Episode 2.8: The Fall of the Party of Lincoln: A Conversation with Tara Setmayer

Interviewer: MATTHEW BERKMAN. As an African-American Republican, political commentator TARA SETMAYER had long embraced the compassionate conservativism and optimistic individualism of the Jack Kemp wing of the party, along with a broader commitment to fiscal responsibility and small government. A senior advisor to the Lincoln Project, she has now formally left the Republican Party out of the sense that it has jettisoned these values in the Trump era. In her discussion with political scientist Matthew Berkman, Setmayer describes her outrage at Trump's betrayal of Constitutional norms, her interpretation of minority voting behavior in the election, and her reasons for not becoming a Democrat. While recognizing the continuing obstacles, she plans to work toward a revival of bipartisan cooperation and pragmatic governance.