David French Schools Matt Walsh Over His Call for ‘No Enemies on the Right’

Screenshot via Daily Wire

Conservative New York Times columnist David French weighed in Thursday on the ongoing debate on the right about whether or not MAGA influencers should be policing hate speech within their own ranks.

The debate kicked off following a Politico article titled, “‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat.” The article led to widespread condemnation of the kind of rhetoric gripping factions of the MAGA world, but was also roundly dismissed by many, like Vice President JD Vance, who urged their supporters to focus their ire on the left and support a call for having “no enemies on the right.”

The debate also harks back to an earlier dustup on the right surrounding Megyn Kelly’s refusal to condemn Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens for repeatedly suggesting Charlie Kirk’s horrific murder was somehow linked to Israel or Jewish influence.

Daily Wire host Matt Walsh got in on the debate on Tuesday and wrote, “The Right doesn’t stick together. That’s our biggest problem by far. Conservatives are quick to denounce each other, jump on dogpiles, disavow, attack their allies.” He added:

I said a few weeks ago that we all need to band together in the wake of Charlie’s death and the answer I got back from a lot of people on the Right was, basically, no. Well okay then, guys. We’ll just lose instead. The Left will keep up the united front and defend their guys no matter what while we keep throwing each other to the wolves at every opportunity. Great plan.

A day later, Walsh defended his take, adding, “The Left actually wants me dead. Like specifically and personally. They’re the reason why I need security at my house. Why I worry for my children’s safety. We’ve had to make major changes to the way we live our daily lives to account for this danger. So when I say that I want to stop the in-fighting and unite against this threat, that’s the context. I’m sorry if the squabbles among right wingers just kind of pale in comparison for me. If you have the luxury to care more about that, I envy you. I truly do.”

French pulled no punches in replying to Walsh on Thursday, “The threats against Matt are reprehensible. He’s also describing the lives that many people have lived over the past years as a result of threats from the MAGA right. Election workers, school board members, journalists, etc. etc. all have faced an avalanche of threats from MAGA.” French added:

But that doesn’t mean that you adopt a pose of “no enemies to my left,” just as receiving threats from the left doesn’t mean that you should declare that you have no enemies to the right.

Instead, you speak the truth as best as you can discern it, condemn all kinds of terrible behavior (regardless of the source), and you don’t let the threats from the worst of the worst to twist your own soul into hating everyone on the other side.

Conservative radio host Erick Erickson commented on French’s argument, “David is right about this. I’ve had to have armed guards at my house and have to travel with security now because of threats from the left, but we’ve also had armed guards at our house and had to travel with security because of threats from the right.” He added:

My son got beat up and my daughter given a guide on how to commit suicide prepared for her by her classmates in 2016, who reasoned that if she killed herself, I might see the light and support Trump.

I’ve been yelled at in the airport *while peeing* by progressives more than once, including the day after the 2024 election. We had alphabet gang activists pull into our driveway more than once and throw crap in our yard. I’ve seen the hate from both sides and we should not try to accommodate from our own side, but excise it.

Below are some additional comments on the debate:

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