What happened
The Claremont Institute has responded to an essay by conservative blogger Erick Erickson, which criticized the institute and some of its fellows and donors. The essay, titled "The Midwestern Führerbunker Driving the Right Off a Cliff," was published on Substack and accused the Claremont Institute of being driven off course by some of its associates.
Claremont Institute senior fellow Steve Hayward published a response, criticizing Erickson's tone, tactics, and substance. Hayward argued that Erickson relied on guilt-by-association smears and innuendo, and that his citations often came from untrustworthy sources.
The Claremont Institute also published a response, clarifying its mission and correcting what it saw as errors and misinterpretations in Erickson's essay. The institute stated that its mission remains the same as when it was founded in 1979: to restore the principles of the American founding to their rightful place in national life.
The institute also addressed specific claims made by Erickson, including his criticism of donor Charles Haywood and his characterization of an essay published in the American Mind. The institute argued that Erickson had cherry-picked quotes and taken them out of context to stoke outrage, and that his presentation was meant to leave readers with a false impression of the institute and its associates.
