Republicans' post-Trump stylings
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Top Republicans are charting divergent paths in a post-Trump, post-siege GOP.
What's happening: Here's how they're trying to distinguish themselves in a fractious party with an evolving brand.
Josh Hawley: Young and newer to Congress. Clinging to Trumpism and populism, despite the president’s toxicity. Waging war against Big Tech and political bias on social media platforms.
Liz Cheney: Wants a return to normal. Mainstream conservative born from the Bush years. She’s advocating for small government and a strong defense system.
Ben Sasse: The sensible, hip conservative who isn’t afraid to buck leadership or anger the Trump base. Writes well.
Tom Cotton: Advocate for muscular conservatism and ruling with an iron fist. Deeply conservative and parallels to Trump, minus the president’s erratic behavior and nasty rhetoric.
Marco Rubio: Believes Republicans need to be the champions of the working class and steer away from the party's traditional embrace of big business. Strong focus on minority voters and anti-socialism. Writing more.
Rand Paul: Libertarian and chief deficit hawk. Not afraid to be on an island within his party and hold up a vote he opposes. Or two.
Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski: Centrist women and survivors not afraid to cross party lines and vote with the Democrats. Key party figures to watch as the Senate walks the tightrope of a razor-thin majority split.
Mitt Romney: Old school conservative with a strong moral compass. His warning on Russia and vote on Trump's first impeachment are aging well.
