{"id":2646471,"date":"2026-08-18T11:57:03","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T15:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/godzilla-v-the-chairman-the-dc-gops-civil-war\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T12:04:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T16:04:45","slug":"godzilla-v-the-chairman-the-dc-gops-civil-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/godzilla-v-the-chairman-the-dc-gops-civil-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Godzilla v. the chairman: The DC GOP&#8217;s civil war"},"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\">18<\/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%2Fgodzilla-v-the-chairman-the-dc-gops-civil-war%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=2646471&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>The article discusses a political struggle within Washington, D.C., centered on shifting the local Republican Party toward a stronger MAGA (make America Great Again) influence.Donald Trump has gained significant support in the city, prompting allies like John Fredericks, a prominent Trump supporter and radio host, to push for a purge of the current local Republican leadership, which they see as too cozy with Democrats and lacking in vigor. Fredericks is backing Christina Goodlander, who aims to challenge the current party chair Patrick Mara in the upcoming January election, accusing the current leadership of lacking ideas and energy.<\/p>\n<p>The intra-party rivalry reveals deeper tensions, with Fredericks claiming he faces opposition from local GOP leaders because of his aggressive stance and efforts to build a more populist coalition. Mara defends the party\u2019s current strength and organization, suggesting critics like Fredericks are merely seeking attention or creating controversy. <\/p>\n<p>The article also highlights D.C.&#8217;s political landscape,where no republican has held mayoral office as 2009,underscoring the party&#8217;s historical struggles in the city.Goodlander emphasizes that her campaign will focus on messaging, organization, and increasing Republican participation in local elections, such as neighborhood commissions, to build a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republican-party-is-way-behind-in-arizona-campaign-notice-paragraph-8\/\" title=\"The ... party is falling behind in the Arizona campaign, pay attention to paragraph 8\">competitive political environment<\/a> over the next decade.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally,ther is mention of internal party conflicts,with Fredericks expressing frustration over being excluded from party activities,and Mara defending the party\u2019s current state while dismissing Fredericks\u2019 criticisms.The piece ends with a humorous note clarifying that the newsletter is not generated by AI and provides some light political commentary and recommended stories for further reading.  <\/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 Tuesday\u2019s edition of Washington Secrets. Today, we take a look at a political battle close to home. It is a contest to put MAGA at the heart of the D.C. Republican Party \u2014 or it\u2019s a quest for ratings and sensationalist headlines, depending on how you see it.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Donald Trump has cleaned up <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\">Washington, D.C.<\/a> Now one of his staunchest supporters in the city wants to clear out the local Republican Party, ridding it of what he sees as amateurs who spend too much time cozying up to Democrats.<\/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\/news\/washington-secrets\/4690196\/godzilla-v-the-chairman-the-dc-gops-civil-war\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Godzilla v. the chairman: The DC GOP\u2019s civil war<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4689402\/national-beef-herd-size-stabilizes-after-years-of-decline\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump\u2019s policies meat the moment: National beef herd size stabilizes after years of decline<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4687415\/white-house-report-card-trump-midterm-message-crime-rates-plunge\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>White House report card: Trump finds his midterm message as crime rates plunge<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4518487\/rats-rents-redskins-john-fredericks-republicans-electable-washington\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4518487\/rats-rents-redskins-john-fredericks-republicans-electable-washington\/\">John Fredericks<\/a>, who broadcasts as \u201cThe Godzilla of Truth\u201d to an audience of millions from his K Street studio, is backing a challenge to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/patmara?lang=en\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/patmara?lang=en\">Patrick Mara<\/a>, the three-term chair of the city\u2019s Republican Party.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/cmgoodlander?lang=en\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/cmgoodlander?lang=en\">Christina Goodlander<\/a> says she is running for the post in the January election to oust leaders who lack an agenda and have given up on winning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet scratch the surface, and the city\u2019s local political scene is riven by petty rivalries and personal insults. One side accuses the other of lacking ideas and energy, while the other says it is being attacked with sensationalist claims designed to drive ratings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis challenge represents the complete and total MAGA takeover of the D.C. GOP,\u201d Fredericks, who is the party\u2019s Ward 2 chair, told <em>Secrets<\/em>. \u201cThe days of compromise, capitulation, and managed defeat are over. We will unabashedly promote President Trump\u2019s success in Washington, fight for the America First agenda, and build a Republican Party that actually fights to win.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans may control the White House, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/senate\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/senate\/\">Senate, <\/a>and House of Representatives, but the nation\u2019s capital has long been a black hole for the local party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No Republican has ever been elected mayor, and none have served on the city council since 2009.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Goodlander said local members were frustrated that their share of the vote was stuck below 10%. It would take time, she said, but her aim is to build a political operation that could make mayoral elections competitive within 12 years.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her campaign is based on messaging, members, and money (or brains, bodies, and Benjamins if you want to be more crude, she joked).<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re never out in the press commenting on local political matters,\u201d she said of the messaging piece. \u201cWe don\u2019t talk to reporters. We don\u2019t issue press releases.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe basically advise our candidates to dodge any difficult questions, and we really don\u2019t stand anything apart from the occasional milquetoast statement about checks and balances.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She pointed to the city\u2019s 46 nonpartisan Neighborhood Association Commissions, where the party could be doing more to organize candidates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLast I checked, there were only two Republicans out of 345 of these seats, so we need to start running people for those,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Fredericks, the campaign is personal. He claimed he had been targeted by local leadership for wanting a more aggressive approach.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result, he said he will attend the Republican midterm convention next month with Virginia\u2019s delegation after he was refused a place with the D.C. delegation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve done a lot, and I\u2019m trying to get people engaged, and I want to win, and I want to build a coalition in Washington D.C. that is an alternative to what we\u2019ve got going on right now, which is basically a communist uprising,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd so, unfortunately, the chairman Patrick Mara kicked me and my wife Anne out because we held town halls, we asked questions, we worked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nonsense, said Mara.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier this year, he told the <em>Washington Post<\/em> he had been forced to remove Fredericks from a party post because members of the Republican National Committee complained about his behavior at their winter meeting in California. Organizers there barred him from meetings because of his media job.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And on Tuesday, Mara took time out from his family vacation to message <em>Secrets<\/em> to say that the D.C. GOP is stronger and better organized than at any time this century.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is good for the party to have people who are interested in leadership,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is also good to have critics like John,\u201d Mara added. \u201cHe talks for a living and needs to create controversy to keep his audience. It wouldn\u2019t surprise me if he airs a series of shows claiming that Lizard People control the party.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-clarification-of-the-day\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Clarification of the day<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first line of the clarification is embarrassing enough.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt has come to our attention that AI was used to condense a longer draft\u00a0of this\u00a0column prior to submission to the FT and our own editorial involvement,\u201d reads the first line added to a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/7ff4321e-3f96-4f7b-8f2d-4fefa4773a5d\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/7ff4321e-3f96-4f7b-8f2d-4fefa4773a5d\"><em>Financial Times <\/em>opinion piece on American tariffs<\/a>. \u201cThe\u00a0FT editorial code of conduct specifically prohibits the use of AI in the writing process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final line is humiliating: \u201cThe writer is a professor at Harvard\u2019s John F. Kennedy School of Government and director of the Harvard Growth Lab.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The writer is, in fact, Ricardo Hausmann, Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy and a former Venezuelan government minister.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Secrets<\/em> is pleased to report that AI is not used in this newsletter. Not even to condense things.<\/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:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-08-17\/poll-showing-bass-leading-raman-by-double-digits-was-bogus-company-says\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-08-17\/poll-showing-bass-leading-raman-by-double-digits-was-bogus-company-says\"><strong>Poll showing Bass leading Raman by double digits was bogus, company says<\/strong><\/a>: <em>Secrets<\/em> has seen a lot of dodgy polls. This is the first completely fake one we\u2019ve seen. And it\u2019s a reminder of just how easy it is to get misinformation out there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/opinion\/win-november-republicans-take-page-obamas-playbook\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/opinion\/win-november-republicans-take-page-obamas-playbook\"><strong>To win in November, Republicans need to take a page from Obama\u2019s playbook<\/strong><\/a>: Let us finish what we started, is the mantra. It worked for Obama\u2019s reelection, but could it work for Trump\u2019s Republican Party in November?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><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#2350464051465750635442504b4a4d44574c4d465b424e4a4d46510d404c4e\"> <span class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"3744525445524344774056445f5e5950435859524f565a5e5952451954585a\">[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><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tuesday\u2019s Washington Secrets: D.C. GOP faces MAGA fight<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4136,"featured_media":2646472,"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\/04\/IMG20241015105729-e1775582531638.jpg?w=674","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3879,34944,84321,63174,5894],"class_list":["post-2646471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-chairman","tag-civil-war","tag-dc-gop","tag-godzilla-2","tag-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG20241015105729-e1775582531638.jpg?w=674","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2646471","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=2646471"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2646471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2646480,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2646471\/revisions\/2646480"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2646472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2646471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2646471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2646471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}