The 25 conservatives actually worth following on Twitter

Yes, they exist

By Taylor Link

Published October 14, 2017 8:30AM (EDT)


Liberals in shock over the the 2016 election were prescribed a heavy dose of reality. "Get out of your bubble," the doctors note illegibly read.

It was a hard truth for the American left. They found out the U.S. was not as progressive as originally thought. Their steady diet of MSNBC and left-wing op-eds only reinforced biases and preconceived beliefs. The country's actual, collective tilt wholly evaded them.

One recommended solution: Search out opposing points of view. Turn on Fox News every once in a while; follow more conservative voices on Twitter. This would be an honorable endeavor for liberals, if it didn't expose them to pure lunacy on a regular basis.

With every right-wing follow added on Twitter, liberals inched closer to the likes of Mike Cernovich and Jack Posobiec appearing on their "who to follow" suggestions. A few brave liberals likely made the leap and added Cernvovich and Posobeic to their timeline, only to find their feeds polluted by offensive nonsense.

But what if we told you there are 25 conservatives actually worth following on Twitter? What if we said that there are conservatives that not only dislike President Trump, but also engage in a level of ideological introspection that has surpassed most liberals? Wouldn't you have to check them out?

Well, here they are, the 25 must-follow conservatives on Twitter. Give them a look and a follow if you want to get a view outside of your liberal bubble for a moment or two.

 

kilgore-trout-gateway
Kilgore Trout [pseudonym], @KT_So_It_Goes
Kilgore Trout "is trapped somewhere in a large corporation where he officially has no controversial opinions on anything." That's what his bio says for the National Review anyway. In actuality, KT is one of the most reliable personalities on Twitter, offering fierce takes on Trump and the movement he has engendered. Take, for example, his pinned tweet:

A quick scroll down KT's Twitter feed reveals a smart commentator and a biting humorist. He is quick to identify hypocrisy and the absurdity of this presidency.

Moreover, he is ruthless in his quest to hold Trump and Republicans accountable.

KT is one of the few conservatives who abandoned the nonstop left-versus-right bickering, devoting his full attention to the party in power and the president who feebly leads it.

atticus-goldfinch-gateway
Atticus Goldfinch [pseudonym], @AtticusGF
Atticus Goldfinch refers to himself as a "reform conservative." He's a critic who recognized the virus pervading right-wing politics — also known as conservative media. Most recently, he led the charge against The Daily Wire's "satirical" video on Columbus Day.

Goldfinch went on an epic, righteous rant about the racist video, declaring it a microcosm of conservative media's follies.

Goldfinch's campaign yielded the desire result. Shapiro took down the video and acknowledged it was inappropriate. Goldfinch later expressed his gratitude for the decision.

 

tim-carlson-gateway
Tim Carlson, @thecivilcomment
A Christian first and a conservative second, Tim Carlson prefers to let his religious beliefs guide his principles (unlike some other high-profile conservatives). Carlson has been an active voice on issues of race and inequality and has appropriately combated the white-nationalist movement fermenting on the right.

For liberal Christians who wonder how some of their fellow parishioners could actively support Trump, Carlson is a strong counter presence on Twitter that provides hope.

tim-miller-gateway

Tim Miller, @Timodc
A straight shooter respected on both sides, Miller is a former campaign staffer for Jeb Bush and now is a "token" conservative columnist for Crooked Media. Miller's fight against Trump did not end with Bush's failed campaign, however, as he has become a go-to pundit representing the never-Trump movement.

Miller hasn't entirely deserted the Republican Party. He still advocates portions of the right-wing platform. But he also understands that Trump will probably fail to deliver on most of this agenda. Miller frequently mocks Trump and his supporters for the president's juvenile behavior, making him a worthy follow on Twitter.

 

ana-navarro-gateway

Ana Navarro, @ananavarro‏
Ana Navarro is a Florida-based Republican politico who is now a frequent contributor on CNN. She is one of the few TV talking heads who does not toe the party line on every issue. Navarro is an outspoken proponent of immigration and LGBT causes. She also believes in climate change. She is most known, however, for her blunt criticism of Trump and his ex-consigliere, Steve Bannon.

Navarro is a prominent fixture on CNN panels, but she somehow always finds time to entertain her Twitter followers, offering liberals and conservatives alike intelligent commentary on the news of the day. Oh, and she isn't afraid to attack those who don't practice what they preach.

 

richard-w-painter-gateway

Richard W. Painter, @RWPUSA
The Trump administration has been a blessing (or perhaps a curse) for lawyers specializing in ethics. Richard Painter is a legal professor at the University of Minnesota and was the chief White House ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration. On Twitter, Painter is a staunch advocate for the rule of law and is responsible for some of the most viral tweets about the wrongdoings of the Trump administration.

When he isn't educating his followers on legal and government ethics, Painter displays his wit and his contempt for Trump.

More importantly, however, Painter is one of the few conservatives on Twitter who appreciates the grave and present danger Trump poses to American democracy. If a liberal is looking for a moderate, nonpartisan voice, they can't go wrong with Painter.

 

jennifer-rubin-gateway

Jennifer Rubin, @JRubinBlogger ‏
Jennifer Rubin is a noted conservative blogger for The Washington Post. She has entered the limelight over the last 10 months because of her devoted opposition to Trump and his misfit crew of advisers.

Rubin often links to her work on Twitter, so, for a more nuanced look at the issues of the day, Rubin is a necessary follow.

 

ben-gateway

Ben Howe, @BenHowe
2017 must be strange times for Ben Howe, a conservative writer at Red State. Howe was one of the notable never-Trumpers during the 2016 election — to the dismay of many of his readers. Howe frequently engages in back-and-forths with his Trump-supporting followers, who usually accuse him of being a RINO. Regardless, Howe is a dependable critic of Trump, and refuses to mince his words. 

 

brandt-gateway

Brandt [pseudonym], @UrbanAchievr
Brandt, like Goldfinch, moonlights as a critic of right-wing media. He is particularly adept at holding ultra-conservative website The Federalist's feet to the fire.

Beyond his condemnations of The Federalist, Brandt takes shots at his fellow conservatives, especially those who do not apply their beliefs uniformly.

There's also no love lost between Brandt and Trump. He has thrown the "fascist" label around from time to time.



popehat-gateway

Ken White, @Popehat
Ken White is a lawyer who respects the Constitution more than politicians. While White is a strong Trump detractor, he also fairly criticizes liberals whenever he believes they have lost their way. White, commonly known as Popehat, is a loyal advocate of free speech and does not think highly of campus protests that strive to shut down conservative commentary. In short, he provides needed perspective for some liberals.

Even though White is not an apologist of the left, he does enjoy his First Amendment rights by ridiculing Trump and his supporters, usually with a hint of sarcasm thrown into the mix.

 

haley-byrd-gateway

Haley Byrd, @byrdinator
A congressional reporter for the Independent Journal Review, Haley Byrd's Twitter game ranks up there with the best of them. When she's not tracking down members of Congress, she's usually cracking jokes on everybody's favorite social media platform.

 

josh-jordan-gateway

Josh Jordan, @NumbersMuncher
Josh Jordan has written for the National Review and Real Clear Politics, but his best outlet has to be Twitter. The conservative is no fan of liberals or Trump. But, fortunately for liberals, he directs much of his ire at the president.

 

bill-kristol-gateway

Bill Kristol, @BillKristol
Bill Kristol's presence on this list may not go over well with some on the left. After all, it was he who helped bring about the neoconservative agenda during the Bush years. And his hawkish stance on foreign policy rarely meshes with liberals.

Yet no one can deny that Kristol has been a steadfast Trump critic. His tweets about the commander-in-chief spell out in plain terms how dangerous Trump can be.

 

john-weaver-gateway

John Weaver, @JWGOP
John Weaver was a strategist for John McCain and John Kasich before becoming a CNN contributor. He might be the only Republican who has fought for and defended the Affordable Care Act. He constantly uses his platform on Twitter to shine a light on how the Trump administration is sabotaging health care in America.

Weaver's disgust in the president is immediately evident, making him a must follow for liberals.

 

tom-nichols-gateway

Tom Nichols, @RadioFreeTom
Tom Nichols is a military scholar at the Naval War College and Harvard Extension. He authored a book called "The Death of Expertise," which has become increasingly relevant this past year.

From a national security perspective, Nichols has been all over Trump's amateurism.

He also hits Trump for his general incompetence.

 

allah-pundit-gateway

Allahpundit [pseudonym], @allahpundit
Allahpundit has been a staple in political blogging for years. Jon Stewart notoriously relied on him for his analysis and commentary for "The Daily Show."

While Allahpundit shares most of his opinions in the blog at HotAir, he does from time to time strike gold on Twitter.

 

kat-timpf-gateway

Kat Timpf, @KatTimpf
Fox News host Kat Timpf wears her libertarianism on her sleeve. The pundit also gives Fox viewers an even-handed look at the state of politics in 2017.

 

stuart-stevens-gateway
Stuart Stevens, @stuartpstevens‏
Stuart Stevens was an adviser for Mitt Romney and now serves as a political consultant. He is largely recognized as one of the most influential conservatives on Twitter. Like the rest of the conservatives on this list, he keeps a close eye on Trump and swiftly denounces him whenever he slips up.

 

noah-rothman-gateway

Noah Rothman, @NoahCRothman
An editor at Commentary magazine, Rothman has become a regular guest on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." Rothman takes swings at the left from time to time, believing that liberals too often become culture warriors. Nevertheless, Rothman is a worthy Twitter follow because he explains how impotent Trump is policy wise.

 

jay-caruso-gateway

Jay Caruso, @JayCaruso
When Jay Caruso is not tweeting about the Second Amendment, liberals will find his opinions palatable. The editorial writer for the Dallas Morning News is obviously conservative, but he does not allow that to affect his judgment of Trump. For those interested in what the other side has to say, Caruso's account is a dependable telescope.

 

rick-wilson-gateway

Rick Wilson, @TheRickWilson ‏
Rick Wilson is a media specialist for Republicans and a columnist for The Daily Beast. He's also one of Trump's biggest foils on Twitter. Wilson loves to taunt the president, making him a joy to follow.

 

s-e-cupp-gateway

S.E. Cupp, @secupp
The Host of "SE Cupp Unfiltered" on HLN, S.E. Cupp is a conservative commentator who made a name for herself during the 2016 elections. Cupp does not hide her partisanship on Twitter, but she does not hide her loathing of Trump either.

 

john-podhoretz-gateway

John Podhoretz, @jpodhoretz
The conservative columnist for the New York Post and editor of Commentary magazine, John Podhoretz can be ornery for sure. But he's admittedly very smart and hosts a great podcast with Rothman and Abe Greenwald. He's also not bad at Twitter.

 

david-frum-gateway

David Frum, @davidfrum
Like Bill Kristol, most liberals still want David Frum to disappear in a cloud of smoke. Nevertheless, the neoconservative political commentator and senior editor at the Atlantic has become somewhat of a professional roaster of Trump on Twitter.

 

stuart-stevens-gateway

Stephen Hayes, @stephenfhayes
For the editor-in-chief of a conservative magazine (The Weekly Standard), Stephen Hayes calls it like it is.


By Taylor Link

MORE FROM Taylor Link