JD Vance Allies Sidelined as Republican Establishment Blocks Key New Right Appointees

The New Right faces setbacks as antitrust head Gail Slater resigns and Jeremy Carl’s State Department nomination is blocked by Senate Republicans.

By: AXL Media

Published: Feb 24, 2026, 5:10 AM EST

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Politico

Internal GOP Resistance Stalls Populist Appointments

The ascendant New Right flank of the Republican party faced a double blow this month, signaling a cooling of its influence within the federal apparatus. Gail Slater, the head of the Department of Justice’s antitrust division and a former economic adviser to Vice President JD Vance, announced her resignation following reported friction with Attorney General Pam Bondi. Simultaneously, the nomination of conservative theorist Jeremy Carl for a senior State Department role has been effectively halted in the Senate.

These developments represent a "one-two punch" to the populist-nationalist wing that has sought to use federal power to combat corporate monopolies and cultural "wokeism." Unlike previous challenges from the Democratic opposition, these setbacks originated from within the Republican house. Slater’s exit reportedly followed her aggressive attempts to block corporate mergers, a strategy that clashed with more traditional, business-friendly forces within the administration.

The Carl Snub and the Pro-Israel Litmus Test

Jeremy Carl’s stalled confirmation provides a clear illustration of the limits of New Right influence in Washington. While Democrats opposed Carl for his inflammatory writings on race and immigration, his ultimate "slapdown" came from Senator John Curtis, a moderate Utah Republican. Curtis broke with the administration to oppose Carl, specifically citing the nominee's past criticisms of the U.S.-Israel alliance.

Carl, a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, had previously argued that the U.S. devotes disproportionate energy to Israel at the expense of its own national interests. This deviation from the GOP’s staunchly pro-Israel consensus proved to be a fatal liability. The incident underscores a significant fault line within the MAGA movement: while the New Right embraces an "America First" anti-interventionism, the Republican establishment remains committed to traditional foreign policy alliances, particularly regarding the Middle East.