The term “cuckservative” is a pejorative used by alt-Right conservatives to insult moderate Republicans.
It implies they have sold out and is similar to the term RINO.
It suggests moderates who are weak and effeminate.
Origin of “Cuckservative”
It is a portmanteau of “cuckold” and “conservative,” and is used to denigrate individuals who identify as conservatives but are viewed as weak, compromising, or not adhering strictly to what the accuser perceives as true conservative principles.
The term draws upon the historical and cultural implications of “cuckold,” which is used to describe a man who is unknowingly raising another man’s child, suggesting a lack of control or awareness.
In this context, it implies that the so-called “cuckservative” is unwittingly promoting policies or viewpoints that are detrimental to their own political or social interests, or that they are being deceived or dominated by liberal or progressive forces.
It’s important to note the term is not used in mainstream political discourse and is generally viewed as offensive and derogatory.
The term originates from alt-right blogs which started using it in 2015. The term gained favor during the 2016 Republican presidential debates and has continued through the presidency of Donald Trump.
More on “Cuckservative”
A portmanteau of “cuckold” and “conservative” that emerged in mid-2015 as the most-talked-about right-wing-on-right-wing insult.
“It means something like RINO (Republican in Name Only), but with more implied contempt,” wrote Roger Schlafly, son of far-right activist and antifeminist Phyllis Schlafly, on the blog of Eagle Forum, the group founded by his mother. “The cuckservatives pretend to be conservatives but are always appeasing liberals and failing to stand up for conservative principles.”
The Washington Post was inspired to do a lengthy dissection of the word. “The ‘cuck’ slur is vulgar, yes, but then piercingly accurate,” wrote Richard Spencer, president of the white-nationalist National Policy Institute, in an email to the Post. “It is the cuckold who, whether knowingly or unknowingly, loses control of his future. This is an apt psychological portrait of white ‘conservatives,’ whose only identity is comprised of vague, abstract ‘values,’ and who are participating in the displacement of European Americans—their own children.”
The Post’s David Weigel noted that those getting the tag “are conservatives who seem to have made peace with elements alien to traditional white Americanism. That could mean the transgender movement; it could mean non-white immigrants.”
Use of “Cuckservative” in a sentence
- During the heated online debate, one user accused another of being a “cuckservative” for supporting more moderate immigration policies.
- The forum, which often featured alt-right viewpoints, was filled with posts labeling mainstream Republicans as “cuckservatives” for their perceived lack of ideological purity.
- Some members of the party argue that the pejorative term “cuckservative” is harmful and further deepens divisions within the conservative community.