AI Summary
5 min readMichael Steele, who served as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2009 to 2011, has become one of the most visible critics of the GOP under Donald Trump. Yet unlike many fellow Never Trump Republicans, he has not left the party. His explanation is simple: “I was here first.” In this conversation with McKay Coppins, Steele argues that Trump is not a Republican and that the party’s core principles — rooted in civil rights, self-reliance, and limited government — are worth fighting for, even after a decade of erosion.
The Republicanism That Drew Him In
Steele traces his political formation to a conversation with his mother before the 1976 election. She told him, “Don't be a Democrat because we're Democrats. Go out and discover for yourself who you are.” After learning about both parties, he was struck by Ronald Reagan. Reagan “sounded a lot like my mother,” Steele recalls — particularly in his emphasis on self-reliance and the idea that government should have a limited, not absent, role. Steele’s mother had refused government assistance after his father died, saying, “I don't want the government to raise my child.” That instinct, combined with the Republican Party’s historical roots in equal rights — “All men are created equal. Then why is he a slave?” — anchored Steele’s republicanism in an idea, not just a set of policy positions. He distinguishes between co
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Introduction: Michael Steele’s Unusual Republican Journey** - McKay Coppins introduces Michael Steele, the first Black chairman of the RNC (2009-2011), who became a leading critic of the GOP in the Trump era yet refuses to leave the party.
- 2 (01:45) **What First Made Him a Republican: The 1976 Election and His Mother’s Lesson** - Steele recounts how his mother, a Roosevelt Democrat, sent him to discover his own politics, leading him to register as a Republican after being struck by Ronald Reagan.
- 3 (07:50) **The Lost Republican Instinct: Reagan’s 1976 Speech vs. Today’s Party** - Steele argues that a core Republican instinct—putting country over self and respecting political opponents—has been wiped out.
- 4 (10:41) **Why He Hasn’t Left the GOP: “I Was Here First”** - Steele distinguishes himself from “never Trump” Republicans who left the party, explaining why he stays despite his deep criticisms.
- 5 (14:47) **Why He Believes the Party Can Be Salvaged** - Unlike Sarah Longwell, who thinks the GOP is lost, Steele argues the party has always struggled with itself and can be restored—but not through nostalgia.
- 6 (20:37) **The Southern Strategy and the Party’s Long Struggle with Race** - Steele explains how the GOP’s pivot to appeal to white Southern voters through coded racism (e.g., “law and order”) was a thread that has always been present, but was once more subtle.
- 7 (25:22) **The Broken Promises to Minority Communities** - Steele explains why the GOP lost minority voters: the Democratic Party made promises (New Deal, Great Society) that resonated, but Republicans never offered a credible alternative.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
On this episode of "Deseret Voices," host McKay Coppins explores the political evolution of MS NOW's Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). Steele traces his journey from a "Lincoln Republican" raised by Roosevelt Democrats to becoming one of the most prominent critics of the modern GOP.
Michael Steele offers a candid look at his upbringing in segregated Washington, D.C., and explains how Ronald Reagan’s 1976 convention speech — a message of grace and self-reliance — originally anchored his faith in the party.
The conversation delves into the "fictional" iconography of 1950s America often used in modern political messaging and provides an insider's view of how the Tea Party movement transformed from a fiscal uprising into a populist precursor to the current era.
Steele argues that while many of his peers have abandoned long-held principles for political convenience, he remains in the party to fight for its original moorings of civil liberty and constitutional self-governance. It is a compelling discussion on character, the "monetization of anger," and what it means to be a Republican when you no longer recognize the party’s leadership.
“Deseret Voices” is hosted by award-winning journalists McKay Coppins and Jane Clayson Johnson, who go beyond the headlines to explore the stories, people, and ideas shaping our world today. Through thoughtful, in-depth conversations, the “Deseret Voices” podcast brings clarity and common ground to the complex issues defining our time.
“Deseret Voices” is a Deseret News podcast, produced by Keira Farrimond, Creative Director - Video & Podcasts.
Episodes of “Deseret Voices” drop every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts. Follow along and join the conversation on YouTube (@deseretnews), Instagram (@deseretnews), Facebook (@deseretnews) and X (@deseret).
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