Where does the Republican Party go from here?

U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming
U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming
Erin Schaff | Pool | Getty Images

The sackcloth and ashes were visible last week, after House Republicans voted to replace U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming as GOP conference chair with U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a one-time moderate turned Trump loyalist from New York.

“If the Republican Party’s downward spiral isn’t reversed, it will descend even further into a frightening world of illusion,” wrote long-time Republican strategist Peter Wehner.  

“The GOP House Republican Conference has chosen #TrumpOverTruth — again,” tweeted The Lincoln Project.

Olivia Troye, a former adviser to then-Vice President Mike Pence, said on MSNBC that Trumpism is “actively destroying the fundamentals of our democracy.”

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But not all Republicans are wringing their hands. While support for Donald Trump among the GOP faithful is falling, it remains high. And it’s clear party activists aren’t interested in cutting the ties that bind the former president to the current party.

Monday, host Kerri Miller spoke with two Republicans with different visions for where the party should go from here. One believes Trump is the path to ruin. One thinks a bigger tent that includes Trump supporters is the key to victory.

Guests:

  • Peter Wehner is a former Reagan and George W. Bush administration official. He is a contributing writer for The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. 

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

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