It’s no secret that the so-called “establishment wing” of the Republican Party has never been happy with the fact that Donald Trump managed to take over the GOP with his “MAGA” and “America First” agenda. But now a dynastic GOP family is planning to wrest the party from the current president’s clutches once he leaves office in January 2029.
Former President George W. Bush and his family are reportedly looking to reclaim the Republican Party from President Donald Trump once he leaves office, as indicated by a recent report.
There are said to be “rumors” emerging about a “scheme to end the so-called ‘Bush Exile’” as part of an initiative to take back control of the GOP from Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda, according to the Daily Mail.
“Now, rumors are stirring of a plot to end the so-called ‘Bush Exile’ and take back the GOP from the so-called scourge of Trumpism,” the report said.
“Behind the scenes, and still with deep connections around the country, a shadow Republican Party is lying in wait to take over when Trump is gone,” the report said. “And, while the former president is determined not to publicly criticize Trump – much to the frustration of some of his former aides – he may not be averse to quietly helping to shape the Republican Party’s long-term future.”
One person, described as a “former Bush official,” told the UK outlet that Trump “knows that there’s no third term option.” The person also admitted that Vice President JD Vance “has a head start” over other possible Republican presidential candidates in 2028.
A former official from the Bush administration predicted that the 2028 presidential race will present a significant opportunity within the Republican Party.
Additionally, former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele has been quoted urging the former president to engage more actively with the party, noting that his voice could resonate with many more Americans.
In an interview with CBS News anchor Norah O’Donnell in 2021, the younger Bush revealed he felt that Trump “lacked the ‘humility’ necessary to be an effective leader.”
In October 2019, during Trump’s first term, Bush also claimed Trump’s “isolationist United States” was “destabilizing around the world.” The 43rd president warned that the U.S. becoming isolationist was “dangerous for the sake of peace.”
Bush’s remarks then came after he led the nation “into war in Afghanistan and Iraq with more than 4,500 Americans dying in Iraq — including more than 3,500 killed in combat.”
Needless to say, several conservative voices rejected the notion that the Bushes should once again become the faces of the GOP.
“We will never let this happen,” Donald Trump Jr. posted on the X platform.
“Okay, enough. This isn’t going to happen, and frankly, the Bush family has already left the stage, and they should remain off it. Their time is over. It’s done. Second, the base isn’t receptive to their brand of Republican politics anymore,” RedState’s Matt Vespa wrote on Saturday.
“The base is more blue-collar: folks who aren’t supportive of the free-trade bonanza Bush II ran. If the GOP base wasn’t high on Jeb in 2016, what makes you think the 2028 Republican base would go ga-ga over another Bushie running? This isn’t a phase or a fad, guys. The GOP has been transformed under Trump, and it’s not going back,” he added.
“Anyone who has run against MAGA has been killed politically, with most having their presidential hopes dashed forever,” he noted further. “Move on, Bushies. Let go, and let God. Your time is over.”
