Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee has joined the Lincoln Project, the group of Republicans working to prevent President Donald Trump from getting re-elected.
Steele made the announcement on Monday afternoon. He said, “Today is the day where things should matter and you need to take stock of what matters to you — and the kind of leader you want to lead in these moments. And for me, it ain’t him.”
Steele was the first African American lieutenant governor from 2003 to 2007. He was also the first African American chairman of the RNC.
“I get my role as a former national chairman. I get it, but I’m an American. I get my role as a former party leader. I’m still an American. And these things matter to me more than aligning myself with a party that has clearly decided it would rather be sycophantic than principled,” Steele said.
Steele became one of Trump’s most prominent Republican critics after his RNC chairmanship ended in 2011.
In April, Steele said: “America, in some respects, has been abused by this president.” And in June, he asserted that Trump does not believe America’s ideals.
Rick Wilson, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, said in a statement that Steele is “a singularly insightful and effective political leader … (with) a remarkable track record of electoral success(.)”
Tara Setmayer, a senior adviser for The Lincoln Project said in a statement, “In the two decades I’ve known Michael Steele, he’s never been afraid to speak truth to power. As a former RNC chairman, Michael’s decision to join the Lincoln Project’s efforts to oust Trump and his enablers is a big deal.”
“It’s truly ‘country over party’ personified. Michael’s invaluable experience and brand of tell it like it is politics will fit right in on this pirate ship. Welcome aboard,” she said.