Dozens of former Republican officials in talks to
form anti-Trump party
Breakaway group would run on ‘principled conservatism’
platform, say those involved in discussions
Reuters
Thu 11 Feb
2021 08.44 GMT
Dozens of
former Republican officials who view the party as unwilling to stand up to
Donald Trump and his attempts to undermine US democracy are in talks to form a
centre-right breakaway party, four people involved in the discussions have
said.
The early
stage discussions include former elected Republicans, former officials in the
Republican administrations of Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, George W Bush and
Trump, ex-Republican ambassadors and Republican strategists, the people
involved told Reuters.
More than
120 of them held a Zoom call last Friday to discuss the breakaway group, which
would run on a platform of “principled conservatism”, including adherence to
the constitution and the rule of law – ideas they say have been trashed by
Trump.
The plan
would be to run candidates in some races but also to endorse centre-right
candidates in others, be they Republicans, independents or Democrats, the
people involved say.
Evan
McMullin, who was chief policy director for the House Republican conference and
ran as an independent in the 2016 presidential election, told Reuters he
co-hosted the Zoom call with former officials concerned about Trump’s grip on
the Republicans and the nativist turn the party had taken.
Three other
people confirmed to Reuters the call and the discussions for a potential
splinter party had taken place, but asked not to be identified.
Among the
call participants were John Mitnick, general counsel for the Department of
Homeland Security under Trump; the former Republican congressman Charlie Dent;
Elizabeth Neumann, deputy chief of staff in the Department of Homeland Security
under Trump; and Miles Taylor, another former Trump homeland security official.
The talks
highlight the wide internal rift over Trump’s false claims of election fraud
and the deadly 6 January storming of the US Capitol. Most Republicans remain
fiercely loyal to the former president, but others are seeking a new direction
for the party.
The House
of Representatives impeached Trump on 13 January on a charge of inciting an
insurrection by exhorting thousands of supporters to march on the Capitol on
the day Congress was gathered to certify Joe Biden’s election victory.
Call
participants said they were particularly dismayed by the fact that more than
half of the Republicans in Congress – eight senators and 139 House
representatives – voted to block certification of Biden’s election victory just
hours after the Capitol siege. Most Republican senators have also indicated
they will not support the conviction of Trump in this week’s Senate impeachment
trial.
“Large
portions of the Republican party are radicalising and threatening American
democracy,” McMullin told Reuters. “The party needs to recommit to truth,
reason and founding ideals or there clearly needs to be something new.”
Asked about
the discussions for a third party, Jason Miller, a Trump spokesman, said:
“These losers left the Republican party when they voted for Joe Biden.”
A
representative for the Republican National Committee referred to a recent
statement from its chair, Ronna McDaniel. “If we continue to attack each other
and focus on attacking on fellow Republicans, if we have disagreements within
our party, then we are losing sight of 2022 [elections],” McDaniel said on Fox
News last month. “The only way we’re going to win is if we come together.”
The Biden
White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
McMullin
said just over 40% of those on the Zoom call backed the idea for a third
national party. Another option under discussion is to form a “faction” that
would operate either inside the Republican party or outside it.
Names under
consideration for a new party include the Integrity party and the Center Right
party. If it is decided instead to form a faction, one name under discussion is
the Center Right Republicans.
Potential
members are aware that the US political landscape is littered with the remains
of previous failed attempts at establishing a third party.
“But there
is a far greater hunger for a new political party out there than I have ever
experienced in my lifetime,” one participant said.
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