Joel Searby: Renewing the right-wing after Trump - a podcast by Justin Ahn

"Those who are standing up for democracy, and defending the rule of law, and committed to working across party lines — those are the kind of candidates we want to support," says Joel Searby. He is the National Political Director for the Renew America Movement, which supports candidates who defend democracy and reject extremism.

Searby left the Republican Party in 2016 because of Trump's divisive rhetoric. He hopes to create viable alternatives for conservative voters, regardless of candidates' party affiliations, so that they are not represented by politicians who propagate conspiracy theories and inflammatory polemics. He says, "In my conservatism, there's a lot of room for both compromise and compassion."

He discusses the importance of coalitions that draw from across the political spectrum, describing how he worked with the left wing to expand voting rights in Florida in 2018, and now supports Evan McMullin's independent senatorial campaign in Utah. He calls for legislators and citizens to focus on areas of common ground and shared priorities.

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