Ex-GOP Lawmaker Warns Republican Party Reaching ‘Point of No Return’
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A former Florida Republican lawmaker has expressed deep concern over the future of his party, suggesting that it may be on the brink of irreparable damage. Speaking on MSNBC Monday, former Rep. David Jolly (R-FL) shared his views on the current state of the GOP, aligning with sentiments voiced by former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) days earlier.
During a Friday speech, Cheney emphasized the need for political leadership to reflect the values of the American people. “Most voters want someone their children can look up to,” she said, adding, “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.”
On MSNBC’s Deadline: White House, Jolly echoed Cheney’s concerns but emphasized that the GOP’s problems began long before Donald Trump’s rise to power. “Donald Trump did not hijack the Republican Party,” Jolly explained. “He walked through the front doors, and everybody lifted him on their shoulders…and the party celebrated him.”
Jolly noted that Cheney herself voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, even after witnessing his actions, underscoring the party’s complicity in his ascent. Trump, he argued, became the leader of the GOP not through force, but through the party’s own embrace of his rhetoric and policies.
In the same segment, MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace aired a clip of Stephanie Ruhle confronting New York Times editor Bret Stephens, who suggested he needed more information before making a decision on Vice President Kamala Harris. Jolly used the moment to reflect on how alienated anti-Trump Republicans now find themselves.
“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,” Jolly declared. He argued that under the current GOP leadership, many Republicans feel they’ve been “kicked out” and are now finding refuge in the opposition.
Jolly described the idea of starting a new political party as a massive financial and logistical endeavor. “Starting a new party is a $100 million proposition,” he explained, cautioning that building a party is far different from running a single presidential candidate.
Jolly concluded by noting that Cheney’s recent discussions about potentially forming a new party highlight a breaking point for the GOP. “There are many people who say it’s time to leave,” he said, though he acknowledged that some Republicans are still willing to fight, even if it means enduring several more cycles of electoral defeats.
