Washington Free Beacon editor in chief Matthew Continetti said Thursday on MSNBC's "Meet the Press Daily" that President Donald Trump's movement is primarily about nationalism and that Rep. Keith Ellison's (D., Minn.) controversial history will hold him back within the Democratic Party.
Host Chuck Todd first asked Continetti to weigh in on the ongoing Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. Continetti said that Trump has changed the face of the conservative movement and the Republican Party.
"I think Kellyanne Conway is right. It's TPAC. The president usually defines the parameters of a political party and that's the same way that Ronald Reagan transformed the Republican party when he finally won the nomination in 1980 and became the president that year," Continetti said. "It really became Ronald Reagan's Republican party. He brought the conservative movement to the fore."
"Donald Trump won the nomination, he won the presidency," Continetti continued. "Now he is bringing in his movement and also changing the conservative movement that was there, and I think the way to think about it is nationalism."
When the topic turned to the race for the next chair of the Democratic National Committee, Todd said that he believes Ellison's Muslim faith would hold him back. Continetti disagreed, pointing to several points from Ellison's life and career.
"He's also elevating someone who is considered out of the mainstream even in the Democratic party, not because of his religion, Chuck, but because of his history with the Nation of Islam, some of the comments he's made about the state of Israel," Continetti said. "There are real concerns I think among the pro-Israel community in the Democratic party that Ellison would not be the best ambassador."