The Woke Right, Chrislam, and the Soul of MAGA with Karys Rhea

In this episode of Don't Know Much About, Naya Lekht sits down with political commentator and writer Karys Rhea to examine one of the most alarming developments in contemporary American politics: the emergence of the "Woke Right." Long before it became a topic of mainstream conservative concern, Rhea was tracking the identitarian, conspiratorial, and antisemitic currents quietly taking root within parts of the America First movement — and sounding the alarm. This conversation is essential listening for anyone trying to understand where the conservative movement is headed, and what's at stake if it loses its way.

About the Guest

Karys Rhea is an American political commentator, writer, and former producer for The Epoch Times and Newsmax. A writing fellow with the Middle East Forum and a Rising Leader at the Global Liberty Institute, she has become a prominent voice on Israel, antisemitism, and the ideological currents reshaping American politics. She is completing a book on right-wing identitarianism and the emerging "Chrislam" alliance, forthcoming from Wicked Son Publishing in 2026.

What We Cover

• What the "Woke Right" actually is — and why James Lindsay's term only scratches the surface
• How the Kanye West fiasco of 2022 was an early warning sign that conservatives largely ignored
• The role of America's enemies in amplifying real fractures within the MAGA movement
• Why a loud, vocal minority doesn't need to be a majority to shift culture and policy
• What "Chrislam" means — and why the growing Christian-Islamist alliance over shared hatred of Israel is one of the most disturbing developments on the right
• The danger of conspiratorialism as a gateway to antisemitism and anti-Western ideology
• Tucker Carlson's ideological evolution — and what it actually reveals about his political project
• Why censorship and deplatforming are the wrong tools for fighting this battle
• How right-wing identitarianism mirrors the same grievance-based logic of the left it claims to oppose
• The difference between the "October 8th Jew" and Jews who never substituted their Judaism for their politics

Links & Resources

• Follow Karys Rhea on X: @rheakarys
• Woke Right (forthcoming, Wicked Son Publishing, 2026)
• Middle East Forum: meforum.org
• Global Liberty Institute: globallibertyinstitute.org

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