2024 should be the year of the Never Trump Republican

The emergence of Donald Trump as the essentially undisputed leader of the Republican Party over the last eight years has led to the rise of “Never Trump” Republicans — some of whom limit themselves to a protest vote in presidential elections while others vote Democratic and urge other principled Republicans to do the same. This year’s Democratic National Convention featured a record six Republican speakers, including a former congressman — Adam Kinzinger of Illinois — and a current elected official, Mesa, Arizona Mayor John Giles. Should 2024 be the year of the Never Trump Republican?

As a Republican-leaning independent, I believe that Republicans and other Republican-leaning independents who deplore the GOP’s takeover by Trump and his brand of nationalist populism should vote for Harris, and I hope that by Election Day we will see more politically homeless Republicans come out in support of the Democratic ticket.

In some ways, especially on foreign policy, Republicans and Democrats have switched sides in recent years. Harris’ acceptance speech at the DNC praised American military strength as a force for freedom and stability around the globe and declared our nation’s support for countries resisting tyranny. For many, this rhetoric had echoes of Ronald Reagan in the Cold War era. Meanwhile, on the Republican side, it’s common to hear charges — echoed by one speaker at the Republican National Convention — that the policies of the United States provoked Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The Democratic Party in 2024 has also adopted the language and imagery of American patriotism, including the emphasis on freedom as the highest value and a Reaganesque sense of optimism and opportunity.

Of course, talk is cheap, especially political talk. Many Republicans who reject Trump and Trumpism also believe that, for all the lip service to freedom, Democrats are too wedded to intrusive regulations that seek to micromanage business. Others are concerned that, while convention speeches appealed to all Americans regardless of identity, the day-to-day politics of the Democratic Party tend to put people in the boxes of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and other demographic characteristics. Others worry that Harris will promote a radical program of economic redistribution that will harm the economy.

Yet the notion that Harris is a closet Marxist is based mostly on hyperbolic reports on tax proposals that, even if enacted, will have a fairly narrow impact. Fiscal conservatives may not like the fact that Harris wants to raise the corporate income tax rate from 21% to 28%. But that would still be a historically low rate for post-World War II America.

Tax rates and social policies are legitimate areas of disagreement and debate. What should unite principled Republicans and conservatives with Democrats and liberals in 2024 is respect for democracy and democratic institutions. The Republican candidate tried to overturn a legitimate election and encouraged a riotous attack on Capitol Hill in the process — acts for which he is currently under indictment. He has also repeatedly signaled his intent to break the guardrails restraining his power if he is reelected.

Republicans and conservatives who join the “Never Trump” coalition can make sure that their concerns are heard within the Democratic Party. And, by helping defeat Trumpism, they may help steer the Republican Party back to healthier principles.

Opinions expressed by Cathy Young, a writer for The Bulwark, are her own.

By Cathy Young

Cathy Young is a writer for The Bulwark.