the florida republican party threw him out. police later cleared him of charges in both of those investigations. but then right on the heels of that, the state of arizona lost their state republican chair, too. that same republican senate candidate who awkwardly appeared with trump this weekend, kari lake, she released secretly recorded audiotapes of the arizona state republican chairman in which she said he was trying to bribe her to leave the senate race. she also reportedly threatened to release more tapes of him, and so he quit as arizona state republican party chairman. then right on the heels of that, the national republican party lost its chair, too. ronna mcdaniel pushed out or resigned apparently to make room for donald trump's daughter-in-law. her experience for the job included being a singer in addition to being married to one of trump's sons, the blonde one. that seemed like a legit choice for the national republican party, and so ronna mcdaniel had to go. but all of that has only happened just this year in 2024. it

right now the republican party members are now voting on who will now lead the state party. our reporter has been there all day. >> reporter: it is 2 1/2 months until election day and colorado republican party members are still fighting their own leaders. >> for those who don't change in the middle of a race, that is a valid argument unless of course the rider mac is trying to kill the horse. >> a valid argument unless the rider mac is trying to kill the horse. that was this weekend as colorado republican party officials met to vote out there state party chairman and they said was destroying the party but for his part a little bit like it happened in michigan the republican party chair and colorado is refusing to recognize the validity of the vote to remove him because of course he is. he said the meeting this saturday in brighton, colorado where they voted to fire him was a sham and illegitimate and the legal. as of sunday the day after they voted to fire him he leased had custody of the letterhead on which to release the statement that said his firing was a sham and someho

the state's republican party chairman is out. dave williams, and other party leaders, were voted out as leadership of the colorado gop today. but they've said they consider today's meeting and vote fake. the meeting started at moon and is still going. republican party members are voting who will now lead the state party. our reporter has been there all day. >> reporter: it's 2 1/2 months until election day and colorado republican party members are fighting their own leader. >> those who say don't change a rider in the middle of a race, that's a valid argument unless the rider is trying to kill the horse. >> that is a valid argument unless the rider is trying to kill the horse. that was this weekend, saturday. as colorado republican party officials met to vote out their state party chairman, who they said was destroying the party. for his part, it's a little bit like what happened in michigan. the republican party chair in colorado is refusing to recognize the validity of the vote to remove him because of course he is. he says the

the republican party will remain my friends on this call, i'm closing olivia, i promise, the republican party will remain trump's party unless trump loses decisively. so if you're neighbor, a republican, does not want it to be trump's party, trump has to lose and he has to lose by a lot and that means we republicans have to vote for the only person who can beat him. i have found that message really resonates. god bless you, everybody. get out there and get ready to go proselytize, no matter where you are. thanks. >> thank you so much, congressman. you're absolutely right it will take all of us and it takes tremendous courage to do about talking to your neighbors and talking to each other and make sure you are having the conversations and we have to beat him. we have to beat him a lot. next on, former rnc delegate rena shaw. it is so good to have you here tonight. >> thank you, olivia and thank you to all of you who are here with us tonight. i am a former political operative and a lifelong republican and i refused to leave the republican party. i have been trying to be pushed out for yea

i was a foot soldier for the republican party. i came up all the way from a volunteer to the head of a party platform committee within my local gop and on the executive committee. i served two republican members of the house, established a republican political consultancy and yet that spring when i decided to open my mouth and exercise my freedom of speech, i had my own come after me. and so what i say is if they could do it to one of their own, they could do it to anyone. and when i say they, i mean donald trump and all his little minions. these are people who are happy to carry out his will to silence me. when they tried to silence me, i found my own voice. i may not have a large footprint a lot of people have. the people at this rally continue to give me hope so i continue to fight the fight with the optimism i have here today. i know that we can take this party back from trumpism. maybe everyone here doesn't agree with me. part of being american is dissent. my family fled murderous dictator in uganda. and my grandfather escaped

former washington state republican party chair. >> thank you. i am a former republican lawmaker, republican state party chairman in washington state and in 2016 a republican nominee for senate and now i am a proud republican supporting harris because in this election, there is no choice. on national security, growing the economy, and defending the constitutional role of law. so i have been active in this movement as long as i can and two weeks ago, less than two weeks ago, i saw a tweet saying, when are we going to have a republicans for harris call? so i texted austin, i tend to bother austin a lot, and he said, why don't you guys organize it? so we put together the team to put this together and it has been tremendous success. olivia has been fantastic. we all know read a tremendous debt of gratitude. the former deputy chairman of the minnesota republican party just joined the movement and wrote a tremendous op-ed in the star tribune about why he is supporting harris and that is exactly what we need to be doing at this point. we are still in the

party. they took the barry goldwater, john mccain state dominated by republicans for decades. closely divided state and have just destroyed the party. just absolutely destroyed the whole thing. it is really a olwild thing to watch. alencia johnson, thank you so much. >> thank you. >>> up next, an area podcast or moonlighting in the senate confronts a scary reality. >> i have no other way to ask this but directly. is donald trump becoming a drag on republicans? >> i don't think so at all. >>: all right is a democratic challenger nipping at the heels of ted cruz and he joins me next. me next. shortness of breath, fatigue, or light-headedness, can come and go. but if you have afib, the risk of stroke is always there. if you have one or more symptoms, get checked out. making that appointment can help you get ahead of stroke risk. this is no time to wait. (bell ringing) someone needs to customize and save hundreds with liberty mutual! (inaudible sounds) (elevator doors opening) wait, there's an elevator? only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, ♪ ♪ liberty. ♪ ♪ i am,

the republican party will remain trump's party unless trump loses decisively. >> let's be clear, probablyast majority of people that are considering being republicans for harris voted for donald trump once or twice and now trying to wrestle with, ok, i voted for him in 2016 and in 2020, it's now the time to break away. we don't have to have regrets who we supported in the past. what are we going to do in the future and what will it be for our kids? i want to mention somebody i got to know recently, pam pinto was arrested january 6 for going into the capitol and since been out there talking about how much of a mistake that was, how donald trump is leading a cult and how it's ok to walk away. so i think it's important for all of us to remember, just because maybe you voted for trump ino 2016 or 2020, we all can sometimes wake up and say, you know what, we thought it would work a different way but the reality is our democracy is in danger. i'm not one to believe there will be another country if donald trump wins that would be dramatic. but the faith in our democracy is chipped away by donald

as we know the history of phyllis shapley in that wing of the republican party. but the fact that how do we grapple this history of having feminists within the republican party who are fighting for the equal rights amendment? and what does that tell us about today in the republican party of that that this history was once? so those records that i'm currently searching through the in armstrong's records here at nixon library where i'm seeing that play and those histories with of the republican party but also grappling with that feminists that were mexican-american women, part of the republican party who supported the era so that's those are kind of documents that are really drawing to me and calling to me and how do we interpret that as a historian for me, as a historian and what does that say about the parties of today if at one point that existed. that's great thank you as as a question for all of you so often when your research showing there's the document that you come across, you just can't believe it. your heart kind of stops. then you are so excited that it

can get a view from the other side of the aisle and we can speak to lisa james who is a former republican party particularly younger men without college degrees, do you agree with that point? college degrees, do you agree with that oint? , ., college degrees, do you agree with that oint? , ~ ., that point? listen, think what she has to do tonight _ that point? listen, think what she has to do tonight is _ that point? listen, think what she has to do tonight is put _ that point? listen, think what she has to do tonight is put out - that point? listen, think what she has to do tonight is put out some | has to do tonight is put out some real policy— has to do tonight is put out some real policy ideas because right now, those _ real policy ideas because right now, those young people are still hurting when _ those young people are still hurting when they— those young people are still hurting when they go to fill up their gas tanks. — when they go to fill up their gas tanks. on — when they go to fill up their gas tanks, on the go to the grocery store — tanks, on the go to the grocery store the _ tank

the republican party, my friends on this coal, i'm closing, olivia, i promise, the republican party willn donald trump's party unless trump loses decisively. >> let's be clear, but for the vast majority of people considering to be republicans for harris and voted for donald trump once or twice and is now wrestling with -- i voted for him in 2016 and 2020, is now the time to break away? it is about, what will we do for the future? and i also want to mention someone i've gotten to know recently, pam. she was arrested on january 6 for going into the capital. some were talking about how much of a mistake that was. how donald trump was leading the call and how it was ok to walk away. it is important to remember that if you voted for donald trump in 2016 or 2020, sometimes we have to say -- it is ok, we thought it would work a different way but the reality is this is a danger. i'm not one that believes there will not be an election in 2028 if donald trump wins but i will say that the faith in our democracy is being chipped away by donald trump when he convinces a third of the country that the

additionally, the republican party is all about loyalty. so it kind of does make you want to say, yeah, it is interesting that a republican governor would not support the republican party's nomination for president. i understand why trump did not get an endorsement from the two people he helped get elected. hostthis is a comment from x fromric who says if you would like to understand the problem trump created for himself on georgia, today on the radio, nine out of 10 callers on the radio are mad at him for attacking brian kemp's wife. escorted charlie, republican, arkansas -- let's go to charlie, republican, arkansas. caller: i wanted to ask about referendum voting. we could have some say in things ourselves, and it does not matter who they are, they are not going to represent us, and we have no say. this is the illusion of a democracy. also, i think donald trump is a wonderful person, and i would like to hear what you think about the mar-a-lago visit since you know him personally. since we cannot have any say in our own government, i think

he rates the republican party with trump at its helm continues down the path of political extremism, ndamental freedoms. now more than ever, we need leaders who will put country over party. kamala harris is the company, just and fair leader our country deserves. this year, too much is at stake to vote republican at the top of the ticket. let us put country of her party by voting to stop trump and protect our democracy. joining us now is the republican mayor of mesa, arizona, john giles. mayor giles, you just heard ruben gallego had complimentary things to say about you and i spent a lot of time in arizona before the last election and i met a lot of people like you, conservatives, republicans proud of the tradition of your state. your beliefs are your beliefs and you feel that we live in a pluralistic society where people can have different beliefs, but your belief is in democracy? >> absolutely. arizona has a rich tradition of having a strong republican party and a healthy republican party, and that is no longer the case. folks like kari lake and donald trump literally has taken over

that was a bipartisan consensus and for decades both parties, republicans especially but unfortunately some democrats, took workers and labor for granted. there has been a seismic shift in the democratic party. the biden-harris administration is the most prolabor of any administration in my history and this is a big shift from republicans and democrats passing things like nafta. instead he -- you have a party and candidate very dedicated to ensuring we can strengthen

the republican party, and me as a candidate, but the republican party has the enthusiasm because people want to see crime stopped. >> reporter: trump even suggesting he attracts crowds larger than martin luther king jr. did for his "i have a dream" speech. >> i've spoken to the biggest crowds. nobody's spoken to crowds bigger than me. if you look at martin luther king, when he did his speech, his great speech, and you look at ours, same real estate, same everything, same number of people. if not, we had more. >> reporter: and asked about president biden's warning that there would "absolutely not" be a peaceful transfer of power if trump loses in november, trump falsely claimed that there was in 2020, and there would be again as long as the election is honest. >> of course there will be a peaceful transfer. and there was last time. and there will be a peaceful transfer. i just hope we're going to have honest elections. >> reporter: and the vice president saying tonight that she's open to considering more debates, but only after the one on abc news on september 10th. harris also saying to

so i believe the republican party will survive donald trump on may some day return to the republican body. but for now, we've got donald trump in the driver's seat and he's come with the shops. he's driven people out of republican ball type, so you don't support him on the i think it's a very bad situation in the short term with the republican party. survive in your opinion. if it, the next generation were led by a j. d. vance. well, daddy vance has his own death. all these a, these embrace the political extremism on a wide range of issues. most voters of who i don't want to vote, republican don't want government people's business. yeah. telling people what to and if we've got government telling women when they can have a child or try to regulate birth control or to people who they can marry, all of that of the extreme right wing a social agenda that is embrace by today's republican body. a lot of a more liberal, tearing boulders are, are just going to walk away from that. so there needs to be a serious discussion about whether the republican party truly stands for less government, l

is that something that you think is resonating with members like you who are of the republican party,inking about defecting to kamala harris's election, and how much of it do you actually buy? >> yeah, vice president harris sounds like a great republican there, doesn't she? and i think that's a message we need to get out. the trump campaign is doing their best to paint her into a corner as being a flaming progressive that is not going to govern from the center. but that is not the experience that we have seen over the last 3 1/2 years from the biden- harris in ministration. we have seen bipartisan legislation passed that has been very impactful in places like mesa, arizona. the chips act, the bipartisan infrastructure act, the inflation reduction act. every week as mayor, i go to groundbreaking's and ribbon- cutting of major economic projects in my city that wouldn't have happened absent of that legislation. so, i think the more that speeches like that that she gets, the easier it will be for people like me to help republicans see that she is very much a preferred choice for them and

today trump is the republican party. right? there is the trump phenomenon and nothing else. what is means. coherent body of beliefs. and that has consequences. a result, trump has wrecked the value of being a republican for all of the other candidates on the ballot. and this is true of candidates who should be able to run as basically generic republicans and have a decent shot of winning in swing states where there is a lot of republicans and they are just getting their butts kicked right now. like the republicans running for senate in the battleground -- real tight states, pennsylvania, wisconsin are perfect examples. david mccormick in pennsylvania, eric hovde. they are not great candidates. they are uber wealthy carpetbagger with residences outside the state, make tons of money, but they are not, like, total freak shows either. they are not mark robinson. they are not kari lake. they are pretty standard rich republicans, right, with standard rich republican positions. guys like that have been winning senate races as long as i have been alive. in recent polls mccormick is e

republicans. it is what this party used to be about. previous republican nominees for president, ronald reagan for instance who used to be a democrat. it was that kind of openness, that kind of indication to the party process. vice president harris spoke last night at as a democrat but as an american and it was a wonderful speech. >> i would love to get into this conversation with you but i appreciate you being with us tonight. michael brodkorb is the former deputy chair of the minnesota republican party. this is not a casual republican who showed up to talk. this is a guy who has held high office and i hope one day you can hold that office again and be proud about being a republican. that is what we need to fix. we need to fix a country that has viable competing political parties. thank you for being with us tonight. >> thank you so much for the opportunity. >>> coming up, last night in the dnc speech, vice president paris tour ended trump telling ukraine that putin and his army can do anything whatever they want. that would be damaging

the republican party is more malleable than the democratic party republican party used to support smootholly which, of course, was high tariffs and aided, helped promulgate the greatt depression because we stopped trade because it was so expensive. then the republican party, urn reagan it became a free trade party, and now it's accelerating back to being a high tariff party. in1970 to-- in 19700 two democratic senators, walter mondale and ted kennedy, said we need to stimulate the economy by massive tax cuts. this is two democratic senators saying massive tax cuts. and the nixon administration said, no, we're going to still stimulate the economy by -- stimulate the economy by massive federal spending. a complete role reversal in 40 years. the republican party on many, many issues the republican party hasut changed, but it's been fairly constant since reagan's time which i think is another understood accomplishment of ronald reagan. he changed for a lifetime or even longer what the republican party stands for. >> creating a dynamic republican party. >> precisely. precisely. >> do we have

>> yes i think eventually we have to invite back to the republican party a lot of folks like me that al party in arizona is none. it is independence and that is because there have been many people like myself and centrist republicans who left the party because we have been invited by people like kari lake and also a party of political extremists. it is a big enough tent to have any debate. if you are contradicting the dogma of the maga folks. >> in the last election a lot of people who identified as republicans or maybe left the party, but they are conservatives and would like to be republicans who voted for democrats and that is what made the difference. >> absolutely. in the last election i endorsed a democrat for senate. mark kelly. very proud, fingers crossed, that he is on the ticket. also our democratic governor because she was being challenged by kari lake. again my preference would be to endorse republican candidates, but time and time again it is impossible for people like me who are looking for the best candidate to do that and particularly people like me trying to protect m

the republican party is morety malleable than the democrat party. s we stopped trade because it was so expensive. then the republican party under reagan became a free trade party and now reverting back to being a high-tariff party. in 1970, two democratic senators, mandell and ted kennedy said we need to stimulate the economy by massive tax cuts. this is two democratic senators, massive tax cuts and the nixon administration said, no, we are going to stimulate the economy by massive federal spending. complete reversal in just 40 years, so the republican party on many issues, the republican party has changed and fairly constant since reagan's time which, i think, is another under accomplishment ronald reagan, he changed for a lifetime or even longer with the republican party stands for. >> creating dynamic republican party. >> precisely.. precisely. >> i think i saw some other hands. we are going to go one, two, three and we will finish, four and five. >> hey, craig, how are you doing? >> good, how? >> you look at recent polls and show that joe biden.

the republican party aftethis electi if trump loses, i think it's in a lot of trouble. it's a shrinking party. it's very white, very monolithic, very regional in its demographics of the kind of people that support it. it's not growing, it's not expanding ination that is mo diverse, more female, and changing. host: taking you to the line for independents. tom, good morning to the land of good -- 10,000 lakes. go ahead. caller: yeah. inside the beltway, what has happened to the -- let's call it the republicans who were the anybody but trumpers. they are all out here in the hinterlands. inside the beltway, had they been pretty much eliminated from the scene? guest: that's a great question anyes, the people who he not fallen in line with trump, i'm one of them, the have been exiled, for lack of a better word. the party has a deep division. you saw it in the prary where nikki haley was the last woman standing. trump didn't even show up for one of the debates, which i thought was disrespectful. you want to win the primary of your party? show up to the debate, the caucuses, the

republican party open welcomes with open arms. and they say yes, you were a great civil war general because more a general he was during the war the useful he is as a symbol of repentance and of that turning of the page of atonement in the new a new start and all the rest. so he is, in a way, the most surprising thing is not the decision which was the initial decision to write the letters was somewhat tentative. but the fact, as you alluded to, that after the blowback, he doubles rather than backing down because the blowback vindicate hates him in the belief that these ex confederates don't really want peace, you know, and what he wants is peace. and at one point he is actually reinjured and reinjured the same arm. he's leading an african-america militia in a street battle. in the september 1872. what call the the canal street coup? oh, yes. a coup d'etat in the state level. this is all so long. street becomes. he writes these 1867 letters, a republican party and he will remain as such for makes a commitment to the republican part

, who are making the argument that when you put country over party, whether you are a democrat or republican if you put country over party you are actually the patriot that donald trump likes to-- he likes to talk about the fact that his group of people are patriots. what i saw this week at the democratic convention is a whole bunch of people of every stripe saying, no no, actually we are patriots, country over party is what makes you a patriot in this country. >> that is absolutely right, and there are so many republicans and moderates and independents, who maybe, sometimes lean one way or the other, who feel that way. arizona has always been a state that prides itself on being a state of mavericks, having independence minds, and voices, a place where you can have politicians, like john mccain and that will continue to be what arizona looks like into the future. and so speaking to those voters in particular, it is going to be really critical to see who gets across the finish line in november. >> i want you to listen to me with the this new harris campaign ad on the border, because of arizon

the republican party is now the trump party.doesn't really reflect the values of fiscal responsibility and a place in the world community, leadership in the world community. and a number of other things. so, we banded together four years ago and supported then vice president biden, who won the election. then, when it was clear that trump was going to be the nominee we continued to communicate with one another and decided we thought it was in the best interest of the country to get behind president biden and when he dropped out a few weeks ago we decided that we were going to continue our efforts to elect vice president harris. host: what do you say to republicans who will call your group never trumped by another name? guest: well, what we call ourselves are republicans. there are some that have been part of the republican party that left the party. we decided to stay republican so that when trump is gone we can get back to some semblance of what the republican party stands for, which i already stated, a republican party that can

kim: party, rejecting foreign it ash the republican party, rejecting foreign -- republican party, rejectingoreign interventionism. should be looking after the interest of american manufacturers and workers on the same goes immigration policy. say what you will about whether or not you agree with the content of those policies, it is something that bucked the historical republican consensus. what i see now traveling the country is that what began as a challenge to the system has now become a new system in the conservative movement. we have up-and-down ballots across the republican party things to the effect of we believe in making more things here, we believe in being departed workers that the party of workers we believe in -- the, party of workers would believe in putting america first but without taking about what these phrases mean or why we are saying them. i personally believe that's not a good development for any movement when you start to recite your slogans by muscle memory rather than remembering the why of why we believe what we do. so as a traced intellectual devout men of the cons

and, you know, now the white working class has shifted to being the heart and soul of the republican party. and for democrats to not only just win an election, how do we get out of this democratic deficit we are in where neither party can build an enduring governing majority and really establish some kind of stability? this is not about winning one election. this is about democrats building an enduring government majority, passing legislation that can ameliorate some of the economic and social issues of working-class americans. the only way to do that is to win a significant portion of not just white working class, but donald trump is making inroads into the nonwhite working-class. the only way for democrats to not just win one election, but build a governing majority, is to win working-class voters back into the democratic coalition. that is a combination of a tangible policies, but also significant cultural symbolism. i would say it begins with letting working-class people run for office again. working-class people, right? people with working-class roots that might not have a college edu

the party of pro-segregation becomes the republican party, but within the democratic party, there is a group of southern segregation. colloquially, they are called dixiecrats and they vote against the civil rights act, but the idea that somehow contemporary republicans are the party of lincoln is ludicrous and a fantasy, right? so you have got to own who you are, so all the republicans out there who would like to say it was a democrat who did it back in the day, yes, that is true, democrats were racists back in the day, but when we talk about the 1960's, it is the grand old party that is the party of racism, that is the party of unapologetic white supremacy before trump and trumpism. so the 85-year-old caller, those are the facts that you should embrace. there is no got you moment in terms of joe biden being anti-bussing or certain democrats being anti-bussing. yes, that happens but the contemporary republican party as the party of pro-segregation, the party of murdering, killing and lynching black people, and it is fine if people would like to vote for that party but that is morally

and then the republican party under reagan became a free trade party and now it' and then the republican party under reagan became a free trade party, and now it's reverting back to being a high tariff party. in 1970, two two democratic senators, walter mondale and ted kennedy, said with -- we need to stay make the economy massive tax cuts. this is two democratic senators who said masses tax cuts. nixon said no. going to stimulate by massive federal spending. i mean, complete role reversal in just 40 years. so republican party is anwr, many, many issues a change but it's been fairly constant since reagan's time, , which i think s another understood accomplishment. ronald reagan said he change for lifetime or even longer. what the republican party stands for. >> creating a dynamic republican party. >> precisely, precisely. >> do we have -- i think i saw another hand. were going to go one, two, three and we will finish -- well, four and five. if you can catch all that numbering there. >> take raycom how you doing? >> good. how are you? >> all right. >> you look at recent polls and the show

what the republican party stands for, for creating a dynamic republican party. precisely, precisely. do we have. i think i saw some other hand. so we're going to go one, two, three and we'll finish. well, four and five. okay. so, mikey mag, if you can catch all that numbering there. hey, craig, how are you doing? good. how are you? all right. you look the recent polls and they show that joe biden. i got my glasses on. paul. i owe. yeah. you know, joe biden is now one of the greatest presidents to some recent polling and. and ronald reagan seems to have kind hit a hit. hit a ceiling. do you see that changing over the next 5000 years that he will if historians are honest? if historians are honest. i saw a poll the other day by a bunch of political scientists who are notoriously left wing and they had joe biden rated as the ninth greatest president, which has made me gag, you know, is that joe biden is a terrible, terrible president. he is going to go down in history by honest historians as worst president in american history, if not the worst reagan by like token.

number one, i grew up in the republican party. i have been in the republican party all my life. now, i am a for it is, as you heard in the introduction, one of the cofounders of the four reduced party that we are third- party. people deserve choices so we don't get insight into the type of mess we have been into during this campaign. frankly in a much better spot than we were just a few weeks ago. still, if you think about what we have been going through the past six months, leading up to president biden stepping aside, we did not have to be here if the two parties had been more open, if they had been more welcoming to people, if they had not become so extreme. now, we have a chance to, at least in this election cycle, to ensure we save our democracy, which is what this is really about, and there are so many republicans that are fed up with the hate, with the name party. the republican party in which i grew up in, and michael you know this as well as i do, we were not racist. we believed in the rule of law. we believed in the constitution. we just aren't that party anymore. >> we