Tim Chapman, president of Advancing American Freedom, appeared on American Family Radio (AFR)'s "Jenna Ellis in the Morning" program after the midterm losses. He warned that the Republican movement lost its way after trading core values for personality-driven politics and big-government economic agendas.
"I think this is the problem when you outsource the heart and soul of your movement to one political personality," Chapman said.
"We need to get back to the idea that we are going to create a contract," he added, "and anyone who wants to represent conservatives in this party needs to understand the terms of that contract before they become the leader of this party."
Highlighting his recent Daily Wire op-ed, Chapman pointed out that voters rejected policies like tariffs, government intervention in private companies, and the party's decision to walk back long-standing pro-life platform commitments.
"For decades, conservatives and the Republican Party had an understanding. Conservatives provided their votes to Republican politicians, so long as those politicians rejected the allure of big government and delivered conservative wins," he wrote.
According to Chapman, President Donald Trump abandoned the deal when he won in 2024.
For example, Trump announced Liberation Day tariffs in 2025 which brought new taxes to Americans. His administration also bought stake in the technology company Intel using taxpayer funds from the CHIPS and Science Act.
Furthermore, Trump hasn't made the pro-life agenda a priority. The Republican Party in 2024 abandoned the idea of a federal abortion ban.
"If we get it right about what we are for, we will ultimately get it right about who we are for. We need a re-engagement from the pro-life community, a recovery of limited government on free markets and a foreign policy focused on peace through strength," Chapman states.
Conservative voters and leaders, he stressed, must re-engage immediately to rebuild a principled policy foundation ahead of 2028 rather than simply endorsing the next candidate in line.
