Republican Party's Internal Battle: Trump Loyalists vs. Traditional Establishment

Mitch McConnell, born February 20, 1942, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, is a Republican politician who has represented Kentucky in the U.S. Senate since 1985, making him the state's longest-serving senator.[1][2][4] He earned a B.A. from the University of Louisville and a J.D. from the University of Kentucky, entering politics after roles in government service.[2] First elected in 1984 as the only Republican challenger nationwide to unseat an incumbent Democrat, McConnell ascended through Senate Republican ranks.[1][4] He served as majority whip from 2003 to 2007, minority leader from 2007 to 2015 and 2021 to 2025, and majority leader from 2015 to 2021.[1][2][7] In 2023, he became the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history.[1][7] Key achievements include blocking President Barack Obama's 2016 Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, enabling three conservative justices under President Donald Trump and reshaping the court's balance.[3] As majority leader, he advanced judicial confirmations and oversaw bipartisan COVID-19 relief legislation in 2020.[1] Earlier, he chaired the Senate Ethics Committee in 1995, resisting investigations into a fellow Republican, and opposed Democratic initiatives like Iraq withdrawal timelines, health care reform, gun control, and minimum wage hikes.[2] McConnell announced in February 2024 that he would step down from Senate Republican leadership at the end of his term, citing waning colleague support and health issues, after 17 years as the party's top Senate figure.[1][3] As of 2025, he remains in the Senate, sponsoring resolutions like one on July 31, 2025, and continues influencing proceedings as a senior member.[5] His tenure has defined modern Republican Senate strategy, emphasizing procedural tools like the filibuster.[2]

Liz Cheney, born July 28, 1966, in Madison, Wisconsin, is an American attorney and Republican politician, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney.[1] She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Colorado College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School in 1996.[2][3] Early in her career, Cheney worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department in roles involving Poland, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, and as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.[1][2][3] She practiced law at White & Case in Washington, D.C., and the International Finance Corporation, and cofounded Keep America Safe in 2009, criticizing President Barack Obama's national security policies.[1] After a failed 2014 Senate bid in Wyoming, Cheney won election as the at-large U.S. House representative for Wyoming in 2016, serving from 2017 to 2023 and securing reelection in 2018 and 2020.[1][2] She chaired the House Republican Conference (2019–2021), the third-highest GOP leadership position and the highest ever held by a Republican woman in the House.[2][3][4] Cheney served on the Armed Services, Natural Resources, Rules committees, and the China Task Force.[2][3] A staunch conservative, she became a vocal critic of Donald Trump after the 2020 election, urging him to respect court rulings and support a peaceful power transfer.[4] Following the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, Cheney voted to impeach Trump, stating he "summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack."[1][4] She served as vice chair of the House Select Committee investigating the event, facing death threats and GOP backlash that cost her leadership role and led to her 2022 primary defeat.[1][2][4][5] Post-Congress, Cheney joined the University of Virginia Center for Politics as a professor of practice in 2023.[3] She received the 2022 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for defending democracy, and was named to TIME's 100 Most Influential People and Forbes' 50 Over 50 lists.[2][3][4] Today, she remains a prominent voice on principled leadership and national security.[2][3]

Donald John Trump, born June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York, is an American businessman, media personality, and politician. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1968 with a degree in economics. In 1971, he took over his family’s real estate business, renaming it the Trump Organization, through which he expanded into building and managing skyscrapers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses. Trump gained widespread fame as the host of the reality TV show *The Apprentice* from 2004 to 2015, which helped establish his public persona as a successful entrepreneur. Trump entered politics as a Republican and was elected the 45th president of the United States, serving from 2017 to 2021. His presidency was marked by significant policy actions including tax cuts, deregulation, the appointment of three Supreme Court justices, renegotiation of trade agreements (notably replacing NAFTA with the USMCA), and a focus on immigration control including border wall expansion. He withdrew the U.S. from international agreements such as the Paris Climate Accord and the Iran nuclear deal, and engaged in a trade war with China. His administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was criticized for downplaying the virus’s severity. Trump was impeached twice by the House of Representatives—first in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction, and again in 2021 for incitement of insurrection—but was acquitted by the Senate both times. After losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden, Trump challenged the results, culminating in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. He remains a central figure in American politics, having won the 2024 presidential election and returned as the 47th president in 2025, continuing to promote policies aimed at economic growth, border security, and military strength[1][2][3][4].