Young Republicans Revive Richard Nixon, Label Trend 'Nixonmaxxing'

A growing cohort of young Republicans is casting Richard Nixon as a political exemplar, a trend one outlet has dubbed “Nixonmaxxing.” Writers Daniel McCarthy in one outlet and Scott Greer in one outlet describe this generation’s admiration for Nixon despite his controversial past. Vice President JD Vance reinforced the narrative in a speech at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, calling it a “Nixon renaissance.”

Proponents argue the movement stems from a shared suspicion of the “deep state” and legacy media, which they claim employed the same tactics to undermine both Nixon and Donald Trump. Historians like Geoff Shepard have spent two decades challenging the conventional Watergate narrative, portraying it as a media coup. Supporters also highlight Nixon’s foreign-policy milestones—ending Vietnam, the Nixon Doctrine, and his triangular diplomacy with the USSR and China—as reasons for the renewed reverence. Critics point out that Nixon’s domestic policies were not overtly conservative, but advocates hope future scholars will cement his status as a great president.