impact has not only endured; it’s dramatically grown: His economic theories and/or social grievances have become the basis of today’s MAGA movement. It’s why outlets like Politico ran stories claiming “Trump Is Pat Buchanan With Better Timing.”
Pat Buchanan is a difficult man to critique. For the majority of the last 25 years, he wasn’t anywhere close to a top-25 thinker, influencer, newsmaker, or policy guru. Honestly, he was considered a relic. But lo and behold, look where we are today: Trump is in the White House — and many of the key MAGA tenets can trace their lineage directly back to Buchanan.
That’s a helluva legacy!
And based on that criterion, listing him at “just” 17 is probably too low.
16. Sameul Alito
Why Is He on the List: For 19 of the last 25 years, he's been a rock-solid conservative on the Supreme Court, an unapologetic defender of “practical originalism,” and wrote the decision that FINALLY aborted Roe v. Wade. In modern America, life-and-death decisions aren’t only made by the executive and legislative branches: For much of the 20th century, liberal activists have hijacked the courts to enact legislation that couldn’t be passed democratically.
This has forced conservatives to double down on judicial nominees. No more David Souters — justices who “go native” the moment they receive their lifetime appointments. Instead, we needed conservative judicial warriors who’d stay true to their conservative principles — even if it cost ‘em an invite to a hoity-toity cocktail party.
Enter Samuel Alito.
He wasn’t President George W. Bush’s first choice. That was actually ex-White House counsel Harriet Miers. Bush didn’t pivot to Alito until there was bipartisan pushback, leading Miers to ask the president to withdraw her nomination.
No matter: Alito might’ve not been Bush’s first choice, but for conservatives, it might’ve been the best, most consequential decision Bush ever made. Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, there have been approximately 63.6 million babies aborted in America. Alito’s decision has already saved millions of lives and transformed our country.
Tomorrow: Numbers 15 through 11.
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