A cadre of Republicans who backed President Biden in the 2020 election are threatening to bolt the GOP if former President Donald Trump continues to play a leading role in the party.
The individuals, who supposedly number more than 100, plan to release a letter Thursday highlighting their opposition to Mr. Trump’s dominance.
“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,” a portion of the letter reads.
The signatories, who include former elected officials, federal bureaucrats and political appointees, are expected to argue that if Mr. Trump is not repudiated and disavowed, then the only option would be the creation of a third party.
“We’re going to issue a call for American renewal,” said Miles Taylor, an organizer of the letter, during an appearance on CNN. “Our message is it is either time to reform or repeal the Republican Party.”
“The Republican Party is broken,” he added. “It’s time for a resistance of the ‘rationals’ against the ‘radicals.’”
Mr. Taylor rose to prominence in 2018 after authoring an anonymous essay in the New York Times lambasting Mr. Trump from within the administration. In 2020, Mr. Taylor founded Republican Voters against Trump to boost Mr. Biden’s chances of winning the election.
In organizing the letter, Mr. Taylor appears to rely heavily on liberal and anti-Trump Republicans who have publicly shunned the GOP for years.
For instance, among the signatories are former Pennsylvania Rep. Charlie Dent, ex-New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and Bush-era Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.
All three, like Mr. Taylor, endorsed Mr. Biden’s candidacy in 2020. Mrs. Whitman even spoke at the Democratic Party’s nominating convention on Mr. Biden’s behalf.
‘These losers left the Republican Party when they voted for Joe Biden,” said Jason Miller, a spokesman for Mr. Trump.
The letter’s build-up comes as House Republicans ousted one of Mr. Trump’s fiercest antagonists, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, from leadership on Wednesday.
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Ms. Cheney, the daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, most likely will be replaced by Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York in a vote to fill the conference chair vacancy expected to be held Friday. Ms. Stefanik was endorsed by Mr. Trump, who worked behind the scenes to prevent others from challenging her ascension.
“The House GOP has a massive opportunity to upgrade this week from warmonger Liz Cheney to gifted communicator Elise Stefanik,” Mr. Trump said when issuing his endorsement.
Despite opposition from the likes of Ms. Cheney and Mr. Taylor, the former president remains popular among the party’s base.
A new poll released by the right-leaning Trafalgar Group indicates that more than 60% of GOP voters would support Mr. Trump’s attempts at a comeback in 2024.
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.
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