Claremont Institute President Ryan P. Williams has refuted recent attacks by conservative blogger Erick Erickson on the think tank’s mission and leadership.
Erickson published an essay titled “The Midwestern Führerbunker Driving the Right Off a Cliff” on Substack, accusing Claremont of being influenced by Charles Haywood, founder of the Worthy House website, and other figures. The piece also criticized the Society for American Civic Renewal (SACR), Claremont’s journal, and Nick Fuentes.
Claremont Institute senior fellow Steve Hayward previously critiqued Erickson’s tactics as relying on guilt-by-association and selective citations. Williams noted that Erickson did not seek comment from parties he named and used AI to identify sources, many from hostile outlets.
Williams clarified that Claremont’s mission since its 1979 founding remains “to restore the principles of the American founding to their rightful, preeminent place in our national life.” He refuted four key claims:
– On Charles Haywood: The retired industrialist and philanthropist has donated to Claremont but his views on governance are distinct from the think tank’s position. Claremont supports institutions aligned with its mission.
– On SACR: The organization’s “unhyphenated Americans” requirement references Theodore Roosevelt’s 1915 call for immigrant assimilation and does not indicate racial bias, as SACR welcomes trinitarian Christian men of any race or ethnicity.
– On a published essay: Erickson mischaracterized Hillsdale College professor Kevin Slack’s 2023 article “The Constitution, Citizenship, and the New Right,” which describes conservative perspectives without advocating violence.
– On Nick Fuentes: Erickson falsely suggested coordination between Claremont members and Fuentes, though he acknowledges no such ties exist.
Williams also highlighted a recent event at Mount Vernon where Claremont colleagues honored Charles Kesler with the Salvatori Prize in the American Founding. “That work,” Williams stated, “is what Claremont is about—not the caricature in Erickson’s essay.”
