Former congresswoman Liz Cheney voiced concerns about the future of the Republican Party, suggesting it may be unsalvageable after nearly a decade under the influence of former President Donald Trump. Speaking at the 2024 Cap Times Idea Fest, hosted by The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin, Cheney told New York Times journalist Peter Baker that the GOP has become deeply corrupted by Trumpism. “It’s hard for me to see how the Republican Party survives because it’s been so corrupted,” Cheney said during an hour-long conversation that covered national politics, her support for Vice President Kamala Harris, and her views on the current state of the party once led by her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney. Cheney argued that America needs “two strong parties” to offer voters meaningful choices but expressed doubt about the GOP’s ability to return to its roots of traditional conservatism. She criticized the fealty of many conservatives to Trump, which she believes has significantly damaged the party. When Baker asked if the party could rid itself of Trump, Cheney responded, “We need our political system to reflect the goodness of the American people… It’s hard for me to see how the Republican Party, given what it has done, can make the argument convincingly or credibly that people ought to be voting for Republican candidates until it recognizes what it’s done.” Cheney added that the path forward might require people to focus on supporting “serious, responsible” individuals rather than the party as a whole. She acknowledged the potential for a major political shift but said, “I don’t think it will just simply be, ‘Well, the Republican Party is gonna put up a new slate of candidates and off to the races.’ I think far too much has happened. It’s too damaging.” Baker pressed Cheney on whether the U.S. might need a new political party, similar to how the Republican Party emerged from the collapse of the Whig Party in the 19th century. Cheney did not rule out the possibility. “It may well be because, again, so much of the Republican Party today has allowed itself to become a tool for this really unstable man,” she said, referring to Trump. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)