Ex-Republican lawmaker reveals why he believes the GOP is at a 'breaking point'
One former Florida Republican lawmaker is concerned that his former party is reaching a point of no return.
On Friday, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) told an audience that the face of political leadership should represent the American people and that most voters want someone their children can look up to.
"Look, it's hard for me to see how the Republican Party, given what it has done, can make the argument convincingly or credibly that people ought to be voting for Republican candidates until it really recognizes what it's done," she said.
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Speaking to MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace on Monday, former Rep. David Jolly (R-FL) agreed with Cheney in part, but explained that the downfall of the GOP didn't begin with former President Donald Trump.
"Donald Trump did not hijack the Republican Party," said Jolly. "He walked through the front doors, and everybody lifted him on their shoulders, and he became the nominee of the party, the great ambassador, and the leader, and the party celebrated him. And that includes Liz Cheney in '16 and '20, as we've talked about, having voted for Donald Trump even after everything she saw."
He pointed to the previous segment, where Wallace showed a clip of MSNBC colleague Stephanie Ruhle taking down New York Times editor Bret Stephens in a discussion about those claiming they "need to know more" before they can vote for Harris.
"What if you are a NeverTrump Republican or a Republican who is soft or can't vote for Trump? I would tell you this right now, there is something that started under Joe Biden but really took hold under Vice President [Kamala] Harris in the last two months, which is this: if you are a NeverTrump Republican or a soft Republican, you are more welcome in today's Democratic Party than you are in your own party. Truly."
He explained that, unlike the existing GOP, the Democratic Party is allowing Republicans a seat at the table, where "you functionally have been kicked out."
The idea of starting a new party is a $100 million proposition, he said, saying that one can't conflate starting a party with running a presidential candidate.
"Those are two totally different things," he said, walking through all of the necessities and complications of starting a new party in all 50 states.
"So, I think the fact that Liz Cheney is now talking about that suggests we are at a breaking point for today's Republican Party. There are many people who say it's time to leave," said Jolly. Others, he noted, are eager to fight the battle, even if it means they'll have several more cycles of losing.
See the conversation below or at the link here.
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