Now that former President Donald Trump has emerged victorious in Iowa and New Hampshire’s primary races, the conservative base is coalescing around him as the GOP nominee. The MAGA world appears to be in decent shape for exerting even more influence over the Republican Party, and folks like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) are about ready to move the party further into a populist renaissance.
During an interview with NBC News after the New Hampshire races, Greene declared that the base supports Trump’s policies and that MAGA will be “eradicating” those who oppose the former president from the party.
The reporter brought up the issue with Greene, noting that Trump “does not like dissent” and that his supporters “believe that that is exuding strength” before turning to Greene to ask her about the future of the GOP.
The lawmaker responded by explaining that these races are a “referendum on the Republican Party” and that they signal “true change” for the GOP.
“This is a referendum on the Republican Party, and that’s something I’ll be saying in my speech tonight. This is a true change for the Republican Party. It says that not only do we support President Trump, we support his policies. And any Republican that isn’t willing to adapt these policies we are completely eradicating from the party. So it’s up to Nikki Haley, what she does.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene chiming in the the power of the MAGA movement on the right.
— Jeff Charles, An Awful Pundit🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) January 24, 2024
She argued that those who are not on board with Trump's agenda will be "eradicated" from the party.
Is she right? pic.twitter.com/kbQZXKTRY1
Greene’s remarks came just after Trump defeated former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire primary race. According to the lawmaker, this was not only a win for the former president but also a clear message to the Republican Party: Align with Trump or face political oblivion. “Trump beat Nikki Haley by double digits in New Hampshire, which many saw as a make-or-break state for her candidacy,” Greene observed.
She might be right. But what does this mean for the Republican Party as a whole? There are still many who are skeptical of Trump’s policies and leadership style. Moreover, there are some who are not MAGA but still support some of the former president’s actions while disapproving of others. Do these people still have a place in the party?
I would say yes. While Trump has made major progress in challenging the establishment GOP, the old guard still remains highly influential, even if they have to be more subtle in their machinations. Indeed, the fiasco over the effort to bribe MAGA superstar Kari Lake to stay out of politics shows just how much these people are working behind the scenes to push their agenda.
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As the party tightens its ranks, the space for dissenting voices seems to be shrinking – at least in a public sense. One does not get much political capital by being overtly anti-Trump. See Chris Christie as an example.
Yet, it is still worth noting the power the populist wing now holds largely because of Trump and Republican leaders who have modeled their platforms after him. The establishment is still holding on for dear life while the MAGA/America First movement is becoming further entrenched. Still, it will be quite a while yet before one can truly say the GOP is a MAGA party.
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