{"id":2605500,"date":"2026-05-21T12:52:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/freedom-conservatives-plot-a-post-trump-republican-party\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T12:56:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:56:09","slug":"freedom-conservatives-plot-a-post-trump-republican-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/freedom-conservatives-plot-a-post-trump-republican-party\/","title":{"rendered":"Freedom Conservatives plot a post-Trump Republican Party"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffreedom-conservatives-plot-a-post-trump-republican-party%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2605500&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Thursday\u2019s **Washington Secrets** looks at a Freedom Conservative gathering in Washington focused on what happens to the GOP after Donald Trump. It opens by contrasting customary conservative labels-MAGA, \u201cAmerica First,\u201d paleoconservatism, integralism, Christian nationalism, and more-with the reality that the conservative Right now functions as many factions rather than one unified movement.<\/p>\n<p>At the conference, speakers emphasized \u201cpossibility through freedom\u201d as a route to lower living costs and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/barry-w-poulson-proposing-a-fiscal-responsibility-amendment\/\" title=\"Barry W. Poulson: Proposing a Fiscal Responsibility Amendment\">restore fiscal stability<\/a>, arguing that post-liberal allies on both sides of the aisle try to exclude parts of the country instead of keeping everyone in the same project. Sessions questioned what conservatism has actually \u201cconserved\u201d and how to build a winning coalition-though the tone is described as polite rather than celebratory, including a small presence of MAGA symbolism.<\/p>\n<p>A recurring theme is the shadow of Trump and the need to plan for a post-Trump conservative politics. Mike Pence\u2019s network is referenced through Tim Chapman, who framed the U.S. as being dominated for much of the last decade by \u201cone central personality\u201d and urged conservatives to think about building \u201cpost-Trump\u201d conservatism. The article also notes that while voices tied to funders like the Koch network have been sidelined under Trump, their money and influence remain.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Rand Paul delivers the keynote with skepticism about where Republicans have gone, especially criticizing Trump-era or Trump-aligned policies like banning major corporate buyers from purchasing single-family homes-arguing it would sharply reduce homeowners\u2019 property values. Paul urges Republicans to rebuild around ideas, capitalism, free trade, and limited government, warning against a \u201ccult of one person\u201d and demanding loyalty not replace principles.<\/p>\n<p>Other segments include Rep. Rich McCormick describing plans for two books,the second jokingly titled *I Wish It Sucked More*,and a warmly received introduction of Dominic pino of the *Washington Post*,who has joined its editorial page from the *National Review*. The post ends with suggested reading links and a standard newsletter pitch.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Welcome to Thursday\u2019s edition of <\/em>Washington Secrets<em>. We spent Wednesday getting our FreeCon or something, hanging out with one of the factions in the Republican Party preparing for what comes after Donald Trump. Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) delivered a \u201cfireside chat\u201d \u2014 there was no fire or fireside \u2014 in which he said he wished things \u201csucked more.\u201d That could be the boldest political slogan that <\/em>Secrets<em> has ever heard.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MAGA, \u201cAmerica First,\u201d paleoconservatism, integralism, Christian nationalism, social conservatism, the disruptor Right, and fusionism all the way through to the Never Trumpers: The conservative Right is not short of labels to describe all its different factions and beliefs.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/columnists\/4577645\/pennsylvania-primary-results-unpacked\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Pennsylvania primary results unpacked: Democrats go far left, while GOP centers<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/columnists\/4576813\/republicans-better-than-democrats-keeping-bigots-out-how-long\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Republicans are better than Democrats at keeping bigots out of the party \u2014 but for how long?<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/columnists\/4576056\/can-trump-handle-world-he-changed\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Can Trump handle the world he has changed?<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Wednesday, it was the turn of Freedom Conservatives to gather in an auditorium in Washington to take stock and plot a course ahead.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once upon a time, they did not even need a label. Their mix of free markets and liberal trade, small government and low taxes, foreign restraint, and the importance of individual liberty was simply known as the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican-party\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican-party\/\">Republican Party<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Things are more complicated today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their annual conference kicked off with a session that simply asked, \u201cWhat is Freedom Conservatism?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Avik Roy, of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, summed it up by saying that opportunity through freedom was the best way to reduce the cost of living and restore the nation\u2019s fiscal sustainability.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s how we win,\u201d he said, before lumping together a Left and Right that have given up on classical liberal, free-market values. \u201cThe entire business model of our post-liberal compatriots on either side of the aisle is to exclude a giant chunk of Americans from our shared enterprise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey don\u2019t believe it\u2019s possible for all of us to achieve great things together. Instead, they believe in rewarding their friends and punishing their enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The schedule of the day reflected the challenge faced by the FreeCons. \u201cWhat has conservatism ever conserved?\u201d one panel asked. Another pondered how to build a winning coalition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the fireworks of a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cpac\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cpac\/\">CPAC <\/a>or Turning Point USA, it made for a polite, earnest discussion. There was a single MAGA cap, black rather than red, in attendance, outnumbered by the bowties.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No one cheered. Instead, smart lines received a polite round of applause.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Above it all hung the shadow of one colossal figure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tim Chapman, from Mike Pence\u2019s Advancing American Freedom, said the quiet part out loud when he described the nation as being in the 10th of 12 years dominated by \u201cone central personality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think the influence of the president, even though it seems to be at its zenith \u2014 and in many ways you could argue it is, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4575866\/trump-allies-victory-lap-massie-kentucky-gop-primary\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4575866\/trump-allies-victory-lap-massie-kentucky-gop-primary\/\">especially with the primaries this week<\/a> and whatnot \u2014 but that influence will wane, and now it\u2019s time for conservatives to think about building a post-Trump conservatism,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These voices and their funders have been sidelined under Trump. But the money is still there. Many of the speakers had ties to the Koch Network, the sprawling political empire built by Charles and David Koch, and based on oil money and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/free-market-icon\/\" title=\"Free Market Icon\">free-market ideology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And they still have a handful of prominent voices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), the keynote speaker, summed up the sentiment in the room when he expressed his general disbelief at where the congressional Republican Party has landed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He reserved particular scorn for Trump\u2019s plan to ban major corporate buyers from purchasing single-family residential properties. He said that would slash the value of people\u2019s homes by 20% overnight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat Republican would have ever been for that 20 years ago?\u201d he asked. \u201cAnd now the majority of our caucus is for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The people in the room, he said, were vital to rebuilding the Republican Party around ideas rather than a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-offers-devastating-assessment-of-musks-ridiculous-proposed-new-party-and-what-itll-do\/\" title=\"... Offers Devastating Assessment of Musk&#039;s &#039;Ridiculous&#039; Proposed New Party and What It&#039;ll Do\">single personality<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHopefully, you are that remnant that still believe in capitalism, believe in trade, believe in the principles of limited government. We can\u2019t be a cult of one person,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe can have disagreements, but we can\u2019t have this monolithic cult of absolute loyalty to one person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were no cheers or whoops. Instead, there was the very loudest applause of the day.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-rich-mccormick-wishes-it-sucked-more\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rich McCormick wishes it sucked more<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not content with writing one book, Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) revealed to the Freedom Conservative audience that he is writing two in parallel. The first sounds like a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >conventional political book \u2014 part memoir<\/a>, part world according to McCormick, part how to fix things such as healthcare without raising taxes \u2014 and is provisionally titled <em>In Pursuit of Happiness<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said he was enjoying the process so much that a second book would come right after his first.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a little more quirky and funny,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s called <em>I Wish It Sucked More<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That sure sounds like a big vote-winner, right?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then he described where the name came from. It is an expression from his time in the Marine Corps and the Navy, he explained.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s a few different kinds of people,\u201d he said, such as the aviators who look outside when it\u2019s raining, and they say, \u201cIt looks like it sucks down there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s a chap drinking coffee in a tent, he continued, who looks out from his shelter and says the same, or the infantry guy with an M16, with the same thought.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThen you got the one guy coming out of the water, he\u2019s got the Ka bar [utility knife] in his mouth, he\u2019s looking around, and he\u2019s almost buried up to his neck, and he goes: \u2018I wish it sucked more.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Facing adversity, he explained, is part of the path to success. And embracing the toughest of tests, even if they end in failure, is the key to winning your future, whether the special forces operator in his tale or an entrepreneur building a business.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe always say in the military: Embrace the suck,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which is something of a gift to reviewers and their headlines!<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-washington-post-writer-gets-warm-welcome\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Washington Post<\/em> writer gets warm welcome<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the warmest moments of the day came during the introductions to the \u201cWhat has conservatism ever conserved?\u201d session.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTo discuss this question today, we have Dominic Pino of the <em>Washington Post<\/em>,\u201d said Iain Murray, vice president of the Competitive Enterprise Institute.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI will say that again, Dominic Pino of the <em>Washington Post.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A warm titter ran through the auditorium at the idea of a <em>Washington Post<\/em> editor being welcome at such a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/weak-government-complicit-media-silicon-valley-are-torching-america\/\" title=\"Weak Government, Complicit Media, Silicon Valley Are Torching America\">conservative event<\/a>. But Pino is a new type of <em>Post<\/em> writer. He recently joined its editorial pages from the <em>National Review,<\/em> as the Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper tries to broaden its appeal beyond a liberal readership.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-lunchtime-reading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lunchtime reading<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/20\/why-thomas-massie-lost\/?mod=djemPolitics\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/20\/why-thomas-massie-lost\/?mod=djemPolitics\"><strong>Why Thomas Massie lost<\/strong><\/a>: Sean Davis at the <em>Federalist<\/em> says the Kentucky congressman only has himself to blame.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/opinion\/gerrymandering-isnt-enough-for-the-gop-3ca53b73?st=T3Pvzm&#038;reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/opinion\/gerrymandering-isnt-enough-for-the-gop-3ca53b73?st=T3Pvzm&#038;reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink\"><strong>Gerrymandering isn\u2019t enough for the GOP<\/strong><\/a>: Karl Rove\u2019s midterm assessment in the <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> is already being shared around by Democratic campaign operatives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>You are reading <\/em>Washington Secrets<em>, a guide to power and politics in D.C. and beyond. It is written by Rob Crilly, who you can reach at <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#e695838594839295a69187958e8f8881928988839e878b8f888394c885898b\"><span class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"5c2f393f2e39282f1c2b3d2f3435323b28333239243d313532392e723f3331\">[email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/a> with your comments, story tips, and suggestions. If a friend sent you this and you\u2019d like to sign up, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/click1.trk-washingtonexaminer.com\/xprvgynrhhctscghtpnrptnqlrtypjmjlkrlcnpvhgpdcr_jtjrvfbrrsmwbqmnsbmvsv.html?a=Washington+Secrets+Lara+Trump&#038;b=01%2F21%2F2026&#038;c=WEX_Washington+Secrets&#038;d=25812206&#038;e=da31c45955c9411a6c40ecd0e967fa8def1f0fc08362faaa0dee09386ff5c41b\">click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to Thursday\u2019s Washington Secrets. We spent Wednesday with a GOP faction prepping for life after Donald Trump-Rep. Rich McCormick joked he \u201cwished it sucked more.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4136,"featured_media":2605501,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2275495537.jpg?w=594","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[35297,32085,32515],"class_list":["post-2605500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-conservative-movement","tag-republican-party","tag-us-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2275495537.jpg?w=594","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2605500"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2605504,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605500\/revisions\/2605504"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2605501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2605500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2605500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2605500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}