Former Virginia congressman and ex‑chair of the House Freedom Caucus, Bob Good, said the GOP is no longer a conservative party by any standard. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Good argued that Republicans have acted like a watered‑down version of Democrats for roughly the past two years, squandering the chance voters gave them during President Trump’s second term.
Debt and New Entitlement Programs
Good pointed to the national debt, now approaching $40 trillion, as the nation’s biggest emergency. He criticized recent legislation that creates government ownership stakes in private companies, calling them “new entitlement programs” that deviate from free‑market principles.
Trump’s Role and Messaging
While Good praised President Trump’s achievements—border security, deregulation, tax cuts and efforts to curb DEI ideology in federal agencies—he faulted the president for not addressing the debt crisis in a serious way. Good suggested Trump may avoid spending cuts because they are unpopular, and that the president wants to remain popular with voters.
Missed Opportunities in Congress
According to Good, Republicans have had the chance to enact major spending reforms during the first year of the 2025 session but failed to do so. He argued that a decisive, “massively cut spending, massively shrink government” agenda would have earned voters’ gratitude and likely secured a midterm victory.
Election Outlook
Good believes the primary challenge for the GOP in the upcoming midterms will be voter turnout. He noted that Republicans are running on the premise of being “not as bad as Democrats,” a message he finds uninspiring. Nonetheless, he expressed optimism that redistricting and widespread dissatisfaction with Democratic policies could help Republicans win.
Comparing Republicans and Democrats
Good maintained that while the Republican Party has its shortcomings, Democrats would be even worse on issues such as border security, regulation, tax policy and opposition to DEI initiatives. He concluded that the party must return to its conservative roots and deliver “America First” results to avoid further decline.
Republican National Committee Response
RNC spokeswoman Emma Hall dismissed Good’s criticism, stating that President Trump and Republicans are delivering America First results daily and that the party will “defy history and win in November.” Hall also labeled Good a “certified loser.”
White House Statement
White House spokesman Kush Desai echoed the RNC’s sentiment, saying President Trump received a “resounding mandate” to overturn Washington’s “consensus orthodoxy” and that the administration is correcting the economic disaster left by the previous administration through deregulation and tax cuts.
Good’s comments highlight an ongoing debate within the Republican Party about how to balance fiscal conservatism with political pragmatism as the nation heads toward the 2026 midterm elections.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
