Trump is looking more like a progressive in a red hat | Opinion

In politics, we love to toss around the word “mandate,” as if every election result is a sweeping endorsement of an entire agenda. In reality, it’s just a convenient excuse for politicians to pretend voters handed them a blank check. But elections aren’t mandates — they’re choices.

The choice in 2024 came down to what many saw as return to prosperity or a continuation of the failed Biden administration — marked by economic instability, rising crime, and a crisis of leadership.

So for many voters, they saw their decision as a rescue mission to restore the promise of America.

But months into Donald Trump’s return, that mission already feels like it’s going off the rails. This past week alone, the White House proposed price controls on prescription drugs, higher taxes on millionaires and supported a $4 trillion hike to the debt ceiling. These are not the policies of a conservative revival — they sound more like items pulled straight from the progressive wish list of Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nancy Pelosi.

What’s next? A Trump-endorsed Green New Deal?

But we shouldn’t be surprised — Trump isn’t a conservative. In truth, he’s barely a Republican at all. Trump is a Republican in Name Only — a true RINO.

Most of the time, when someone throws around “RINO,” it’s just a lazy insult from some keyboard warrior who can’t articulate an actual argument. But if your agenda sounds more like Bernie Sanders than Ronald Reagan, you’re not a Republican — you’re just wearing the jersey.

I can already hear the trolls typing: “This guy has a serious case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Spare me. Brave men and women fought and died so we could speak freely, question our leaders and hold them accountable — no matter what party they belong to. If all you’ve got is a bumper-sticker insult, you’re not debating — you’re deflecting.

The truth is right now, MAGA is looking less like Republicanism and more like Progressivism in a red hat.

But that’s just part of the problem. Too many conservatives like Sen. Josh Hawley are willing to toss aside their core principles and support raising taxes on the wealthy “if that’s what Trump wants to do.” Republicans don’t punish success or embrace class warfare. We believe America’s greatness lies in the unlimited potential of every individual and the boundless opportunities that come from our freedoms.

Then there’s Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who couldn’t understand why it was “a big issue” that Trump might accept a foreign gift of a $400 million plane from Qatar — a country linked to funding terrorism.

It’s not hard to figure out. First, there’s the blatant constitutional violation — foreign gifts to public officials are explicitly prohibited without the approval of Congress. Then there are the national security implications, the appearance of corruption, and, of course, the hypocrisy. (Trump slammed Hillary Clinton for taking “millions from Kuwait, Qatar, Oman” while she was Secretary of State.)

Rush Limbaugh warned against conservatives surrendering their principles in the name of compromise or bipartisanship. Sadly, that warning has been ignored. Today, conservatives aren’t compromising to make sure the “liberals like us” or the “media likes us” — they’re compromising to appease populism and stay in Trump’s good graces. I guess that’s what happens when members of Congress fear the wrath of the president more than they fear their voters.

It’s not leadership, and it’s not what we voted for.

It’s time for Republicans in Congress to lead with courage and conviction — reclaim the mantle of Reagan and recommit to the values that made America great: individual liberty, personal freedom and opportunity for all. These conservative principles built the most free and prosperous nation on earth. They empowered families, sparked innovation and lifted generations from poverty. This is the Republican Party I believe in — bold, principled, and unwavering in its commitment to the ideals that make America exceptional.

This story was originally published May 19, 2025 at 5:00 AM.