Is Gen Z the death knell of Western civilisation, or its unexpected cavalry? Conservative firebrand CJ Pearson, host of the CJ Pearson show, says the kids are alright, but probably not in the way you think. “We’re working hard to beat those allegations,” he quips, as accusations fly that his generation are woke peaceniks who’d happily let Western values go up in smoke.

Pearson claims there’s been a seismic shift among young voters, especially young men, with a whopping 20-point swing towards Trump. “It’s almost unprecedented,” he boasts, suggesting the secret sauce is Trump’s ability to reach young people where they are: podcasts, memes, and talking about job security instead of identity politics.

Pearson also blames higher education for turning red-blooded patriots into guilt-ridden, privilege-shamed protestors.

There’s a twist, though: Pearson reckons conservatism and populism are now the counterculture. “It’s actually become cool to be square,” he says, contrasting cheerful, confident conservative crowds with angry, joyless leftist protests. Being MAGA is the new rebel yell!

But, Harry Cole notes the age at which people “flip” to conservatism is getting older. With home ownership and well-paying jobs out of reach, young people feel like they have no stake in the system. Why fight for a dream you can’t afford? Pearson insists conservatives shouldn’t cede issues like affordability to the left. Better ideas, he says, will win the day, if only Congress could get off holiday and actually pass some laws.

Faith and family, once cornerstones of the West, are now endangered species. Birth rates are down, Islam is rising, and the promise of “double income, no kids, and pickleball in Dubai” has seduced many. Yet Pearson says the South is holding firm, and the only way to beat the left is to out populate them. “Let’s make many of our own", he says.