Joe Walsh Leaves the GOP, Becomes a Democrat

Former GOP Rep. Joe Walsh has officially joined the Democratic Party, marking a significant shift in his political alignment.

The announcement came Thursday through a Substack post where Walsh wrote, “Three words I never thought I’d ever utter: I’m a Democrat.”

Walsh explained his decision by citing the current political climate. “The stakes are simply too high to NOT become a Democrat,” he wrote.

He criticized President Donald Trump, saying, “A tyrant sits in the White House. The very thing our Founders feared most is here.”

Despite the party change, Walsh claimed he remains true to many of his original beliefs.

He described himself as “the same passionate TEA partier who went to Congress in 2010” to fight government debt and advocate for efficient governance.

He added that he continues to support strict border policies, strong Second Amendment rights, and free speech protections.

However, Walsh said he has developed a broader perspective after engaging with people who hold different views, according to Trending Politics.

As part of his transformation, Walsh said he now better understands LGBT issues, structural racism, climate change, and the need for compassionate immigration reform. He also acknowledged a greater role for government in supporting the vulnerable.

Walsh represented a congressional district in Illinois from 2011 to 2013. He was originally elected during the Tea Party wave and was known for his fiscal conservatism and outspoken rhetoric.

In the early years of Trump’s presidency, Walsh was a supporter. However, he turned against Trump during the first term and launched a short-lived primary challenge against him in the 2020 election cycle.

Following the end of his campaign, Walsh left the Republican Party and endorsed then-candidate Joe Biden. Since then, he has positioned himself as a vocal critic of Trump and the modern GOP.

In Thursday’s announcement, Walsh emphasized that he still considers himself conservative but rejects what he called “conservative jerk” behavior. He said he has spent recent years working to mend the political divide he once helped widen.

Walsh highlighted values such as decency, empathy, and tolerance as central to his new political identity. He stated that he sees the Democratic Party as the only one currently upholding those principles.

He strongly condemned Trump’s influence on the Republican Party, accusing it of copying what he called Trump’s “cruelty, dishonesty, and authoritarianism.” Walsh said this trend pushed him further away from the GOP.

The announcement was met with backlash online. One user on X claimed Walsh was simply chasing attention and had no core beliefs, arguing that party-switching undermines credibility.

Another critic accused Walsh of aligning with those who seek to expand government power through public dependency. They labeled him a threat to constitutional values.

Walsh has not announced any plans to run for office under his new party affiliation. However, his shift marks a rare instance of a prominent conservative figure formally switching parties.

The former congressman concluded his announcement by reiterating his mission to bridge political divides, even if it means abandoning the party where he began his career.

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