The Grand Old Party has shifted dramatically since the days of Lincoln. What is the direction of the Republican Party going forward?

On Wednesday, March 6, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley dropped out of the race after lackluster results on Super Tuesday. Haley only won the District of Columbia and Vermont. Donald Trump won the other 15 states up for grabs. 

In a repeat of 2020, President Joe Biden will take on Trump in the 2024 election. Both men are neck in neck in the polls as the nation remains as polarized as ever. While the Democratic Party seems to be almost united behind Biden, there has been a noticeable split within the Republican Party. 

Haley refused to endorse Trump when she dropped out, leaving her support base unsure what they will do next. Some have said they will reluctantly vote for Biden in order to prevent Trump from getting back to the White House.

“Our country is in disarray and the world is on fire, but it doesn’t have to be this way. It will [continue to be this way] if we elect [Trump] again. We will regret it,” said Nikki Haley in a press conference at an Urbandale precinct during the Iowa Caucus. 

Haley had gained support from both Democrats and moderate Republicans as being the most centeralist candidate and being willing to fight back against Trump and the far-right MAGA Republicans. 

Haley argues the future of the Republican Party and the entire United States is at stake. She said that Trump does not represent the Republican Party she knows and that changes need to be made.

“We have to acknowledge some hard truths. Republicans haven’t won the popular vote since George Bush Sr.¹, that is nothing to be proud of,” Haley said in her speech. “The only way we’re gonna win a majority of Americans is if we have a new generational leader. You don’t counter Democrat chaos with Republican chaos.”

Republicans in the modern age

When looking at the Republican Party now, many compare it to about 16 years ago when the late senator from Arizona, John McCain, was the Republican nominee for president in 2008. 

McCain gained praise from both sides of the aisle for being a respectable politician and crossing party lines to get to know everyone and get work done. He was also notably outspoken against Trump during the 2016 election, and condemned MAGA. 

In a final act of defiance by McCain, Trump was the only living president not invited to – and subsequently did not attend – McCain’s funeral in 2018; which was attended by Democrats and Republicans alike, including former presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama. Bush and Obama also delivered a joint eulogy to honor one of McCain’s dying wishes. President Carter was also invited, but he could not attend due to health reasons.

Since Trump took control of the party, it has continued to veer further right with many believing this to be the future of the party. 

However, former Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News he “cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump.” Pence did not say who he would vote for, but his and Haley’s refusal to support the former president further reveal the divisions within the party.

In an interview with Donald Trump Jr, he said he believes that the party is more united than ever before. 

“Republicans were in shambles before my father ran for president. Now we are more united than ever to stop the Democrats and their ridiculous agenda they are forcing on everyone across the country,” Trump Jr. said.

Trump Jr. said that Haley and her supporters are the Republican Party of the past and that MAGA is the future of the United States.

“If you want to be weak and be part of every war ever, vote for Nikki Haley. If you want to be part of a radical, almost fascist regime, vote for Biden,” Trump Jr. said. “If you want peace and prosperity, my father is the guy for that. We had world peace under Trump², that was all taken away when [Biden] stole the election³.” 

Trump Jr. said that his father’s legal issues are only further unifying the party and he does not believe Republicans are as divided as others say.

Republicans against Trump

Besides Haley, another modern Republican outspoken against Trump is former U.S. Representative from Wyoming, Liz Cheney. 

After the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Cheney became known for being one of the leaders in the movement to impeach Trump, as well as to prosecute him and his MAGA supporters responsible for the capitol insurrection. 

In an interview with Cheney, she spoke about how she feels pride knowing that she is on the “right side of history” unlike a lot of her Republican colleagues.

“The way that our politics is operating right now is not how it’s supposed to operate,” Cheney said.

She said she feels bad for the younger generations who have grown up knowing only the current state of the Republican Party and the political atmosphere as a whole.

Cheney believes the biggest threat to the United States is that Trump has his dedicated base of followers.

“The Republican Party has chosen to embrace a person who has attempted to overturn an election, attempted to seize power, has refused to commit to the peaceful transfer of power [and] lead an attack on our capitol that put our legislative branch in harm’s way,” Cheney said.

She emphasized the threat posed by Trump and the Republican Party is “very real and existential” and should not be ignored. 

Cheney, while disagreeing with policy and political views of the Democratic Party, said she admires the Democrats for their continued commitment to the Constitution.

“I think most Americans want a leader who leads with a reverence for the Constitution; people who put country over self,” Cheney said. “It’s unfortunate, but Democrats are the only major party left who do. It’s clear Republicans no longer care about [the Constitution.]”

She went on to say that it is important for everyone, especially the newer generations, to step up and take charge to try and fix the problems that have been made.

“It’s going to be necessary for all of us to decide we aren’t just going to be bystanders. It’s something we all have to do,” Cheney said. “I hope to see more people get engaged so we can defeat Trump for good.”

A Democratic perspective 

Not every Democrat is in support of Biden, but general consensus seems to be they believe Trump is still the biggest threat to the country. 

“There’s a lot of Republicans that I respect and there’s still good people in the party. But it’s clear [Republicans] have become an extremist party hijacked by Donald Trump and his MAGA friends,” said Iowa Democratic State Rep. Adam Zabner. “[Republicans are] really out of step with what everyday Americans want when it comes to personal freedoms [and] government services.”

Zabner believes that modern Republican’s (especially within the MAGA base) biggest problem is trying to control every part of people’s lives, including every part of government all the way down to things like local school boards. 

He said he can’t explain how Republicans went from McCain to Trump, and that he doesn’t fully know what the future will hold. Also, he is disappointed to see the direction they are headed, as it makes it much harder to work with them.

“I think of Iowa’s history with Robert Ray, one of the greatest governors of Iowa. He was a Republican. I actually have a button I wear around the Capitol that says ‘what would Ray do?’” Zabner said.

He expressed concern about the current Gov. Kim Reynolds and her attacks on moderate Republicans in Iowa, a lot of whom are incumbents. 

“I don’t know if [Robert Ray] would recognize the Republican Party that is in charge today,” Zabner said.

What does the future hold?

“To put it simply, I think it’s extremely important that [Trump] never be elected president again,” Cheney said.

Cheney believes that after the coming election, the entire political system needs to be reexamined. She also wants to see more young people get involved and get their voices heard. A major point she emphasized was civil discourse and not treating people with different viewpoints as enemies. 

“We’re not all going to agree on every issue. Frankly, we shouldn’t. Vibrant debate is what makes this nation work,” Cheney said. “But we need to treat each other with respect. Something, once again, the Republicans have lost.”

Rep. Zabner hopes Republicans will come back and be willing to have discussion and work with Democrats again. He hopes they will learn from their current mistakes and go back to the party of Robert Ray or John McCain.

“There are a lot of issues that shouldn’t be partisan and used to not be,” Zabner said. “I hope we can get back to a point where we can have these discussions and help people. That Democrats aren’t the only ones who care about certain issues.”

Zabner and Cheney both said they are saddened to see once great, respectable Republicans fall to the whim of Trump for political convenience. They said it won’t end at stopping Trump, but that every person who got Trump to where he is should also be held accountable. 

Cheney did not outright endorse Biden or say she’d vote for him. However, she did say Trump should not enter the White House again.

“I disagree with the Biden Administration on most things. However, the nation can survive, and has survived on bad policy. It will not survive on a president who plans to torch the Constitution,” said Cheney.

Zabner also emphasized the same point Cheney made of how important it is to get more young people involved in politics. Cheney mentioned the stakes and how young people are the future of the United States.

“I don’t care if you’re Democrat or Republican, we are all American,” Cheney said. “If we don’t get people engaged, we may lose our freedom and the country as we know it.”

FACT CHECKING

1 – CLARIFICATION: Republican George W. Bush won the popular vote when he was reelected in 2004, however he lost the popular vote in the 2000 election against Al Gore. His father, George H. W. Bush was the last Republican to win the popular vote on their first try in 1988.

2 – FACT CHECK: According to both the World History Association and the United Nations, there has never been a period in recorded human history of complete world peace, this includes Trump’s presidency. 

3 – FACT CHECK: There is no evidence that Joe Biden “stole” the 2020 election. Multiple courts, including Trump appointed judges, have ruled the election was fair.

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