Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has joined the Lincoln Project, a group of “constitutional conservatives” who oppose President Trump, the organization announced.
Steele, who served as RNC chair until 2011, will join the “Never Trump” group as a senior adviser, the group said Monday.
According to New York post In a statement, the former party bigwig justified abandoning the GOP, arguing that “The chair behind the Resolute Desk has always been bigger than any political party.
“Sadly, we have witnessed its occupant devolve into preying upon fears and resentments with narcissism that nurtures only chaos and confusion. Leadership is needed now more than ever and I am proudly committed to resetting the course of our nation, standing once again for the future of my Party; and working with The Lincoln Project to help restore the purpose for sitting in that chair,” Steele continued.
Speaking to MSNBC after revealing the news, Steele told host Nicolle Wallace that the decision was “part of a long journey.”
“Dr. King said our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter, and we are at a point where it matters how a president leads,” the Biden-backing Republican said, “It matters what a president says to young men and women who are coming into government service as they look at how he treats government servants. It matters how he handles a crisis, it matters how he leads the people through that crisi
Steele went on to say that all Americans should “take stock” in what matters to them and think about “the kind of leader you want to lead in these moments.”
“And for me, it ain’t him,” he added.
Steele went on to acknowledge the weight of a former leader breaking with his party.
“I get my role as a former national chairman. I get it, but I’m an American. I get my role as a former party leader. I’m still an American. And these things matter to me more than aligning myself with a party that has clearly decided it would rather be sycophantic than principled,” he remarked.
Steele served as chairman of the RNC from 2009 to 2011, during which time he oversaw the retaking of the House of Representatives and six Senate seats. During the 2010 midterms, the party saw its highest number of state legislative wins since 1928. He was the first African American chairman of the party.
Prior to that, Steele made history as the first African American elected statewide in Maryland, serving as lieutenant governor from 2003 to 2007.
A Republican National Committee spokesperson did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on Steele’s move.
News of Steele’s entry to the organization comes one day after George Conway, a founding member of the group, announced his departure.
Conway, who is married to White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, became a target of the president for attacking an administration his wife was a part of.
