The Ultimate Warrior: A conservative remembered
WWE The Ultimate Warrior/Facebook


I've often mocked conservatives for embracing any celebrity who'll pay them any attention (see my criticism of Ted Nugent). But according to National Review's Michael Taube, the man born James Brian Hellwig, and known to his fans as The Ultimate Warrior, was a sincere, if rough around the edges, conservative:
He appeared at CPAC in 2004 and gave a rousing speech about his personal views on conservatism to an eager audience. He toured university campuses, discussing everything from politics to human sexuality.
I have no reason to believe that Warrior didn’t study politics, economics, and philosophy. His recommendations to [Dan] Flynn of books for young conservatives to read, including Russell Kirk’s The Conservative Mind, Barry Goldwater’s Conscience of a Conservative, and Dinesh D’Souza’s Letters to a Young Conservative, seem legitimate. His views on political and economic issues appeared to be genuine. [National Review]
There is, of course, another political connection. Linda McMahon, wife of WWE boss Vince McMahon, twice ran for the Senate as a Republican.
Like so many of his contemporaries who worked for McMahon (and on the heels of his having been inducted into the WWE's Hall of Fame), The Ultimate Warrior died far too young.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Matt K. Lewis is a contributing editor at TheWeek.com and a senior contributor for The Daily Caller. He has written for outlets including GQ Politics, The Guardian, and Politico, and has been cited or quoted by outlets including New York Magazine, the Washington Post, and The New York Times. Matt co-hosts The DMZ on Bloggingheads.TV, and also hosts his own podcast. In 2011, Business Insider listed him as one of the 50 "Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." And in 2012, the American Conservative Union honored Matt as their CPAC "Blogger of the Year." He currently lives in Alexandria, Va.
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs
-
'The program long ago ceased to be temporary help'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Denmark to grill US envoy on Greenland spying report
speed read The Trump administration ramped up spying on Greenland, says reporting by The Wall Street Journal
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine