Over 120 former Republican officials engaged in a discussion last week to form a new political party based a platform of “principled conservatism”.
The discussions included former officials from the Reagan, Trump, and Bush regimes, GOP consultants, former ambassadors, and even some former GOP elected officials.
The movement is being led by none other than Evan McMullin who ran President in 2016 as an independent. Prior to his run, he served as the chief policy director for the House Republican Conference.
Some other participants in the discussions included former Pennsylvania congressman Charlie Dent, two former Trump Homeland Security officials; Miles Taylor and Elizabeth Neumann.
Jason Miller, a spokesman for former President Trump said, “These losers left the Republican Party when they voted for Joe Biden.”
Following the report, McMullin tweeted:
“If there were to be a new, independent faction of the GOP or a new party all together, it shouldn’t only include Never Trumpers. Rather, it should unite all those who now commit to American democracy, truth and reason and who desire a political identity centered on those things.”
If there were to be a new, independent faction of the GOP or a new party all together, it shouldn't only include Never Trumpers. Rather, it should unite all those who now commit to American democracy, truth and reason and who desire a political identity centered on those things.
— Evan McMullin 🇺🇸 (@EvanMcMullin) February 11, 2021
McMullin told Reuters that over 40% of those who attended his discussion supported the idea of a third party as an option.
Their plan would be to recruit candidates for certain races while backing “center-right” Republicans, independents, and Democrats in other races.
Potential names for the new party include “the Center-Right Party” and the “Integrity Party”.
