Omar Hashem, San Francisco
A coalition of Republicans is preparing to do whatever is necessary to defeat Trumpism in the upcoming midterms. To do so, they've joined the Renew America Movement (RAM).
"When in our democratic republic, forces of conspiracy, division, and despotism arise, it is the patriotic duty of citizens to act collectively in defense of liberty and justice."
-Call for American Renewal.
The Renew America Movement is a coalition of Anti-Trump Republicans who are threatening to create a centrist third party if the GOP continues to fail Republican founding ideals.
The movement released a "Call for American Renewal" in May with a list of 13 principles they believe are under attack by Trumpism. The list included the commitment to the rule of law, respecting constitutional order, and civic responsibility.
In February, Rep. Liz Cheney dismissed the idea of a third party, claiming it would empower Democrats. In May, House Republicans voted her out of her leadership position as a direct result of her criticism of Former President Trump and his claims of election fraud. On July 1st, she accepted Nancy Pelosi's appointment to a committee investigating the January 6th events. Her decision makes the rift within the GOP even wider.
Evan McMullin and Miles Taylor founded the movement with 150 former Republican governors, members of Congress, and cabinet officials. While the list of supporters of the RAM includes many notable former politicians and security state veterans, it has virtually no support from politicians currently in office. Supporters include former top politicians and operatives Bill Weld, Joe Walsh, George Conway, Max Boot, and Michael Steele.
Many of the members of the coalition took a stand against Trump in 2016. They also campaigned to defeat Donald Trump and elect President Joe Biden and other Democrats in 2020. Members of the Lincoln Project, Republican Voters Against Trump, and Stand Up Republic have signed on to the demand for reforms.
McMullin, a former CIA officer, ran in the presidential elections as an independent in 2016. His campaign raised $1.6 million, a third of which coming from small donations. He received 0.5% of the vote nationally, but 21.5% in Utah. Taylor was a Trump Administration appointee who served in the Department of Homeland Security from 2017 to 2019. During his tenure he wrote an anonymous op-ed for the New York Times and a book where he exposed violations he witnessed under the Donald Trump Administration.
The movement aims to raise tens of millions of dollars to defeat radical Republicans in four to five senate races and over a score of house races. They're also planning to recruit candidates to run in GOP primaries as Republicans or independents under the movement's banner. It is yet to be seen if they can meet their goals.
A growing faction of dissident Republicans is defecting and hoping to restore Republican ideals by threatening to create a third party. However, there is no indication as to how much, if any, support a third party could garner from Republicans in office.
The movement hopes to get support from the minority of moderate Republicans who are bold enough to stand against the majority. Their goal is to influence close elections against candidates who do not uphold what the movement sees as Republican founding ideals.