Ex-House Freedom Caucus chair says GOP isn't 'a conservative party anymore,' but Democrats are 'worse'
Former Rep. Bob Good, who chaired the House Freedom Caucus during part of his congressional tenure, recently told Fox News Digital that the GOP is not, based on "any standard of measurement, a conservative party anymore."
"Republicans have kind of been Democrat-lite in their policies" for "nearly two years," Good, who lost a 2024 GOP U.S. House primary in Virginia to a challenger backed by then-former President Donald Trump, told Fox News Digital during an interview on Friday.
Republicans have held the majority in both chambers of Congress so far throughout Trump's second term. But Good suggested that during the last "year and a half, 19 months or so," they "have massively squandered the opportunity that was given to them by the voters."
"We've taken the debt to $40 trillion. We've added new entitlement programs like Trump accounts," Good said. He pointed to "government taking ownership stakes in private companies," adding, "We haven't made the case for why we're in a war that's lasted over six months now."
"The real emergency, the real crisis, is the debt crisis," Good asserted.
FORMER FREEDOM CAUCUS CHAIR BOB GOOD BLASTS TRUMP'S ENDORSEMENT RECORD: 'TRUMP IS THE PROBLEM'
Good argued that Trump does not discuss the debt issue "in a serious way."
"I think he suspects that spending cuts and spending reforms aren't particularly popular," the former congressman told Fox News Digital. "And I think wants to be popular."
Republican National Committee spokeswoman Emma Hall said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday, "President Trump and Republicans are delivering America First results every day — and it’s why we’ll defy history and win in November. No one is interested in advice from certified loser Bob Good."
White House spokesman Kush Desai declared in a statement provided to Fox News Digital, "President Trump was given a resounding mandate by the American people to smash Washington, D.C.’s obsession with consensus orthodoxy that has let Americans down. The Trump administration is turning the page on Joe Biden’s economic disaster by implementing traditional free market policies that do work — like deregulation and tax cuts — while rectifying longtime America Last policies that have left Americans behind."
Good said he thinks that turnout will represent the "primary challenge" for the GOP during the midterm elections.
He opined that Republicans are running on not being "as bad as Democrats."
"Keep the House cuz we're not as bad as Democrats is not a truly inspirational motivating factor," Good noted.
Good indicated that the GOP should have drastically downsized government last year.
"What they should have done in year one, in 2025, was to massively cut spending, massively shrink government, massively implement spending reforms, go for broke while they had the power before it was an election year, and then the American people I think would've rewarded them... with midterm victory," he said.
He expressed hope that Republicans could perform well due to redistricting, as well as "because Democrat policies are so unpopular, and Democrat candidates are so extreme."
And despite his criticisms of Republicans, Good asserts that "the Democrats are certainly worse."
"President Trump has done a lot of great things. President Trump immediately secured the border, to such degree, it's not even talked about anymore," he said.
Good pointed to other issues such as Trump's efforts to cut regulations and taxes, and to target diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology in the federal government and education.
"Democrats would do none of those things," Good said, adding that every area in which "the Republicans have failed or been benign or weak or tepid or not followed through, Democrats would be even worse."