RINO Republicans: Irrelevant and Out of Touch with the GOP’s Future

In recent years, the term “RINO” (Republican in Name Only) has taken on new meaning, particularly as a label for individuals within the GOP who have steadfastly opposed the populist movement led by former President Donald Trump. As the 2024 election cycle approaches, a notable group of these “Never Trump” Republicans—figures like Dick and Liz Cheney, George Bush, Mike Pence, John Bolton, Mitt Romney, Adam Kinzinger, Lisa Murkowski, and the disbanded yet outspoken Lincoln Project—have taken their defection to new heights, publicly declaring their intent to support Kamala Harris, the Democratic frontrunner, for president. By doing so, they have effectively cemented their irrelevance within the modern GOP, ensuring that their influence will continue to dwindle in a party that has transformed far beyond the neoconservative days of the Bush administration.

The Irreversible Break

The decision to endorse Harris over Trump is nothing short of an existential crisis for these figures. While many of them have long been estranged from the Trump wing of the party, this outright endorsement of the opposition signals their final break from the GOP’s base. Figures such as Dick and Liz Cheney, who once represented the hawkish, interventionist wing of the Republican Party, are now seen as relics of a bygone era. Their support for Harris, a staunch progressive, reveals just how disconnected they’ve become from the conservative grassroots.

Liz Cheney’s anti-Trump crusade reached its zenith with her prominent role on the January 6th Committee, where she sought to portray Trump as a danger to democracy. While this earned her accolades from the left, it led to her resounding defeat in Wyoming’s Republican primary, where her loyalty to the party’s base was called into question. Her father’s legacy as Vice President under George W. Bush may have carried weight during the War on Terror, but in today’s GOP, a party increasingly focused on America First policies, the Cheney name is synonymous with the establishment—a faction that has lost its grip on power.

George Bush: A Distant Memory

The Bush dynasty, once a dominant force in Republican politics, now finds itself in the political wilderness. George W. Bush’s silence during the Trump presidency spoke volumes, but his recent endorsement of Kamala Harris underscores how far he has drifted from the conservative movement that once championed his leadership. Many conservative voters see the Bush years as a period of misguided wars and unchecked spending, and the former president’s support for a Democratic candidate further alienates him from a party that has moved in a dramatically different direction.

Mike Pence and John Bolton: From Allies to Pariahs

Mike Pence, once Trump’s loyal vice president, finds himself in a political no man’s land. His refusal to challenge the 2020 election results earned him the ire of many Trump supporters, and his subsequent political moves, including his Harris endorsement, have isolated him even further. Pence’s traditional conservative stance on issues like abortion may resonate with some in the GOP, but his unwillingness to embrace the populist tide means his future within the party is bleak.

John Bolton, Trump’s former national security advisor, has long been a polarizing figure. His neoconservative worldview, shaped by a belief in American interventionism abroad, is a stark contrast to the America First approach that now defines the GOP. Bolton’s endorsement of Harris is unsurprising, given his public spats with Trump, but it only serves to highlight how out of touch he is with a Republican base that no longer prioritizes endless wars and nation-building.

Mitt Romney, Adam Kinzinger, and Lisa Murkowski: The Party’s Outcasts

Mitt Romney, the senator from Utah and 2012 Republican presidential nominee, has spent much of the Trump era positioning himself as the GOP’s moral conscience. His votes to impeach Trump and his consistent criticism of the former president have made him a pariah within the party. Romney’s decision to back Harris all but guarantees that he will have no future influence in shaping the GOP’s policy or direction.

Adam Kinzinger, another vocal critic of Trump, has followed a similar trajectory. Once a rising star in the GOP, Kinzinger’s tenure on the January 6th Committee and his constant bashing of Trump’s influence on the party led to his political demise. His exit from Congress was more of a resignation than a defeat, but his endorsement of Harris signals that he, too, has no intention of aligning with the future of the Republican Party.

Lisa Murkowski, the senator from Alaska, has long walked a fine line between maintaining her seat and placating a Republican base that has increasingly viewed her as too moderate. Her vote to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial alienated her from the GOP electorate, and her support for Harris solidifies her position as an outsider within the party.

The Lincoln Project: A Failed Experiment

Perhaps the most glaring example of political irrelevance is The Lincoln Project, the group of disaffected Republicans that formed in opposition to Trump. While initially heralded by the media as a principled stand against the populist takeover of the GOP, the organization quickly descended into scandal and disarray. Its members—George Conway, Steve Schmidt, John Weaver, Rick Wilson, Jennifer Horn, Ron Steslow, Reed Galen, and Mike Madrid—have not only failed to sway Republican voters but have also been engulfed by internal turmoil, sexual harassment scandals, and allegations of financial mismanagement.

The Lincoln Project’s endorsement of Harris is more of a desperate attempt to stay relevant than a meaningful political statement. Their influence has waned to the point that they are now more popular with MSNBC viewers than with actual Republican voters. Their vocal support for a Democratic candidate only serves to remind the GOP base that they no longer belong within the party’s tent.

The GOP’s Future: Unwavering Loyalty to the Base

The transformation of the Republican Party over the past decade has been nothing short of revolutionary. What was once a party led by establishment figures like the Bushes, Romneys, and Cheneys has now become a movement driven by a populist, nationalist base. The issues that animate the GOP today—securing the southern border, protecting American jobs, limiting government overreach, and standing up to the radical left—are completely at odds with the worldview of the RINO Republicans who are now backing Kamala Harris.

By choosing to support Harris, these figures have all but guaranteed their permanent exclusion from any future Republican administration. Their influence has been reduced to the occasional appearance on cable news, where they are paraded as “reasonable” Republicans willing to buck their party’s leadership. But within the actual GOP, their voices carry no weight. The Republican Party is no longer a party of compromise with the left—it is a party of conviction, driven by a desire to restore American greatness and reject the globalist, interventionist policies of the past.

A New Era for the GOP

As the 2024 election looms, the irrelevance of the Never Trump Republicans becomes increasingly apparent. Their endorsement of Kamala Harris is not a principled stand but a final act of desperation from a faction that has lost its influence and power. The future of the Republican Party belongs to those who are willing to fight for the interests of the American people, not those who seek the approval of the media or the Washington elite. In the end, the RINO Republicans have chosen their path, and it is one that leads far away from the heart of the GOP.