The Patriot

The Cotillion Room in The Pierre hotel has wall panels painted with pale green laurel wreaths, plush carpet patterned with grey-blue arabesques, crystal chandeliers dangling from oval recesses, and heavily draped windows overlooking Central Park—all of which makes it seem natural here, if only here, when people still refer to themselves, with a straight face, as members of “the conservative movement.” By the look of it, there are around 400 of them here tonight, ranging from ages 20 to 110. Many are sipping the evening’s signature cocktail: an Old Fashioned infused with apple cider syrup and served over a large ice cube engraved with the monogram of our hosts, the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington. On this cold November night in Manhattan, we are gathered here to celebrate the presentation of the 2025 Herman Kahn Award to Alex Karp.