Joe Walsh ran his first election campaign on a bicycle in 1996 in his home state of Illinois. He attempted a second campaign, which also ended in failure, using a yellow school bus. To his credit, he's stubborn and has a flair for showmanship. The doors of the House of Representatives finally opened to him in 2010, when Walsh entered with a bang, riding the wave of a powerful but short-lived populist movement: the Tea Party. "I've always been, very libertarian, free market, freedom, limited government," he said.

For years, Walsh has basked in media attention, expressing his outrage on various issues. He once suggested that Barack Obama was elected because he was "a Black man who was articulate, liberal" – and because of "White guilt." He has also spread falsehoods, claiming that the Democratic president is a closet Muslim and that his birth certificate is a forgery.

Today, Walsh is no longer the same man. The Republican has become one of Donald Trump's harshest critics. On social media platform X, he often incorporates his messages with the word "respectfully." With each statement, he begins by apologizing for his past actions. Such was the case in our conversation. "I helped create the conditions for Trump. I did say a lot of ugly personal stuff, not just about Obama, about fellow Republicans. And it's how people like me helped to radicalize the base. So there's a definite connection from the Tea Party to MAGA. I would argue they're very different things, but the Tea Party helped lead to MAGA. But it's also important to understand that the Republican establishment helped lead to Trump too because the Republican establishment ignored their base for years."

The world of conservative never-Trumpers is a fragmented landscape. It was not as densely populated during the billionaire's two previous campaigns. However, their actual influence is questionable, given how much the Grand Old Party has changed. "They have almost no influence because they have no supporters," said conservative consultant Frank Luntz. "And I say that because they're often remarkable, courageous people." This resistance is made up of former elected officials or party executives, former members of the Trump administration (2017-2021), including former vice president Mike Pence, who has been mute during the campaign. It also includes former advisers, security service officials and top brass.

"The Never Trump movement, all of us, we're really not working together," said Walsh. "We're all doing what we can to make sure to help, to make sure Trump loses. I think after this election, especially if Trump loses, you're gonna see the never-Trump conservative movement, I believe, come together and be more cohesive, whether it's a whole new political party, which is a real possibility." That's a long way away. For now, these voices highly sought-after in the media are mainly trying to convince mainstream conservatives and independents to vote en masse for Kamala Harris, to stand in Trump's way, out of patriotism and attachment to the Constitution.

You have 71.18% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.