Scholars have come to realize that we are witnessing the end of liberal progressivism. Dr. Steve Turley, who goes by the moniker of “Patriotic Professor,” stated, “The era of the Left is over. Our era – the age of faith, family, and freedom – is just beginning.”
On the evening of February 21, 2026, Dr. Turley was invited to speak at the Lincoln Day Dinner hosted by the Republican Committee of Kent County in Dover, Delaware. He delivered a speech analyzing the rise of nationalism, the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement, and the collapse of globalist elites to around three hundred conservative individuals present.
With over one million YouTube subscribers, Dr. Turley is one of the fastest-growing hosts on conservative news commentary platforms and has authored more than twenty books.
Dr. Turley first referenced a report by The New York Times from last August regarding the decline in registered Democratic voters. Between 2020 and 2024, 2.1 million registered Democratic voters disappeared across 30 states in the US while the Republican Party added 2.4 million registered voters. He pointed out the continuous decline of registered Democratic voters in recent years and the significant growth of the Republican Party, indicating a reshaping of the political landscape in America and beyond. He argued that the era of liberal progressivism has “completely collapsed” in the US and worldwide.
He cited examples such as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takashi advocating for nationalist reforms similar to President Trump’s policies of defending national sovereignty, cracking down on immigration, preserving traditional families, and reducing taxes. He also mentioned the rise of nationalist forces like Argentine President Javier Milei known for radical reforms, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV), the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), and conservative politicians like Karol Nawrocki in Poland, who staunchly promote de-communization, defend Polish national history, and uphold strong nationalist conservative stances.
Dr. Turley believed this wave to be one of “civilizational populism,” representing people’s dissatisfaction and backlash against globalist elites.
“In the United States, we are witnessing the revival of the Constitution, especially the reinvigoration of the rights granted by the Second Amendment,” he stated. “The world has witnessed the most remarkable political revival in American history.” Trump’s emergence in 2016 among sixteen Republican candidates and his reelection in 2024 symbolized a challenge to globalism, signifying a return to true democratic participation after decades of false globalist consensus.
He emphasized that this movement is not authoritarian but sovereign. People worldwide are reclaiming the power to self-govern based on their own civilization values rather than submitting to transnational liberal global elites who were neither elected nor held accountable.
Dr. Turley believed that the current focus of debate lies in “identity politics.” Progressives emphasize liberation and identity politics, advocating for specific groups, especially non-citizens, while demonizing half of Americans. Conservatives welcome all Americans, emphasizing religion, family, history, and cultural heritage.
He pointed out that on the progressive left, identity politics are driven by liberationists and radical racists. Liberationists include feminists, LGBT activists, while the latter includes movements like “Black Lives Matter” and “La Raza.” In contrast, for conservatives, “identity means the inheritance of civilizational belonging, nationality, religion, family, historical memory, and the moral ecology that makes orderly freedom possible. All of this is to make America great again.”
Dr. Turley also mentioned the “awakening movement” as “political poison.” Polls showed that half of the left also disagreed with awakening issues such as transgender ideology in schools and critical race theory. “This means that there are now more people than ever opposed to awakening issues. The awakening movement is purely political suicide.”
Looking at demographics, Dr. Turley pointed out that liberals are gradually diminishing while conservative families have higher fertility rates. “Conservative women today have a fertility rate 30% higher than liberal women. Children raised in conservative faith usually inherit their parents’ conservative beliefs, continuing into adulthood.” Demographer Eric Kaufmann predicted as early as 2013 that by 2030, the cultural war pendulum would noticeably shift towards conservatives.
He mentioned having lived in Delaware for over twenty years and highlighted the voter registration trends over the past year. From September 2024 to December 2025, the number of registered Democratic voters in Delaware decreased from 351,000 to approximately 330,000, a decrease of about 20,000. The number of Republican voters remained relatively stable, slightly decreasing from about 205,000 to 201,000, a decrease of about 4,000.
Dr. Turley believed that “liberal populations are naturally shrinking, while conservative populations are continuously growing.” He once again reminded everyone to recognize the profound transformation that global politics is currently undergoing.