A faction on the right is adopting the language of oppression and victimhood, creating a "woke right." If mainstream conservatives fail to reject this identitarian fringe, they risk polluting their entire movement and losing the support of the moderate majority, repeating the same mistake that damaged the left.

Charlie Kirk's political power grew by strategically positioning himself as a direct opponent to the "woke movement" and "cancel culture" on college campuses. This narrative was highly effective in persuading conservative donors that his confrontational approach was a necessary fight, turning cultural discourse into a powerful fundraising mechanism.

A fringe element of the political right is beginning to mirror the 'woke left' by adopting similar tactics. This includes a focus on identity-based victimhood narratives and a preference for destroying and deplatforming opponents rather than engaging them in genuine debate.

Contrary to the popular narrative of left-wing "cancel culture," data shows a dramatic political reversal in campus censorship attempts since 2020. Today, as many as 80% of cases targeting student and faculty speech are driven by right-wing political efforts and state legislation.

Laws prohibiting "divisive concepts" and increasing parental oversight create a climate of fear. To protect their jobs, teachers avoid controversial topics, leading them to intentionally "keep it vague, default to bland"—in short, to teach poorly.

John McWhorter argues that while the "peak woke" moment in general society has passed, the ideology has become so deeply rooted in academia and the arts that it's likely "ruined for the duration." The core tenets are passed down through graduate programs and hiring practices, making them difficult to dislodge.

After being expelled from the BC Conservative Party, politician Dallas Brody co-founded a new party, only to be temporarily thrown out of it as well. She attributes this to a "woke right" faction that, in her view, mirrors the progressive left's tactics of enforcing ideological purity and punishing dissent.

The disruption to the U.S. biomedical research ecosystem is not necessarily a targeted reform of science itself. Instead, it's viewed by many as 'collateral damage' in a larger political culture war against universities and perceived 'woke leftist ideologies,' with NIH funding being used as leverage.

The hosts argue that movements against "wokeness," often championed by self-proclaimed classical liberals, create a moral panic that results in extreme actions. This can lead to unintended consequences like censoring classical philosophy, which then surprises the movement's originators.