By Lexi Meola
Elm Staff Writer
After losing the White House and the Senate majority, the United States is looking at the Republican Party to see how it will evolve following former President Trump’s radical agenda.
According to NPR, “For decades, the Republican Party united strong national defense proponents and social and pro-business conservatives. But President Trump has reshaped the GOP and rejected some of its traditions.”
Trump has actively changed some of the GOP’s strongest beliefs, such as imposing taxes even though the GOP has always been known as the party of free trade, according to NPR.
The Republican Party has divided into those who want to distance themselves from the “Trump era” and those who want to continue in the path the Trump administration set.
Republicans who have aligned themselves with Trump in the Senate and the House have started to attack other members of their party for not supporting the former president.
Rep. Matt Gaetz criticized Rep Liz Cheney of Wyoming and nine other Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted to impeach Trump.
According to Politico, Gatez held a rally in Wyoming and said, “How can you call yourself a representative when you don’t represent the will of the people? That is what all the neocons ask about the Arab dictators. I figure maybe we ought to ask the same question of a beltway bureaucrat turned fake cowgirl that supported an impeachment that is deeply unpopular in the state of Wyoming.”
Gaetz is not the only one attacking Cheney’s decision to vote against her party. After her decision, the Wyoming GOP decided to censure Cheney. However, Cheney made it clear she will always defend the constitution in her statement on the matter.
“Foremost among these is the defense of our Constitution and the freedoms it guarantees. My vote to impeach was compelled by the oath I swore to the Constitution,” Cheney’s statement read, as reported by NBC News.
Democrats called for Representative Marjorie Taylor Green to be stripped of her roles on the budget committee and education committee after a video of her verbally harassing Parkland School shooting survivor David Hogg went viral.
In the past, Greene has shown support for the right-wing conspiracy group Q-Anon and peddled multiple false conspiracy theories, including the false belief that school shootings and parts of 9/11 were staged.
There was a vote held by the House on Feb. 4 to determine if Greene would be removed from her committee assignments. According to CNN, “The vote tally was 230-199 with 11 Republican House members voting with Democrats to remove Greene from her committee assignments.”
Trump has changed what the Republican party stands for, allowing it to be known for condoning conspiracy theories and lies. The party is now untrustworthy. Many Democrats in the House of Representatives and Senate are afraid of their own Republican colleagues. They are worried that they could be attacked on the floor of the House.
“Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has said she feared for her life, in part because she doubted the motives of unnamed colleagues who were sheltering with her,” reported NBC News regarding the events of the attack on the Capitol building on Jan. 6.
This residual fear has created concerns amongst constituents about Democrats and Republicans working together on bipartisan legislation. The tensions between both sides are now heightened.
Congress’ job is to help and support the American people. If they are busy focusing on in-party fighting and disagreements between those on the other side of the aisle, nothing will ever get done.
If Republicans and Democrats cannot work together, it will only cause more animosity within the country. President Biden has expressed his want for bipartisan legislature on serious issues like that of a COVID-19 relief bill.
After Biden’s meeting with ten Senate Republicans to discuss the COVID-19 relief bill, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated, “He felt it was, you know, an effort to engage, and engage on a bipartisan basis, and that’s why he invited them to the White House today.”
If the Republican party cannot work together and not have divisions within itself, their constituents will end up suffering. It is imperative for the survival of the country that the Republican party does what is best for their constituents instead of doing what is best for former President Trump.
Featured Photo caption: President Trump’s radical reinvention of the Republican party has divided conservatives into two groups: those who support him, and those who do not. Photo by Trish Rana.