Sophia Tascone, Associate Editor 

Donald Trump’s presidency has been controversial since he began his first campaign in June 2015. His “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement has often been credited with deepening the left-right divide in American politics. However, it is also responsible for another, much more overlooked divide: one within its own party.  

Across the country, this divide within the Republican Party is key to the results of this year’s midterm and primary elections. North Carolina’s primary election will occur on March 3, 2026. 

Some Republican politicians have opposed Trump since his campaign for the 2016 election. Others began to oppose him during his first term. Many still voiced their opposition to Trump policies after the 2020 election and Capitol attack, with more continuing to split from him throughout his second term. Some of these politicians and political figures have even created and been part of anti-Trump organizations. 

But why have so many high-profile Republicans broken from their party to oppose Trump? Those who opposed him in 2016 cited his temperament, economic plans, and treatment of women as reasons. “He lacks the temperament, the judgement, the knowledge and the self-restraint to be our next president,” said Senator Susan Collins. 

In March 2016, former Senator Mitt Romney delivered a speech at the Hinckley Institute of Politics, in which he denounced Trump’s candidacy. Like Collins, he mentioned Trump’s temperament, among other reasons. “If we Republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee,” he said, “the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished.”  

During Trump’s first term, some Republicans founded The Lincoln Project, a political action committee designed to “protect the American Republic from Donald Trump.” George Conway, a high-profile Republican lawyer who was married to Trump’s campaign manager, was among the founding members of The Lincoln Project. 

Conway and his colleagues in the project were some of the first Republicans to accuse Trump of unconstitutional actions in office. In a 2018 New York Times op-ed, Conway and Neal Katyal argued that “Trump’s installation of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general of the United States after forcing the resignation of Jeff Sessions is unconstitutional.” Later, Conway explained that he had left the Republican Party, changing his voter registration to unaffiliated.  

The most noticeable shift in Republicans’ support of Trump came after the 2020 election. Some Trump-aligned Republicans sharply criticized his attempt to overturn the election results. Even more began to oppose him after the events of Jan. 6, 2021. Among the most relevant of these Republicans were Dick and Liz Cheney.  

Liz Cheney served on the House Jan. 6 Committee. She voted to impeach Trump and was ultimately censured by the Wyoming Republican Party and the Republican National Committee. In 2024, she responded to comments made by Trump, saying, “Here is the truth: Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seize power. He mobilized an angry mob and sent them to the United States Capitol.” 

Like his daughter, Dick Cheney supported Trump in both 2016 and 2020. However, he harshly criticized the events of Jan. 6, 2021. In 2022, he appeared in one of his daughter’s campaign videos, saying, “In our nation’s 246-year history, there has never been a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump. He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence…He is a coward.”  

Within the first year of Trump’s second term, more Republican figures have spoken out against Trump and his policies. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina senator, has publicly denounced Trump on many issues since the beginning of 2026. He opposes Trump’s tariffs and foreign policies, his Federal Reserve nominations, and the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement. 

Marjorie Taylor Greene was sworn into Congress as a vocal Trump supporter, echoing his claims of stolen elections and voter fraud. At the beginning of 2026, Greene resigned from Congress after Trump and his supporters accused her of being a traitor. 

In 2025, Greene criticized US involvement and support of Israel, on the grounds that it did not “put America first.” She was the first congressional Republican to refer to the war in Gaza as a genocide. The true breaking point for her support of Trump came with his refusal to release the Epstein files. Greene has taken to social media to call for their release, even going so far as to insinuate Trump’s involvement.  

Candace Owens, a right-wing political commentator, worked closely with Charlie Kirk in Turning Point USA and actively campaigned for Trump for the 2024 election. Like Greene, Owens began by criticizing US involvement in Israel and Trump’s relationship with Israel’s Prime Minister, also saying that it did not put America first. In mid-2025, Candace Owens said that she was “embarrassed” to have ever supported Trump. 

Although the Republican Party often puts on a united front under Donald Trump, they are not truly as united in their support of MAGA as they seem to be. Since 2015, Republican lawmakers have been speaking out in opposition to Trump due to his policies and characteristics. Many Republican figures have accused him of unconstitutional behaviors and unlawful execution of his duties. According to many high-ranking Republicans, Trump has failed at the most important aspect of his job: putting America first.