I spent this weekend at the Principles First Summit in DC. Principles First is a nonpartisan gathering of mostly right-leaning supporters of the classical liberal tradition of American democracy. Speakers included George Conway, Barbara Comstock, Adam Kinzinger, Michael Steele, Russel Moore, and many other former Republicans who have exited their party, as well as a few lefties willing to partner up in defense of democracy like Norm Eisen.
Apart from the bomb threat, I had a great time.
The sheer volume of content makes summarization impossible, so instead, here are my topline takeaways:
American Democracy is in the Toilet, and the Flush is On Don’t be optimistic. Be motivated. The crisis is now, and the time to act is immediate. The speakers articulated the dire state of American democracy, but one pressing question loomed large in the audience: What do we do about it?
Debating the Path Forward The room was divided on strategy. Some advocated waiting for Trump voters to grow disillusioned, and that the action is in positioning the opposition as the ready alternative when that moment arrives. Others argued for direct resistance now—through protests, lawsuits, and administrative action. Figures like Chris Christie warned that immediate pushback could entrench Trump’s base further. The debate reflects a broader challenge in anti-authoritarian movements: balancing patience with urgency.
The Ghost of the Old Republican Party Though the summit was filled with people who have left the GOP, it still felt tethered to its past. Many attendees seemed to be longing for a Republican Party that no longer exists, holding onto a vision of what once was. This nostalgia, while understandable, risks inhibiting the energy that is already in the room to build something truly new.
That would at least answer one of the other main questions in the room – where is the opposition party? Democrats, the room largely agreed, are too quiet, too divided, too out of touch, and their national favorability is abysmal (numbers differ, but some say 21%). Sarah Longwell addressed this frustration, stating, “Leadership is going to come from this room, not from Democrats.” But was this community ready to lead? I wasn’t so sure. There’s a hunger, but no plan.
A Real Threat: The Proud Boys and a Bomb Scare It turns out, this movement is being taken seriously—by its enemies. Trump’s far-right enforcers, the Proud Boys, seem to consider Principles First a threat. Their leader, Enrique Tarrio—newly pardoned by Trump from his 22-year prison sentence—showed up to intimidate the Capitol Police officers who testified about January 6th and were speaking at the conference. Then, on Sunday, a credible bomb threat from an individual identifying as “EnriqueT” forced an evacuation of the ballroom for hours.
But Principles First didn’t back down.
Why You Should Pay Attention If you care about democracy and you aren’t following Principles First, you should be. This is a movement that is willing to put in the work to rebuild American democracy. As a pro-democracy leftie, I am eager to collaborate with them toward that goal—so that one day, we can return to arguing over policy rather than fighting for the survival of our system itself.
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