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Charlie Sykes
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Charles Jay Sykes (born November 11, 1954) is an American political commentator who was editor-in-chief of the website The Bulwark.[1] From 1993 to 2016, Sykes hosted a conservative talk show on WTMJ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was also the editor of Right Wisconsin which was co-owned with WTMJ's then-parent company E. W. Scripps. Sykes is a frequent commentator on MSNBC.
Key Information
Early life and education
[edit]Charles Jay Sykes was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in New York and Fox Point, Wisconsin.[2][3] He is the son of Katherine "Kay" Border and Jay G. Sykes,[4] a lawyer who later worked as a journalist for several small newspapers in New York before joining the Milwaukee Sentinel in 1962. Jay later became a lecturer in journalism at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee,[5] a board member of the American Civil Liberties Union Wisconsin chapter, and ran for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin unsuccessfully against Martin J. Schreiber in the 1970 Democratic primary.[2]
After graduating from Nicolet High School, Sykes enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where in 1975 he graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English.[2] While at Milwaukee, Sykes was a member of the Young Democrats of America, and following a nonreligious upbringing he converted to Roman Catholicism at age 18. In 1974, using the slogan "A Different Kind of Democrat" due to his opposition to abortion, Sykes challenged Republican incumbent Jim Sensenbrenner for Wisconsin State Assembly and lost. As Milwaukee Magazine profiled, "his pro-life campaign signaled a growing crack in his liberalism. And as elements within the antiwar movement became violent, he became increasingly disillusioned."[2]
Career
[edit]Writing
[edit]Sykes began his career as a journalist, starting in 1975 with West Allis, Wisconsin, weekly The Northeast Post for a year. In 1976, Sykes joined The Milwaukee Journal, starting with reporting on stories in the North Shore suburbs, before being promoted to the Milwaukee City Hall beat during the administration of Mayor Henry Maier.[2][3] After seven years of reporting in the Milwaukee area, Sykes moved to Cleveland in 1982 as a staff writer for Cleveland Magazine but the magazine went out of business by the end of the year.[2] In 1983, Sykes returned to Milwaukee as managing editor at Milwaukee Magazine and moved up to editor-in-chief in January 1984. Sykes wrote features, investigative articles, and commentary for Milwaukee Magazine.[2]
Sykes is a published author, primarily concerning education. He made his book debut in 1988 with Profscam: Professors and the Demise of Higher Education, inspired by his father's essay published posthumously in the October 1985 Milwaukee Magazine recalling his experience teaching at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.[2][6] From December 2018 through February 2024, Sykes was editor-in-chief of The Bulwark. He has also written commentary for Imprimis,[7] The New York Times,[8][9] The Wall Street Journal, and has edited WI Interest, the magazine of the Badger Institute (formerly the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute) and the website Right Wisconsin.[10]
Broadcasting
[edit]Early career
[edit]In an era when the national success of Rush Limbaugh was inspiring similar call-in talk radio shows around the United States, Sykes started hosting talk radio in 1989 as a substitute host for Mark Belling at WISN in Milwaukee. Sykes got his own show on WISN by 1992. Lacking a contract with WISN, Sykes jumped to WTMJ within a year and hosted a morning show there until December 19, 2016.[2][11]
In 2002, Sykes and fellow WTMJ host Jeff Wagner gained prominence in leading a campaign to recall Milwaukee County Executive Tom Ament, who was embroiled in scandal for changing the county pension policy to give himself and close aides large payouts; Ament controversially retired at the end of February 2002, rather than resign, to retain his pension.[12][13] In a 2005 speech, Jay Heck, executive director of the Wisconsin branch of the liberal political advocacy group Common Cause, referred to Sykes' influence on local politicians. He said: "The Sykes Republicans from southeastern Wisconsin are worried that he will castigate them by calling them RINOs, 'Republicans in name only.' So (he makes it) very difficult for Republicans to be independent of the party line on any issue."[14]
Post Trump's 2016 presidential bid
[edit]Sykes opposed the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump, campaigned against him and cast a write-in vote for independent conservative candidate Evan McMullin.[15][16][17] In October 2016, Sykes announced that he had decided late in 2015 to quit his radio show for unspecified personal reasons.[18] In December 2016, Sykes wrote an op-ed for The New York Times suggesting that the conservative movement had lost its way during the 2016 campaign, saying that "as we learned this year, we had succeeded in persuading our audiences to ignore and discount any information from the mainstream media. Over time, we'd succeeded in delegitimizing the media altogether — all the normal guideposts were down, the referees discredited."[8] From January to April 2017, he was part of a rotating set of hosts of Indivisible, a call-in talk show distributed by WNYC public radio in New York City, along with Brian Lehrer of WNYC and Kerri Miller of Minnesota Public Radio among others. The show analyzed and discussed the first 100 days of Trump's presidency.[19]
Sykes became the host of The Daily Standard, the revived podcast of The Weekly Standard magazine in February 2018.[20] Sykes was the founder and editor-at-large of The Bulwark and host of "The Bulwark Podcast" from 2018 to 2023. He left The Bulwark on February 9, 2024.[21] At the time, he stated that he would continue writing and giving commentary, including at MSNBC, but at a more measured pace.[22]
Television
[edit]Sykes was an investigative reporter at WISN-TV in 1983.[2] From 1993 to 2016, he hosted the local Sunday morning talk show Sunday Insight for WTMJ-TV. In 1994, Sykes contributed an essay to the ITVS series "Declarations: Essays on American Ideals", which was broadcast on PBS stations.[23]
Political arc
[edit]Over the course of his public life, Sykes has gone from mainstream liberal to conservative Democrat, to strongly conservative Republican, to libertarian, and as of 2024 is a vehemently anti-Donald Trump voice.[24][25]
Personal life
[edit]In May 1975, Sykes married Christine Libbey. Five months later, their daughter was born. The marriage ended in divorce in early 1978, and was annulled by the Catholic Church two years later.[26] In August 1980, Sykes married Diane Schwerm, who went on to become a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice and subsequently a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.[27] The couple had two sons before divorcing amicably in 1999.[26][27] As early as 1996, rumors had circulated of a relationship between Sykes and Janet Riordan, an opera singer. He married her one year after his divorce from Diane.[26]
Bibliography
[edit]
- Sykes, Charles J. (1988). Profscam: Professors and the Demise of Higher Education. Washington: Regnery. ISBN 0895265591.
- Sykes, Charles J. (1990). The Hollow Men: Politics and Corruption in Higher Education. Washington: Regnery Gateway. ISBN 0895265397.
- Sykes, Charles J. (1992). A Nation of Victims: The Decay of the American Character. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0312098820.
- Sykes, Charles J. (1995). Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write, Or Add. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0312148232.
- Sykes, Charles J. (1999). The End of Privacy: The Attack on Personal Rights at Home, at Work, On-Line, and in Court. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0312268300.
- Sykes, Charles J. (2007). 50 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School: Real-World Antidotes to Feel-Good Education. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1466831278.
- Sykes, Charles J. (2012). A Nation of Moochers: America's Addiction to Getting Something for Nothing. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1429951074.
- Sykes, Charles J. (2016). Fail U.: The False Promise of Higher Education. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1250091765.
- Sykes, Charles J. (2017). How the Right Lost Its Mind. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1250147172.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Darcy, Oliver (January 4, 2019). "Former Weekly Standard staffers find new home at The Bulwark, a conservative site unafraid to take on Trump". CNN Business. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Chandler, Kurt (July 2000). "Charlie's bully pulpit". Milwaukee Magazine. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Sherman, Jeff (April 12, 2005). "Milwaukee Talks: Charlie Sykes". OnMilwaukee.com. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
- ^ "Katherine B. "Kay" Sykes". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. May 4, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2017 – via Legacy.com.
- ^ "Journalism prof Sykes to run for Lt. Gov. post". The UWM Post. February 3, 1970.
- ^ Fain, Paul (August 18, 2016). "Calling Out the Professoriate". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
- ^ "Charles Sykes, Author at Imprimis". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ a b Syke, Charles J. (December 15, 2016). "Charlie Sykes on Where the Right Went Wrong". The New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
- ^ Sykes, Charles J. (February 4, 2017). "Why Nobody Cares the President Is Lying". The New York Times. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
- ^ "Charlie Sykes". Right Wisconsin. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016.
- ^ Glauber, Bill (December 19, 2016). "Paul Ryan thanks Charlie Sykes for lifting conservative ideas". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
- ^ Kissinger, Meg (February 9, 2002). "Radio hosts take center stage in recall drive". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Archived from the original on August 3, 2002. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
- ^ Borowski, Greg J.; Johnson, Mike (February 22, 2002). "Ament quits". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 14, 2002. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
- ^ Drew, Mike (May 11, 2005). "Getting crowded, getting right". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Archived from the original on May 26, 2005. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
- ^ Weissmann, Shoshana (May 10, 2016). "Sykes: If You Embrace Trump, You Embrace Every Slur, Insult, Outrage, Falsehood". The Weekly Standard. Archived from the original on May 11, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ "Conservative Radio Host: You Embrace Trump, "You Embrace Every Slur, Every Insult, Every Outrage, Every Falsehood"". Media Matters for America. May 9, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
Charlie Sykes: "He's A Narcissist And A Bully, A Man With No Fixed Principles Who Has The Vocabulary Of An Emotionally Insecure 9-Year-Old"
- ^ Sykes, Charles (September 27, 2016). "Why I'm Voting for Evan McMullin". RightWisconsin.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- ^ Gold, Hadas (October 4, 2016). "Charlie Sykes to end his radio show". Politico.
- ^ Sutton, Kelsey (January 13, 2016). "Charlie Sykes returns to radio as co-host of WNYC show". Politico. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ "The Daily Standard Podcast Returns!". The Weekly Standard. February 13, 2018. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
- ^ Sykes, Charlie (February 1, 2024). "Getting Off the Daily Hamster Wheel of Crazy".
- ^ Hope Karnopp (February 1, 2024). "Wisconsin commentator Charlie Sykes leaving The Bulwark, anti-Trump website he co-founded". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ^ "Declarations: Essays on American Ideals". ITVS. May 17, 1994. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ "Sykes 'certainly not proud' of past contributions to Wisconsin's 'hyperpartisanship'". January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Charlie's Bully Pulpit". July 2000.
- ^ a b c Chandler, Kurt (July 1, 2000). "Charlie's Bully Pulpit". Milwaukee Magazine. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). www.wisopinion.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 19, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Further reading
[edit]- Murphy, Bruce. "Back in the News: Sykes Is No Longer a Republican". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
External links
[edit]
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Charlie Sykes
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Early Life and Background
Family and Upbringing
Charles Jay Sykes was born on November 11, 1954, in Seattle, Washington, as the only child of Jay Sykes and Katherine "Kay" Sykes.[11] Jay Sykes, who held a law degree from the University of Washington, practiced law briefly before shifting to journalism; he worked for small newspapers in New York and later joined the Milwaukee Sentinel as a reporter and editorial writer in 1962, while also serving as a university professor, Democratic Party activist, author, and president of the Wisconsin Civil Liberties Union.[11][12] A vocal opponent of the Vietnam War, he faced protests from anti-war activists in 1970 for refusing to cancel classes.[12] Katherine Sykes, born in Montana, was Methodist.[11] Jay, a non-practicing Jew, died in 1985 at age 63, and Katherine died in 2007 at age 87 in a house fire.[11][12] The family relocated from Seattle to New York state when Sykes was about four years old for his father's journalism work, resulting in annual school changes from kindergarten through third grade, before settling in Fox Point, Wisconsin, in 1962 upon Jay's move to the Milwaukee Sentinel.[11] Raised in a liberal household without religious observance, Sykes described his Fox Point childhood on a cul-de-sac as evoking the suburban normalcy of The Wonder Years.[11] His father's political engagement profoundly shaped his early years; at age 14, Sykes joined the Wisconsin Young Democrats, served as a page at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and assisted in his father's unsuccessful 1969 campaign for lieutenant governor as well as Eugene McCarthy's 1968 presidential effort, for which Jay directed the state campaign.[11][12][13]Education and Early Influences
Charles Jay Sykes was born on November 11, 1954, in Seattle, Washington, as the only child of Jay Sykes, a journalist, political campaigner, author, and later college professor.[11] His father's career in journalism and politics exerted a profound early influence, instilling in Sykes a passion for writing, public discourse, and contrarian engagement with ideas.[14] [11] The family relocated to Fox Point, Wisconsin, in 1963 when Sykes was in third grade, where he grew up and attended Nicolet High School in nearby Glendale.[13] At age 18, during his late high school or early college years, Sykes converted to Catholicism and joined a pro-life advocacy group, an experience that contributed to his ideological evolution from early liberal leanings toward more traditional conservative positions.[15] Sykes pursued higher education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, majoring in English literature and graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1975.[13] [16] This academic background in literature provided foundational skills in analysis and argumentation that informed his subsequent entry into journalism immediately after graduation.[17]Professional Career
Journalism and Authorship
Sykes began his professional journalism career after graduating from Marquette University in 1975, initially working as a reporter for the suburban weekly The Northeast Post. In 1976, he joined The Milwaukee Journal as a reporter, where he covered local government including City Hall until 1982.[11][13] Following this, Sykes served as a staff writer for Cleveland Magazine in 1982 and then as managing editor of Milwaukee Magazine starting in 1983.[14] His early reporting emphasized investigative and local political topics, establishing a foundation in print media before expanding into commentary.[18] Throughout his career, Sykes contributed opinion columns and articles to national outlets such as National Review, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, often focusing on education policy, cultural critique, and conservatism.[19] These pieces reflected his evolving views on public policy and institutional failures, drawing from his Wisconsin roots. Sykes is the author of nine books, predominantly addressing shortcomings in American education, victimhood culture, and political dynamics. His debut, Profscam: Professors and the Demise of Higher Education (1988), lambasted academic tenure systems and professorial detachment from teaching, arguing they undermined higher education's core mission.[20] Subsequent works include A Nation of Victims: America's First Culture War (1992), which critiqued entitlement mentalities; Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves but Can't Read, Write, or Add (1995), targeting self-esteem-driven curricula over academic rigor; The End of Privacy (1999); 50 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School (2007), offering pragmatic life lessons absent from modern schooling; Fail U.: The False Promise of Higher Education (2014), extending his higher education critiques to for-profit colleges and credential inflation; and How the Right Lost Its Mind (2017), analyzing conservatism's populist turn.[8][21][22] These publications, published by St. Martin's Press and others, positioned Sykes as a prominent conservative voice on institutional decline, supported by empirical examples from policy data and case studies.[1]Radio Broadcasting Career
Sykes began his radio career in Milwaukee as a fill-in host at WISN-AM in 1989, transitioning from print journalism to talk radio.[11] By 1992, he had launched his own program at the station, focusing on conservative commentary.[23] In 1993, he moved to rival WTMJ-AM (620), where he hosted a daily mid-morning talk show that ran weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon, emphasizing limited government, traditional values, and critiques of progressive policies.[4] [24] Over 23 years at WTMJ, Sykes's program achieved top ratings in its time slot, drawing an estimated audience of over 100,000 listeners weekly and positioning him as a key influencer in Wisconsin Republican politics.[25] [26] He frequently interviewed political figures, debated policy issues like education reform and fiscal conservatism, and built a reputation for intellectual rigor within conservative circles, often contrasting his style with more populist hosts.[5] The show's format included caller segments, monologues, and analysis of local and national events, contributing to Sykes's role in shaping public discourse in a swing state.[27] Sykes announced his departure from daily radio on October 4, 2016, stating the decision had been made more than a year earlier to allow time for writing, travel, and family.[24] [27] His final broadcast aired on December 19, 2016, marking the end of an era amid growing partisan divides, including his public criticisms of Donald Trump's presidential campaign, which some attributed to audience backlash though Sykes maintained the timing was coincidental.[28] [29] During his tenure, the program paralleled the rise of syndicated conservative radio but remained locally oriented, avoiding national syndication to focus on Wisconsin-specific issues.[30]Transition to National Media and Television
Following the end of his 23-year tenure hosting the daily radio program and weekly Sunday Insight television show on WTMJ in December 2016, Sykes shifted focus to national platforms, leveraging his prominence as a conservative critic of Donald Trump during the 2016 election.[4] His decision to leave local broadcasting, announced on October 4, 2016, was influenced by a desire to address broader national issues amid the Republican Party's internal divisions, as he expressed in contemporaneous interviews.[24] This period marked a pivot from regional influence in Wisconsin politics to commentary on cable news and network programs, where his anti-Trump stance—articulated as early as March 2016 on air—had already drawn invitations from outlets like CNN, Fox News, NPR, PBS, ABC, Bloomberg Television, and C-SPAN.[31] Sykes joined NBC and MSNBC as a contributor in late 2016, enabling regular appearances on programs such as Morning Joe, Meet the Press, and Deadline: White House.[14] By early 2017, he was described as a frequent MSNBC commentator, providing analysis on conservative disillusionment with Trump and GOP dynamics.[18] This role expanded his reach beyond local audiences, with Sykes appearing on dozens of national broadcasts annually; for instance, C-SPAN archives document over 20 appearances from 2017 onward, often discussing media accountability and political rhetoric.[32] His television commentary emphasized principled conservatism, drawing from his radio experience while critiquing what he termed the "degradation" of public discourse under Trump, as detailed in his 2017 book How the Right Lost Its Mind.[33] This transition coincided with Sykes' increased print and digital contributions to national outlets like The Weekly Standard and The New York Times, but television became a primary medium for his evolving public role, positioning him as a bridge between traditional conservatism and anti-Trump resistance.[1] Appearances on left-leaning networks like MSNBC drew accusations of ideological drift from some former supporters, though Sykes maintained his commentary aligned with first-principles conservatism rather than partisan loyalty.[34] By 2018, his national TV footprint included PBS's Frontline interviews and ongoing MSNBC segments, solidifying his status as a prominent Never Trump voice.[35]Founding and Role at The Bulwark
The Bulwark was established in 2018 by Sarah Longwell as a center-right news and opinion website, with foundational support from Charlie Sykes and Bill Kristol, following the closure of The Weekly Standard.[36][37] The outlet aimed to offer principled conservative analysis unaligned with the Trump-dominated Republican Party, emphasizing defense of liberal democracy and rejection of partisan tribalism.[38] Sykes, a longtime conservative commentator, co-founded the platform to provide a venue for "Never Trump" voices committed to traditional Republican principles amid the party's shift toward populism.[39][40] As editor-at-large and host of The Bulwark Podcast, Sykes played a central role in shaping the site's content and editorial direction from its inception through 2023.[32][40] He contributed regular columns and podcast episodes critiquing Donald Trump's influence on conservatism, arguing that the former president's style and policies undermined institutional norms and fiscal responsibility.[41] Under Sykes' involvement, The Bulwark grew into a key hub for anti-Trump Republicans, featuring contributors who prioritized policy substance over loyalty to political figures.[42] His leadership helped position the site as a counterweight to mainstream conservative media, fostering discussions on topics like democratic backsliding and the risks of authoritarian tendencies within the GOP.[43] Sykes stepped down from his primary roles at The Bulwark in February 2024, citing a desire to pursue independent writing and commentary, though the outlet continued its mission post-departure.[9] During his tenure, the platform maintained a focus on empirical critique of political developments, often highlighting discrepancies between rhetoric and evidence in Trump-era conservatism.[44]Political Ideology and Evolution
Shift from Liberalism to Conservatism
Sykes grew up in a liberal Democratic household in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where his father, Jay Sykes, served as a university professor, managed Eugene McCarthy's 1968 presidential campaign in the state, and held positions on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union.[15] Influenced by this environment, Sykes engaged in Democratic activism as a youth, including membership in Young Democrats and serving as a page for the Wisconsin delegation at the 1968 Democratic National Convention amid the era's campus unrest and party divisions.[12] [45] At age 18 in 1972, Sykes converted to Catholicism, which prompted his involvement in pro-life advocacy—a stance increasingly at odds with the Democratic Party's evolving positions on abortion following the Roe v. Wade decision that year.[15] This personal transformation, coupled with disillusionment from observed shifts in liberal academia and politics toward cultural radicalism, initiated his departure from left-leaning views.[46] By the mid-1980s, Sykes had aligned with conservative critiques of higher education, culminating in his 1988 book Profscam: Professors and the Demise of Higher Education, which exposed tenure protections enabling ideological conformity, research neglect, and politicized teaching often dominated by progressive orthodoxy.[20] [47] The work, drawing from his journalistic investigations into university scandals, positioned him as an early voice against institutional leftism, reflecting a broader intellectual pivot informed by empirical observations of academic failures rather than abstract ideology. He subsequently self-identified as a "recovering liberal" in his writing and broadcasting, emphasizing free-market principles, limited government, and cultural traditionalism.[11] [48]Advocacy for Traditional Republican Principles
Sykes has consistently advocated for traditional Republican principles, including limited government, fiscal conservatism, free markets, individual liberty, and personal responsibility, throughout his career as a commentator and broadcaster. From 1994 to 2016, as host of a syndicated daily talk radio program on Milwaukee's WTMJ-AM, he shaped conservative discourse in Wisconsin by promoting policies aligned with these values, reaching audiences that influenced state elections and legislative priorities.[33][49] A key instance of this advocacy occurred during his support for Governor Scott Walker's Act 10, signed into law on March 11, 2011, which curtailed collective bargaining rights for most public employees to eliminate a projected $3.6 billion state budget shortfall and curb escalating pension and health care costs. Sykes vigorously defended the reform on air, framing it as essential for restoring fiscal discipline, reducing taxpayer burdens, and emphasizing personal accountability over union entitlements, thereby helping to rally public and Republican support amid widespread protests.[50][49][51] He also opposed government overreach in infrastructure spending, such as Wisconsin's proposed high-speed rail project in 2009–2010, which he criticized as fiscally irresponsible and emblematic of unchecked federal intervention, aligning with his broader critique of expansive public works that deviated from conservative tenets of restrained spending.[52] Post-retirement from radio, Sykes reiterated these principles in his self-description as a "contrarian conservative," prioritizing liberty, limited government, and free markets over ideological conformity.[53] In publications and speeches, Sykes has defended traditional values like civility and institutional respect as integral to conservatism, arguing that the movement's core—defined by skepticism of big government and commitment to moral order—must prevail against populist dilutions. His 2017 book How the Right Lost Its Mind explicitly mourns the abandonment of limited government and traditional values in pursuit of electoral expediency, urging a return to Reagan-era fusionism emphasizing economic freedom and personal virtue.[22][54] At The Bulwark, which he co-founded in 2018, he has continued to champion principled conservatism, as in his 2021 essay questioning deviations from unifying tenets like fiscal restraint in favor of regulatory expansions.[55][56]Break with Trump and MAGA Movement
Sykes emerged as an early and vocal critic of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential candidacy, declaring opposition from the announcement on June 16, 2015, when Trump descended the escalator at Trump Tower. He argued that Trump's persona and rhetoric—characterized by personal attacks and inflammatory statements—were antithetical to conservative principles of character, policy substance, and institutional respect.[57] In a March 2016 radio interview ahead of Wisconsin's primary, Sykes pressed Trump on his refusal to disavow David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader, and accused him of behaving like a "12-year-old bully" unfit for the presidency, highlighting Trump's inability to elevate discourse.[58][59] This stance positioned Sykes as a key figure in Wisconsin's conservative media efforts to derail Trump's nomination, contributing to Ted Cruz's primary victory in the state on April 5, 2016, where Trump finished second.[59] Sykes refused to endorse Trump even after he secured the nomination, maintaining his #NeverTrump position through the general election and casting a write-in vote rather than supporting the Republican ticket.[60] He publicly urged conservatives to prioritize principle over party loyalty, warning that Trump's rise represented a degradation of the movement into tribalism and authoritarian tendencies, as detailed in his 2017 book How the Right Lost Its Mind.[61] Post-election, Sykes's criticism intensified, framing Trump's victory not as a mandate for policy but as a symptom of the Republican Party's abandonment of Reagan-era conservatism in favor of populism and grievance politics.[60] He co-founded The Bulwark in 2018 as an explicitly anti-Trump conservative outlet, emphasizing fusionism—limited government, free markets, and strong national defense—over MAGA's nationalist and protectionist impulses.[35] Sykes continued to decry Trump's handling of the 2020 election, describing efforts to challenge results as norm-breaking threats to democracy, and post-2024, he critiqued Trump's policy proposals like mass deportations and tariffs as economically disruptive without sufficient conservative justification.[43] This evolution alienated him from much of the GOP base, which increasingly equated loyalty to Trump with conservatism itself, but Sykes defended it as fidelity to empirical conservatism over cult-of-personality politics.[58]Controversies and Criticisms
Backlash from Conservative Audiences
Sykes's vocal opposition to Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries and general election campaign elicited sharp backlash from segments of his conservative listener base. As a longstanding host on Milwaukee's WTMJ radio, where he had built a reputation as a principled conservative voice over 23 years, Sykes refused to endorse Trump and publicly urged Wisconsin voters to write in candidates like Paul Ryan rather than support him, citing Trump's character flaws and unsuitability for office.[2] This stance prompted a surge in hostile listener feedback, including boycotts, reduced call-ins from supporters, and accusations of betrayal, with some branding him a "Judas goat" or RINO (Republican In Name Only) for prioritizing personal principles over party loyalty.[61] Audience metrics reflected the rift, as longtime fans abandoned the show, contributing to a perceived erosion of his influence within Wisconsin's conservative circles.[58] The backlash peaked following Trump's election victory in November 2016, exacerbating tensions that led Sykes to announce his departure from the daily radio program in October of that year, with his final broadcast airing on December 30.[60] Conservative outlets and audiences criticized him for alienating the base that had propelled Republican gains, viewing his #NeverTrump position as elitist or disconnected from working-class voters' priorities, even as station management reportedly backed his independence.[2] Sykes later reflected in his 2017 book How the Right Lost Its Mind that this period marked his effective "excommunication" from the movement he had helped shape, with former allies questioning his motives as opportunistic rather than ideologically driven.[62] Post-radio, Sykes's role in founding The Bulwark in 2018 as an explicitly anti-Trump conservative outlet sustained the animosity, drawing ongoing rebukes from MAGA-aligned commentators and audiences who dismissed his critiques as sour grapes or alignment with establishment failures.[63] By 2024, his endorsement of Kamala Harris amplified charges of ideological apostasy, with right-wing social media and pundits portraying him as a defector aiding Democrats, further solidifying his outsider status among populist conservatives.[64] Despite this, Sykes maintained that his positions stemmed from fidelity to traditional conservative values like rule of law and institutional integrity, rather than audience approval.[5]Charges of Ideological Inconsistency
Critics from within the conservative movement, particularly Trump supporters, have accused Charlie Sykes of ideological inconsistency for his staunch opposition to Donald Trump, arguing that it represents a betrayal of core Republican principles he previously promoted on his radio show. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Sykes refused to endorse Trump and urged listeners to reject him, leading to backlash including being labeled a "Judas goat" by a Trump supporter who viewed his stance as disloyalty to the conservative base Sykes had helped cultivate through decades of broadcasting.[61] This criticism intensified as Sykes positioned himself as a "Never Trump" voice, with detractors claiming his rejection of Trump's candidacy—despite Trump's victories in Republican primaries—prioritized personal elitism over electoral pragmatism and the populist conservatism that resonated with his former audience.[65] The charges escalated following Sykes's endorsement of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election on October 11, 2024, which opponents decried as a profound abandonment of conservatism.[66] Critics, including voices in conservative media, branded Sykes a "RINO" (Republican In Name Only) for supporting a candidate with progressive policies on issues like immigration, taxation, and social matters—positions Sykes had historically opposed during his Wisconsin radio tenure.[67] One analysis argued that such an endorsement would have been unthinkable under normal circumstances, given Sykes's prior characterizations of Democratic figures as "flaming liberals," framing it as a selective inconsistency driven by anti-Trump animus rather than principled evolution.[26] Sykes countered that his support stemmed from viewing Trump as an existential threat to democratic institutions, maintaining alignment with traditional conservative values like rule of law and limited executive power, though detractors dismissed this as post-hoc rationalization inconsistent with his earlier partisan advocacy.[68] These accusations often emanate from MAGA-aligned outlets and commentators, reflecting broader intra-conservative divides where opposition to Trump is equated with ideological apostasy, though Sykes has consistently self-identified as a contrarian conservative committed to first principles over party loyalty.[69]Interactions with Left-Leaning Outlets
Following his departure from conservative radio in December 2016 and public opposition to Donald Trump, Sykes became a contributor to MSNBC, appearing regularly to offer anti-Trump commentary from a traditional conservative viewpoint.[70] In this role, he critiqued Trump's policies and rhetoric, such as in a July 16, 2025, segment where he described Trump's handling of Jeffrey Epstein files as having "lost the plot" with his base.[71] His MSNBC contributions positioned him as a voice for "Never Trump" conservatives, emphasizing principled opposition over partisan loyalty.[40] Sykes has also contributed opinion columns to The New York Times, a outlet often critiqued for left-leaning editorial stances. On December 15, 2016, he published "Charlie Sykes on Where the Right Went Wrong," reflecting on conservatism's drift under Trump.[61] Another piece, "Why Nobody Cares the President Is Lying," appeared on February 4, 2017, arguing that Trump's falsehoods had eroded conservative media standards.[72] These writings drew from Sykes's firsthand experience in right-wing media, highlighting failures in fact-checking and accountability.[73] Sykes has made multiple appearances on CNN, engaging with hosts on Trump-related topics. During the 2016 Wisconsin Republican primary, he explained on April 6 why Trump's lack of civility alienated local voters, contributing to Ted Cruz's victory.[74] In a May 21, 2016, interview, he discussed receiving outreach from Trump amid Never Trump efforts but reaffirmed his opposition.[75] Later segments, including October 2017 discussions on Republican senators like Bob Corker criticizing Trump and a June 27, 2024, preview of the Biden-Trump debate, underscored Sykes's role as a bridge between conservative dissent and mainstream analysis.[76][77] These interactions often amplified his warnings about authoritarian tendencies in the GOP, though they occurred against a backdrop of conservative accusations of media bias in those outlets.[78]Influence and Legacy
Impact on Wisconsin Politics
Charlie Sykes hosted a daily three-and-a-half-hour conservative talk radio program on WTMJ in Milwaukee from 1993 to 2016, reaching a broad audience across Wisconsin and shaping public discourse on issues like free markets, school choice, and limited government.[50] His program provided a platform for Republican figures to refine messaging, contributing to the state's political realignment from Democratic dominance to Republican control in the 2010 elections, including Scott Walker's gubernatorial victory and Ron Johnson's defeat of incumbent Senator Russ Feingold.[50][79] Sykes actively endorsed and amplified key Republican initiatives, notably supporting Walker's 2011 Act 10 legislation, which curtailed collective bargaining rights for most public employees and faced massive protests but survived a 2012 recall election.[50][49] He credited Walker's rise to his radio exposure, where the governor tested policies like private school vouchers, and observers have attributed Walker's statewide prominence partly to Sykes' on-air advocacy from Walker's days as a state representative.[79][80] Sykes also boosted other conservatives, including Paul Ryan and Reince Priebus, fostering a network that solidified GOP gains in the state legislature and executive branch.[50] His influence extended to policy critiques, such as opposing the proposed high-speed rail project in 2009–2010, which Governor Walker later canceled upon taking office, aligning with Sykes' emphasis on fiscal restraint.[52] However, Sykes' 2016 refusal to endorse Donald Trump during the Republican primaries marked a divergence, positioning Wisconsin as a rare anti-Trump state that year and diminishing his sway among the GOP base post-retirement from radio.[50] Despite this, his decades-long role in conservative talk radio established a template for mobilizing voters and narratives that sustained Republican dominance in Wisconsin through the 2010s.[79]Role in Never Trump Movement
Charlie Sykes emerged as a leading voice in the Never Trump movement during the 2016 Republican primaries, leveraging his platform as host of the influential Milwaukee radio show on WTMJ-AM to oppose Donald Trump's candidacy. In Wisconsin, where Sykes held sway over conservative audiences, he argued that Trump represented a betrayal of traditional Republican principles, emphasizing the candidate's lack of conservatism and personal character flaws. His commentary contributed to Ted Cruz's victory in the state's April 5, 2016, primary, where Trump trailed significantly, partly due to resistance from top conservative radio hosts including Sykes. On April 1, 2016, Trump called into Sykes' program, only to encounter the host's explicit identification as part of the Never Trump faction, highlighting Sykes' refusal to normalize the frontrunner. Following Trump's nomination, Sykes declined to endorse him and intensified his criticism, viewing the GOP's acquiescence as a moral failing that eroded the party's intellectual foundations. He ended his 23-year radio tenure in December 2016 amid backlash from Trump supporters, framing his exit as a stand against the movement's dominance in conservative media. In 2017, Sykes published How the Right Lost Its Mind, a book attributing the Republican Party's Trump-era trajectory to complacency and abandonment of principled conservatism, drawing on his experiences as a longtime GOP advocate. He co-founded The Bulwark in 2018 as a digital outlet for anti-Trump conservatives, serving as editor-in-chief and hosting its podcast to sustain dissent within the right, alongside figures like Sarah Longwell and Bill Kristol. Sykes' Never Trump role extended through media appearances and writings, where he warned of authoritarian risks posed by Trump and urged Republicans to prioritize institutional norms over loyalty. His contributions, including regular commentary on MSNBC and NBC, positioned him as a bridge between traditional conservatism and broader anti-Trump coalitions, though critics within the MAGA wing accused him of elitism and aiding Democrats. Despite leaving The Bulwark in February 2024, Sykes continued post-2024 election analysis critiquing Trump's influence, maintaining that the movement's principles—fiscal restraint, rule of law, and anti-populism—remained vital for conservatism's revival.Post-2024 Election Commentary
Following Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election on November 5, Sykes, a longtime critic of Trump, issued immediate commentary expressing dismay at the outcome. In his Substack newsletter "This is Us," published on November 6, 2024, Sykes described Trump as a "blatantly, dangerously unfit man" returned to power, emphasizing that voters had overlooked his history of "sexual assaults, the frauds, the lies, or the felonies" as well as "the raw bigotry of his campaign" and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.[81] He argued that the electorate's choice reflected a collective endorsement of Trump's character despite extensive evidence of these issues, stating, "our fellow Americans saw all of that; watched all of that; listened to all of that, and still said, ‘Yes, that’s what we want.’"[81] Sykes forecasted severe policy and institutional consequences in a second Trump term, including a "massive purge of the federal workforce," initiation of "mass deportations," pardons for January 6, 2021, Capitol riot participants, abandonment of Ukraine amid its war with Russia, and efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.[81] These predictions aligned with his pre-election warnings about Trump's intentions, but post-election, he framed them as imminent realities enabled by voter support and the failure of institutional guardrails like impeachment proceedings and judicial accountability.[81] In subsequent writings, Sykes continued critiquing the rationalizations surrounding the election. On November 10, 2024, in "Are We Sanewashing the Voters Now?" on Substack, he challenged attempts to portray Trump-supporting voters as rational actors driven by economic concerns, invoking Leo Tolstoy to argue that "wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it."[82] Throughout 2025, as Trump's administration advanced personnel changes and policy initiatives, Sykes described these as a "wrecking ball" to Washington institutions, highlighting purges and executive overreach in podcasts and Substack posts.[83] For instance, in a September 21, 2025, Substack entry titled "Glitches in the MAGA Will to Power?," he analyzed internal frictions in Trump's nominations and implementation of agenda items like immigration enforcement.[84] Sykes maintained his Never Trump position, positioning his commentary as a defense of traditional conservative principles against what he viewed as authoritarian tendencies, while acknowledging the political marginalization of anti-Trump conservatives within the Republican Party.[81] His post-election output, disseminated via Substack, podcasts, and appearances on outlets like MSNBC, emphasized resilience against perceived threats to democratic norms, without conceding the validity of Trump's mandate.[83]Personal Life
Marriages and Family
Sykes has been married three times. His first marriage was to Christine Libbey in May 1975; the union produced one daughter and ended in divorce in 1978.[14][15] In 1980, Sykes married Diane S. Sykes, a future federal judge; they had two sons, Jay and Alex, before divorcing on June 1, 1999, after 19 years.[14][11][85] Sykes married Janet Riordan, an opera singer and actress, in 2000; the couple has no children together but has raised his three children from prior marriages.[14][11][86] As of 2024, Sykes' sons are married—Jay to Hollis and Alex to Claire—and he has at least three grandchildren, including Elliott and Silas.[85]Health and Other Personal Details
Sykes was raised without religion by a Methodist mother and a non-practicing Jewish father before converting to Roman Catholicism at age 18.[11] He resides in Mequon, Wisconsin, in a modest Cape Cod-style home overlooking Lake Michigan.[86][3] No major health issues have been publicly reported for Sykes.[87]Bibliography and Publications
Sykes has authored nine books, primarily critiquing cultural, educational, and political trends in American society.[53] His early works focused on higher education and victimhood culture, while later publications addressed conservative movement dynamics and privacy issues.[8] [88] Key publications include:- Profscam: Professors and the Demise of Higher Education (1988), which argues that tenured faculty prioritize ideology over teaching.[8]
- The Hollow Men: Politics and Corruption in Higher Education (1990), examining administrative and political influences in academia.[7]
- A Nation of Victims: The Decay of the American Character (1992), contending that grievance culture undermines personal responsibility.[8]
- Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read (1995), criticizing self-esteem-focused education policies.[88]
- The End of Privacy: Personal Rights in the Surveillance Society (1999), analyzing threats to individual privacy from technology and government.[88]
- 50 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School: Real-World Antidotes to Feel-Good Philosophy (2007), offering practical life advice absent from curricula.[89]
- Fail U.: The False Promise of Higher Education (2014), highlighting the commodification and declining value of college degrees.[8]
- How the Right Lost Its Mind (2017), in which Sykes reflects on the rise of populism and media echo chambers within conservatism.[90]