Pence Launches Anti-Trump, Anti-Populism Organization
On Wednesday, former Vice President Mike Pence revealed his true colors — as his organization, the ironically named Advancing American Freedom group, has launched a $20 million effort to defeat populism in the conservative movement.
The populist movement under the conservative umbrella — which has been largely led by Pence’s former boss, former president and current GOP primary frontrunner Donald Trump — aims to focus on helping ordinary Americans whose concerns have been largely disregarded by the establishment elite, a group that Pence is considered to be a member of.
Advancing American Freedom, a 501©(4) organization, has launched the “American Solutions Project” in an attempt to convince conservatives who have embraced populism to revert back to what Pence and his allies deem to be true “conservative principles.”
“Our nation was founded on conservative principles that have stood the test of time,” Pence told RealClearPolitics. “The Constitution and this great American experiment must not be swayed by movements or personalities, but must hold fast to the time-honored principles that have made America strong and prosperous and free.”
Pence avoided naming any one of these “personalities,” but decried the fact that “many in the conservative movement have walked away from these principles, chasing the siren song of populism unmoored to conservative principles.”
He went on to vow that his organization would “hold high those principles, staying true to the ideals that have made America the greatest nation on earth,” claiming to be sure that the American people “will rally to our cause.”
The project has been allocated $20 million from donors to go towards expanding the staff at Advancing American Freedom, as well as investing in infrastructure and promoting the group’s work. Thus far, several members of the elite establishment have signed on to the project — including Heritage Foundation founder and former president Ed Feulner, Catholic University’s chairman Victor Smith and North Carolina retail giant Art Pope.
However, while Pence refused to name anyone personally in his statement as the culprits behind the conservative populist movement, he has attacked Trump in the past for his “siren song of populism” — which confirms that this new project is a thinly veiled attack on the Republican primary frontrunner.
“Should the new populism of the right seize and guide our party, the Republican Party we’ve long known will cease to exist and the fate of American freedom would be in doubt,” Pence said last September.
Meanwhile, social media users were angered by Pence’s new effort to stifle the voice of ordinary Americans in the conservative movement.
“Conservatism does not include the Military Industrial Complex as its guiding light or first source of inspiration or funding,” one user responded. “Perhaps if warmongering wasn’t the first principle of the #NeverTrump movement the era of Populism would not have risen to levels that it did.”
“The Rinos have created this problem, not those fighting for the Constitution and their God Given Rights. Take an inventory of the garbage you are about to work with before you allow them to pollute your ecosystem,” the post continued.
“Another $20 million wasted that could be spent fighting the actual bad guys next November,” Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk noted.
“$20 Million to make the Republicans less responsive to voters. Think that one over real quick,” another user wrote.
