BILL BENNETT, CHRIS BEACH: 5 Ways Trump Has Transformed the Republican Party

Today’s Republican Party is not your father’s Republican Party. It’s no longer a “Grand Old Party”, it’s a Grand New Party, to borrow from authors Reihan Salam and Ross Douthat, with new voices, ideas and energy. And while some conservatives worry that the party has gone astray, others see it as more in line with the more typically American and issues of the time. These debates are important and will continue, but as Election Day approaches, it is important to note some of the meaningful changes and what they portend for the future of party politics.

1. It’s impossible not to notice the eclectic cast at Donald Trump’s side in the 2024 election

Just look at Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and other disgruntled Democrats and independents. If the GOP used to be a rigid hierarchy, today’s party is a motley crew of pirates.

Of course there will be some chaos, an occasional mutiny, but there is a robust new energy and dynamism with a competition of views. And instead of demanding absolute allegiance, it’s all hands on deck. After all, the stakes in this election are different: We’re debating free speech, meritocracy, and what it means to be an American. We take any allies we can get.

And so far, it looks like Republicans are gaining a lot of new allies in the party and in the polls. Trump has one 19 point lead over Harris among those who did not vote in 2020, according to the New York Times. Historically, it was the Democrats, especially Barack Obama, who benefited from new or infrequent voters; now Trump seems to have that momentum. Trump even polls neck-and-neck with Harris among Hispanic men and well above average among black men.

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2. Today’s GOP is a family coalition.

In 1996, voters without college degrees supported Democrat Bill Clinton over Republican Bob Dole by one 14 point margin. Today, Trump leads among people without a college degree 10 points. And while the gender gap is real, Trump leads Harris among married men and women. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ strongest constituency is college-educated single women who prioritize abortion and support Palestine over Israel. It can be argued that the tone, style and substance of each party has never been more opposite. Democrats sound like people in the faculty lounge of an awake university; Republicans sound like people in the break room of a factory or in the stands at a Friday night high school football game.

3. America First is here to stay.

Biden’s open borders, weak economy and brash foreign policy have only further entrenched Trump’s views on trade and national security. Immigration is consistently ranked as one of the most important issues for voters, and 55 percent of all Americans want to see immigration decrease, the highest number in Gallup polls since 2001.

To believe in America First, you have to actually believe in America and really love it. A deeply worrying one political change in recent years is that patriotism has become much more the property of one party, the Republicans, than the other.

Among Democrats, pride in our republic is at an all-time low. This is not surprising given the woke nonsense that has taken over most of our schools and universities for the past several decades. While the far left attacks America’s founding and promotes justice, Republicans are raising our children to read, write, count and think. They emphasize the importance of competence, merit and work while saving children from crazy vigilante schemes. They demonstrate a real understanding of the virtues, not just virtue signaling.

As for virtue and education, we can all improve, Donald Trump included, but there are real lessons to be learned from Trump’s life that children should follow.

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One, the value of hard work. Trump has worked his entire life to build and meet payrolls in the real world we call the personal economy — the same cannot be said for Harris. Two, tell the truth. Campaign hyperbole aside, Trump fulfilled more campaign promises from 2016 to 2020 than any president in modern history. What he said he would do in office, he did. It’s a great lesson for young people. Third, he demonstrates a willingness to learn, especially his deeper understanding of the power of faith and of those who believe. The days following his near-assassination in Pennsylvania and Florida have given him time to reflect; his perspective on mortality has deepened, and he invites us to do the same by his example.

4. The “establishment wing” of the GOP is in retreat and a new generation is rising

Ohio Senator and Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance features; former Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney is out. By supporting an abortion radical like Kamala Harris who puts an end to crime, Never Trumpers like Cheney have lost what credibility they had left. They insisted that opposition to Trump was about standing on principle; it was really about staying in power and maintaining influence. Meanwhile, Vance is poised to become the vanguard of this new GOP, flanked by battle-tested talent like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and newcomers like businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.

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5. Finally, being a pirate is fun

You can tell jokes, sling fries at McDonald’s, or sit down with Joe Rogan without a script for three hours. The Trump show is the antithesis of the traditional consultant-led campaign. And, of course, there’s the bigger, more important point: Republicans are the party of free speech, open debate, and the taking of centralized power—the rebels with a cause. Democrats have become the speech police and hall monitors, in league with Big Tech and Big Government. It’s no surprise that the Democrats’ party affiliation struck a chord record low earlier this year.

The GOP is a grand, new, happy pirate ship that reflects the true diversity of American life, from stay-at-home moms to Mars-going rocket scientists, from Midwestern farmers to disgruntled coastal elites. As another pirate, Bob Dylan, once said, “The times they a change.” We believe they are. See you on Wednesday.

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