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Cracks Grow in MAGA Coalition over Epstein Files, Healthcare & Racist Group Texts: Ex-GOP Adviser

2025-10-24 News & Politics
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Democracy Now!
Democracy Now!
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Fissures in the GOP: Stuart Stevens on MAGA Extremism and Internal Conflicts

Understand why prominent Republicans are breaking ranks on issues like the Epstein files and federal overreach. Learn how the anti-Trump Lincoln Project targets the core of the current Republican electorate.

Short Summary

  • Key Republicans publicly break with Trump’s agenda (e.g., Epstein files, ACA subsidies).
  • Stuart Stevens characterizes the modern GOP as an extremist movement utterly dominated by Donald Trump.
  • The Lincoln Project targets low-level dissenters and increases internal party tension via focused advertising.
  • Stevens analyzes Trump’s base as reliant on the fastest-declining large demographic group in America.

This discussion explores the growing, yet fragile, divisions within the Republican Party, highlighted by conflicts over the Epstein investigation and federal deployment policies. Former operative Stuart Stevens details how Trump maintains near-absolute control while his base relies heavily on a shrinking demographic cohort. The Lincoln Project aims to exploit these internal tensions to discourage pro-Trump votes by appealing to reluctant Republicans and independents.

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Description

Support our work: https://democracynow.org/donate/sm-desc-yt "The Republican Party has really become an extremist movement." Amid a growing political divide in the Republican Party over the release of federal documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, we speak to former Republican political operative Stuart Stevens about the erosion of support for Donald Trump from some of his most prominent backers. Stevens traces the MAGA takeover of the Republican Party and shares how the Lincoln Project, a Republican-led anti-Trump organization where he is a senior adviser, is working to stop Trump's anti-democratic agenda. Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET. Subscribe to our Daily Email Digest: https://democracynow.org/subscribe

Top Comments (10)

@mattburns3769 2025-10-24

Project 2025 is a very aggressive doctrine to destroy our constitution, bill of rights and rule of law and is no different than a foreign adversary.

385 49 replies
@jessieolmos1624 2025-10-24

Nobody, remodels unless they plan on staying. Where are the files!

353 30 replies
@discowolf25 2025-10-24

Keep em cracking and RELEASE THE FILES. Salute comrades, keep ya head up. ✌️.

322 10 replies
@jacobymitchell2868 2025-10-24

Speaker Johnson should be removed from the house of representative now he must step down as speaker

263 14 replies
@TheWayOfRespectAndKindness 2025-10-24

it's not just Mike Johnson that's blocking the release. It's also all the republicans who are voting against it. We only need to flip one more republican. List all their names and publicly shame them.

186 21 replies
@rosemariebredahl9519 2025-10-24

The shutdown IS revealing how serious Republican commitment to cutting healthcare actually is. This WILL hurt them!

163 10 replies
@Branca179 2025-10-28

Release the files. That is what the people want. RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES !

94 4 replies
@barbaraavina2551 2025-10-24

Thank you to Mr. Stevens for his continued effort to shed light on the reality of what the Republican party is.

52 1 replies
@TracyWilde-l2x 2025-10-25

So there's no money to feed people but there's money to demolish...

23 1 replies
@M.A.D1154 2025-10-25

I'm a Democrat and I approve all of the Lincolns project ads

14

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