Episode Introduction
Chris Buskirk joined Sam Stone and Chuck Warren on January 26, 2021, for the third episode of the show then called Broken Potholes. The conversation took place less than a week into the Biden administration. The question on the table was where the Republican Party would go next.
Buskirk was then best known as the founder of American Greatness and a Phoenix conservative talk radio host. In the years after this interview, he became one of the most influential organizers on the right as co-founder of the Rockbridge Network with JD Vance and of the venture firm 1789 Capital. That gives this early conversation added interest today.
Quick Answer
Breaking Battlegrounds Podcast 3, released January 26, 2021, features Chris Buskirk, founder of American Greatness, on the Republican Party’s direction after Trump’s first term. Buskirk later co-founded the Rockbridge Network with JD Vance and the venture firm 1789 Capital, making him a central figure in the post-2020 conservative movement.
About Chris Buskirk
Chris Buskirk founded the conservative news and opinion site American Greatness in July 2016. He co-authored American Greatness: How Conservatism, Inc. Missed the 2016 Election & What the Establishment Needs to Learn with Seth Leibsohn, and he is the author of America and the Art of the Possible (2023). Around the time of this interview, he was a Phoenix-based conservative talk radio host and a frequent guest on NPR.
In 2019, Buskirk and JD Vance co-founded the Rockbridge Network, which helped fund Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and ran get-out-the-vote operations in that election. In 2022, he co-founded 1789 Capital with Omeed Malik and Rebekah Mercer, where he serves as chief investment officer. He also founded Buskirk Capital, a family investment firm.
Buskirk returned to Breaking Battlegrounds for a later conversation on America and the Art of the Possible.
Related Breaking Battlegrounds Episodes
All of these links come from your podcast sitemap.
- Buskirk’s return visit: Chris Buskirk on the Art of the Possible
- Other early-2021 debates over the GOP’s direction:
- Broader context on the conservative movement:
- JD Vance, Buskirk’s Rockbridge co-founder: JD Vance and what went wrong with Trump’s Secret Service
- The show’s name change: Broken Potholes is now Breaking Battlegrounds
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Chris Buskirk appear on Breaking Battlegrounds?
Buskirk first appeared on January 26, 2021, in the show’s third episode, when it was still called Broken Potholes. He discussed where the Republican Party goes from here. He later returned to talk about his book America and the Art of the Possible.
Who is Chris Buskirk?
Chris Buskirk is a conservative entrepreneur, investor and writer. He founded American Greatness in 2016, co-founded the Rockbridge Network with JD Vance in 2019, and co-founded the venture firm 1789 Capital in 2022, where he is chief investment officer. He appeared on Breaking Battlegrounds in January 2021, when the show was still called Broken Potholes.
What is the Rockbridge Network?
The Rockbridge Network is a conservative political network that Chris Buskirk and JD Vance co-founded in 2019. It brings together donors and investors, and it helped fund Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and ran get-out-the-vote operations in that election.
What is 1789 Capital?
1789 Capital is a venture capital firm founded on October 3, 2022, by Omeed Malik, Rebekah Mercer and Chris Buskirk, all members of the Rockbridge Network. Donald Trump Jr. is a partner. Buskirk serves as chief investment officer.
