Despite Politico's attempt to portray conservatives as overly focused on baby-making, the article instead triggered widespread criticism from the right, who accused the publication of promoting anti-natalist views.
Politico's recent article on the Natal Conference, a gathering of conservative populists advocating for increased birth rates, has sparked a fierce backlash from the right. The publication's promotion of the piece, claiming that the "far right is so obsessed with making babies," drew the ire of conservatives, who accused Politico of bias and promoting anti-natalist views.
The original article, written by Gaby Del Valle, described attendees at the conference as members of the New Right, a group that seeks to make "seismic changes" to modern society and views the past as a model for the future. While the article acknowledged that many attendees saw natalism as a way to reverse societal changes they viewed as negative, such as divorce, gender integration, and "wokeness," Del Valle portrayed the conference as a gathering of extremists.
However, Politico's promotion of the article on social media, which highlighted the "far right's" obsession with baby-making, ignited a firestorm of criticism from conservatives. Many accused the publication of unfairly targeting the right and perpetuating negative stereotypes.
"Politico: the wonderful left is obsessed with killing babies and the ‘far right’ is obsessed with making babies," wrote Mollie Hemingway, a conservative commentator. "OK?"
Tim Murtaugh, the communications director for former President Trump's 2020 re-election campaign, added, "One could also say that the left is so obsessed with killing babies that they made a whole political party about it."
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, warned that declining birth rates could lead to the end of human civilization.
The Natal Conference itself appeared to relish the publicity, thanking Politico for getting them on Musk's radar and inviting the publication back for a future event.
Despite the negative reaction from the right, Politico has not publicly responded to the backlash. The controversy highlights the growing divide between the left and right on social issues, with each side often accusing the other of extreme or dangerous views.
In conclusion, Politico's attempt to portray conservatives as overly focused on babies backfired, triggering a vocal backlash from the right and accusations of anti-natalist bias. The incident underscores the challenges facing media outlets in covering politically charged topics in an era of partisan polarization.
