Nation's Well-Being Depends on a Healthy Two-Party System
We may be Republicans in exile, but we will not be silenced. Now, because the early days of President Trumps second term are as bad as we feared and getting worse, we are taking ORL from a messaging organization to a mobilizing one, and I am asking you to join us.
ORLs first initiative is utilizing our existing framework to build a nationwide, grassroots organization. We are creating a 50-state national committee of volunteer activists who embrace our principles and want a constructive, common-sense approach to solving the many issues facing our country. Each state organization will recruit members, engage local and state media, and be active and visible within their respective Republican party at all levels.
Our second initiative is to ramp up our visibility with frequent messaging across all platforms on the critical issues we face. Our messaging and the positions we adopt will be grounded in our principles and guided by the real needs of the people and businesses across this great country.
In our announcement last year, we proposed a framework based on five foundational principles - Unity, the Constitution, Fiscal Responsibility, Free Enterprise, and Peace through Strength - to reestablish traditional, conservative Republican values to meet the many challenges facing our nation.
On , we believe in preserving our union and democracy by uniting - not dividing - Americans. We encourage free debate and civil discourse to agree by majority rule on common-sense solutions to the problems we face.
With respect to our lauded , we support and will defend the rule of law, including individual freedoms and liberties. We oppose circumventing the rule of law by exceeding legal executive authority and ignoring lawful court orders. We support the independence and impartiality of the Department of Justice and law enforcement. We oppose using government institutions for retribution against political opponents, settling grievances against individuals or corporations or law firms with different points of view, and ignoring due process for everyone.
We support to protect and defend the full faith and credit of the United States government for future generations. We oppose profligate spending. While protecting programs like Social Security and Medicare, we pledge to work to reduce annual deficits and lower the national debt over time to encourage greater private sector investment in our economy and growth with price stability. We will defend the role of the U.S. dollar as the worlds reserve currency.
We believe in and a globally competitive economy based on market principles with sound regulation, full transparency and disclosure, and a clear legal framework. We oppose Trumps senseless, destructive tariffs, which are regressive taxes that raise prices, lead to inflation, invite recession, and unleash unnecessary trade wars that no one wins. Instead of protectionist barriers and raising tariffs, we pledge to work strategically to lower tariffs to encourage trade and investment here as a means to grow our economy and create more opportunities for everyone.
Finally, we support by maintaining a strong national defense. We wholeheartedly support the U.S. military and respect all of our veterans, including all that our country has promised them in return for their service to our nation. We oppose any retreat into isolationism and a position of global weakness by abandoning our allies and strategic alliances such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). We support and will fully defend Ukraine and Israel against all acts of aggression by our common enemies, such as Russia, Iran, and their allies.
For everyone who is tired of being misled by lies and watching the very destruction of our system of government, we invite you to join our resistance of real Republicans to restore a viable, two-party political system.
Lets rise to this essential fight by organizing and speaking up for our vision of a truly democratic nation based on fundamental principles - our "shining city on the hill" to channel President Reagan - to achieve better outcomes for our nation and all of our citizens.
John Danforth is a former Republican U.S. senator from Missouri who also served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
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Newsweek
36 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Elon Musk's Plan for New Party Scores Polling Win
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Elon Musk's surprise push to create a new political party is already shaking up the 2026 landscape, with fresh polling showing early momentum behind his outsider bid. A new survey conducted by Quantus Insights between June 30-July 2 among 1,000 registered voters found that 40 percent of voters—including many Republican voters—say they would consider backing the Tesla and SpaceX CEO's party over traditional GOP or Democratic candidates. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent. Elon Musk attends news conference with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. Elon Musk attends news conference with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP Why It Matters Musk, who left the Trump administration in May, touted forming a new political party, which he called the "America Party," after revealing he was fiercely opposed to President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which narrowly passed the House on Thursday. "If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day," he wrote in a string of posts on Monday. "Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE." The poll suggests Musk's new party could split conservative coalitions and draw in independents. What To Know According to the survey, 14 percent of voters said they would be "very likely" to support or vote for Musk's proposed party if it were launched, while 26 percent said they would be "somewhat likely." Another 38 percent said they were not likely to support it, while 22 percent remained unsure. The survey also revealed clear divides across party lines and demographics. Among men who identify as Republicans, interest was especially strong: 23 percent said they are "very likely" and 34 percent say "somewhat likely" to back the America Party—a total of 57 percent expressing openness to Musk's political brand. Male independents were also a promising base, with nearly half (47 percent) saying they're likely to support it. In contrast, Democrats appeared far more skeptical. Just 7 percent of male Democrats said they would be "very likely" to support Musk's party, while 36 percent said they would not likely back it at all. Among female Democrats, only 5 percent are "very likely" supporters. The poll also revealed dissatisfaction with both main parties. When asked which party best reflects American values, nearly a third of voters said "neither." Among independents, that share was even higher, with 59 percent saying neither the Republican nor Democratic Party represents values of America. By comparison, 37 percent of voters said the Republican Party best reflects American values, while 31 percent chose the Democratic Party. In a blog post, Quantus pollster Jason Corley wrote that the results indicate an "erosion" of "institutional loyalty, of cultural cohesion, and of trust." He added: "The signal is clear: a large slice of the electorate is open to something new, something disruptive. This is not about Musk. It's about the growing sense that the existing order is failing to represent the country as it truly is, or wants to be." Musk's net favorability rating currently stands at -18 points, according to pollster Nate Silver's tracker. Musk, who left the Trump administration in May after leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for four months, has said that around 80 percent of Americans lie outside the ideological extremes represented by Democrats and Republicans—a potentially appealing talking point for an alternative political movement. But experts that Newsweek has spoken to have expressed doubt that the party would be able to make an impact. What People Are Saying Quantus Insights said on X: "The poll's intent was to simply capture the idea of another option, specifically one backed my Musk. 40 percent support isn't surprising. There are many out there who are absolutely shocked by the level of support when, in fact, it shouldn't be much of a shock at all. This kind of question always polls well. In 2023, 63 percent of Americans supported a third party, the highest in Gallup's 20-year trend." Dafydd Townley, an American politics expert at the University of Portsmouth, previously told Newsweek that "third parties do not tend to have a long lifetime in American politics," adding that Musk's new party "would likely split the Republican vote, potentially resulting in a Democrat-dominated House of Representatives, at least in the short term, due to the winner-takes-all electoral system." Mark Shanahan, a political scientist at the University of Surrey, who focuses on the U.S., echoed that skepticism, telling Newsweek: "I wouldn't hold out too much hope for an 'America Party' for a number of reasons. First, history is against it. The USA is a strongly two-party political system," he noted, pointing out that "around 90 percent [of Americans] actively identify with either the Republicans or Democrats," even if formal party membership is relatively low. What Happens Next The One Big Beautiful Bill Act now heads to Trump's desk, where he is expected to sign it on Friday.
Boston Globe
38 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Democrats hope Republicans just sealed their midterm election fates by voting for Trump's 'beautiful' bill
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CNN
41 minutes ago
- CNN
7 little-known items in Trump's big agenda bill
When President Donald Trump signs his so-called big, beautiful bill into law Friday, much of the focus will be on its big-ticket items — tax cuts, slashes to Medicaid and food stamp spending and boosted border security funding. But lawmakers tucked a long list of measures that won't grab headlines into the massive tax and spending package. Here's a look at seven of the lesser-known provisions of the measure: The space shuttle Discovery, parked at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum annex in Northern Virginia since it was decommissioned in 2011, will be relocated. Its new home: Houston. The bill includes $85 million to pay for its relocation and housing at the Johnson Space Center. The move comes after a push by two Texas Republican senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, who argued Houston's role in the space shuttle program should be recognized. Commercial space flight companies like Elon Musk's SpaceX will have to pay fees for their launches and reentries – phased in over eight years, and intended to help the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation keep up with the industry's rapid growth. The fees will start at 25 cents per pound, capped at $30,000 per launch and reach $1.50 per pound, capped at $200,000 per launch, in 2033, with increases tied to the consumer price index after that. The poker industry — including those who play for a living, online and in casinos — could be in serious trouble due to a provision that will eat into the profits of those who make money gambling. Currently, gamblers can deduct their losses before paying taxes on their winnings. Under Trump's bill, though, they'll be able to deduct just 90% of their losses. For example: Win $100,000, but lose $80,000? You'll have made $20,000 but owe taxes on $28,000. 'This new amendment to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would end professional gambling in the US and hurt casual gamblers, too,' professional poker player Phil Galfond said on X. 'You could pay more in tax than you won.' The bill includes $257 million to carry out Trump's often-mentioned plans for a makeover of the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts — funding that comes despite the Trump administration's cancellation of grant offers to arts and humanities programs nationwide. Trump took over one of Washington's premiere cultural spots, remaking the Kennedy Center's board with political allies. He also last month attended the center's opening night of 'Les Misérables,' where he was met with a mix of cheers and boos. The bill eliminates a $200 fee that gun owners are charged when purchasing silencers and short-barrel rifles, as well as registration and ownership requirements. It removes those from the scope of the 1934 National Firearms Act, a Prohibition-era law intended to crack down on gangland crime. That law remains in effect for machine guns and explosive devices. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski used her leverage as the Senate's deciding vote to extract a series of concessions in the final bill for her home state. Among them: An increase, from $10,000 to $50,000, of a tax deduction for whaling-related expenses. Buying an American-made car between 2025 and 2028? You'll be able to write off up to $10,000 of interest paid on your auto loan. Reaching the full deduction would require a six-figure vehicle purchase, but those buying average cars, trucks and SUVs that qualify for the deduction could save several hundred dollars per year. On the other hand, those in the market for electric vehicles will see a tax credit created under former President Joe Biden and worth up to $7,500 eliminated at the end of September. It had originally been scheduled to last through 2032.
