Identity politics has become the Left’s favorite weapon. They carve America into endless little tribes like Critical Race Theory (CRT) activists, LGBTQ lobbyists, feminist crusaders, Occupy protestors, and whatever new acronym pops up next. Their strategy is simple: divide, label, and pit one group against another. The more fragmented society becomes, the easier it is for them to consolidate political power.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth—some on the Right are falling into the same trap.
How the Left Wins with Labels
The Left thrives on labeling. If you disagree with them, they slap a tag on you: racist, sexist, transphobic, extremist. Meanwhile, their favored groups get treated as untouchable. This divide-and-conquer tactic has been effective because it reduces people to categories instead of individuals.
CRT insists your value is tied to skin color. Feminism claims women are oppressed victims in need of rescuing by government policy. The LGBTQ lobby turns sexual orientation into a political weapon. Each label comes with built-in grievances and a demand for endless government intervention.
It’s toxic, it’s exhausting, and it’s tearing the country apart.
This week Democrats have defended:
Dr. Satan Bondage.
Venezuelan narco-terrorists.
A vicious, nasty rumor that Trump died.
Dozens of murders in Chicago.
All these things hurt you. But Democrats don’t care. Because Democrats hate you.
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) September 4, 2025
And while more Americans are waking up to how destructive this is for all of us, the practice hasn’t disappeared. In fact, it’s creeping into our own ranks, tempting the Right to mirror the very same thinking we once rejected.
The Right’s Risk of Copying the Same Tactic
Unfortunately, the Right isn’t immune. Too often, we hear MAGA voters lumped together as if they’re some kind of fringe cult. Or, evangelicals are painted as a single block of religious extremists locked in culture wars. Even within conservatism, there’s finger-pointing and factionalism: libertarians versus populists, hawks versus isolationists, moderates versus hardliners.
Sound familiar? It should because that’s the exact same playbook the Left uses.
When conservatives start splintering into rigid identity groups, we stop being a movement rooted in principles and start being a collection of tribes. That’s not the foundation of a strong America—it’s the beginning of our own unraveling.
What Happened to Being Just Americans?
Think back to what truly unites us. We pledge allegiance to the flag, not to a subgroup. We share the same Constitution, not a set of hyphenated identities. Our strength has always been the idea of E Pluribus Unum—out of many, one.
Yes, political parties exist for a reason. Republicans and Democrats will always draw lines on policy. But there’s a difference between having political parties and slicing the country into endless identity groups. Parties compete on ideas. Identity politics competes on resentment.
If we keep going down this path, we’ll end up fighting over who gets the bigger grievance trophy instead of fighting for freedom.
Identity Politics Weakens the Culture War
Look at today’s culture wars. Instead of talking about shared values—family, freedom, faith—we get bogged down in subgroup battles. Evangelicals are told they only care about abortion. MAGA voters are told they only care about Trump. Parents at school board meetings are branded as extremists for daring to speak up.
The problem is not that these groups don’t matter—it’s that they’re treated as if they exist in isolation. When conservatives play along, we reinforce the Left’s narrative that we’re all just categories, not citizens.
But we don’t need to fight identity with more identity. We need to fight identity with unity.
Time to Revisit “Protected Classes”
Another piece of the puzzle is the idea of “protected classes.” What started as a legal safeguard against real discrimination has ballooned into an unrecognizable system of special shields. Today, the list of protected groups keeps growing: race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, and religion. The result is a hierarchy of privilege dressed up as fairness.
Here’s the problem: in practice, it means everyone gets a shield except the ordinary American who checks no special box. If you’re white, middle-class, and trying to raise a family, congratulations, you’re the only group without a safety net. You’re not protected; you’re the open target.
This is exactly how identity politics feeds resentment and division. Instead of applying equal justice under the law, “protected classes” create a two-tier system where some groups are untouchable while others are expected to sit quietly and take the hits. That’s not equality, it’s favoritism with a government stamp of approval.
If we truly believe in fairness, then the answer isn’t to expand protected classes until every niche identity has its own bubble. The answer is to roll back this whole concept and apply the same standard to everyone: equal rights, equal responsibility, equal protection. No exceptions.
A Better Path Forward
The Right should lead by example. Instead of labeling, let’s focus on principles: freedom of speech, equal protection under the law, limited government, national security, and economic opportunity. These are values that transcend race, gender, and political tribes.
That doesn’t mean ignoring real differences. Democrats and Republicans will continue to clash; that’s healthy. But we should reject the temptation to create conservative identity groups that mirror the Left’s tactics.
If the Left wants to divide America into CRT activists, LGBTQ lobbies, and feminist caucuses, let them. Conservatives should refuse to play along. Our message should be clear: we are all Americans.
Choose Unity Over Labels
Identity politics is poison. The Left has perfected it, and they’ve used it to fracture the country. The Right must not repeat its mistake.
Criticizing MAGA voters or evangelicals as if they’re monolithic groups only weakens our side. Fighting culture wars by splintering into camps only makes us look more like the Left.
The solution is simple but powerful: stop labeling. Start uniting.
Because when we stop being tribes and remember we’re one nation, we’ll rediscover the strength that made America exceptional in the first place.
Feature Image: Created in Canva Pro
The post Stop Playing the Left’s Game: Why the Right Must Ditch Identity Politics appeared first on An Americanist.
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