Oren Cass’s Anti-Trump Crusade Raises Questions About His Loyalty to MAGA

Cass Plays Both Sides: Courts MAGA Figures While Quietly Undermining the Trump Agenda

In June, Oren Cass and his organization, American Compass, held a gala attended by prominent Trump administration officials, J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio. During an exchange between Cass and Vance, Vance jokingly called Cass an “asshole” after Cass mentioned his time with National Review, a publication known for employing anti-Trump journalists. Unlike Vance, Cass has never fully embraced MAGA policies, having been a critic of tax cuts. Instead, Cass sets aside his history of anti-Trump posts and appears to engage in what seems to be a significant grift targeting MAGA supporters.

A #NeverTrump Record That Runs Deep

Cass’s opposition to Donald Trump is nothing new. During the 2016 presidential primaries, he openly attacked Trump’s qualifications and motives. In a January 2016 post on X, Cass questioned Trump’s supporters:

“Simple q for those ‘reconciling’ to Trump. How is he better than Hillary? Core beliefs? Likely policies? Rhetoric? Temperament? Experience?”—@oren_cass

By March of that year, Cass went further, joining the #NeverTrump movement and urging others to do the same:

“Refusing to support because of other supporters is illogical, sets lousy precedent. Be #NeverTrump because of Trump.”—@oren_cass

His criticism grew more inflammatory. In November 2015, he called Trump “ignorant and irrational,” and in March 2016, Cass  bizarrely likened Trump to President Snow from The Hunger Games, posting:

“We’ve reached end of GOP Hunger Games. Trump = Snow Cruz/Kasich = Katniss/Peta. Fight to death, both lose. Unite, emerge in control.”—@oren_cass

Endorsing Impeachers, Not MAGA Fighters

Cass’s disdain for Trump extends beyond his first election and first term in office. During a 2021 American Compass panel, Cass praised former Rep. Anthony Gonzalez—a Republican who voted to impeach Trump over January 6. Cass stated:

“Someone in particular who I’ve been impressed with is Congressman Anthony Gonzalez… He voted in favor of impeachment… and has done a lot of work focused on infrastructure…”

Praising one of Trump’s political enemies as a model conservative reveals just how far Cass’s ideological drift has gone.

Attacking Trump’s Economic Agenda

Cass has also gone after one of Trump’s most significant policy wins: the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). In a May 2025 article, Cass slammed the idea of extending the tax cuts, writing:

“The equation has no solution, for the simple reason that extending most of the TCJA is a bad idea and the lawmakers know it.”

In an April 2025 interview with The Atlantic, he doubled down:

“As a matter of good economic policy, tax cuts are not getting the job done, and they haven’t for some time.”

Dismissing the Wall, Blaming Trump for GOP Losses

Cass’s criticism hasn’t been limited to economic issues. In August 2016, he ridiculed Trump’s proposed border wall, calling it “unserious, irresponsible, deserving of derision.”

After the GOP’s poor showing in the 2022 midterms, Cass blamed Trump. In a November 2022 post, he wrote:

“If only there were a group developing a conservative ‘middle-friendly economic agenda’ that was a manifestation of neither ‘Trump’s toxicity’ nor the ‘base’s preference for unelectable candidates.’” —@oren_cass

He continued:
“While Trump spurred a working-class realignment, he does not offer a formula for conservatives to capitalize on it.”—@oren_cass

Romney Roots and Left-Wing Funding

Cass’s roots reveal even more about his worldview. He served as domestic policy advisor to Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential campaign. Many blame Romney’s weak messaging and technocratic tone as the reason for his failed campaign.

Cass went on to found American Compass, which has received nearly $2 million from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Omidyar Network—both tied to liberal interests, according to Club for Growth.

Promoting DeSantis While Undermining Trump

In May 2023, Cass appeared to promote Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as a preferable alternative to Trump. On X, he quoted DeSantis’s rhetorical jab at free market purists:

“What is a free market? … Does an absence of government necessarily mean free market?”—@oren_cass

Such posts signaled Cass’s growing interest in positioning establishment-friendly conservatives as a replacement for Trump.

A Consistent Pattern of Opposition

Oren Cass has spent nearly a decade criticizing Donald Trump on character, policy, and political impact. From championing #NeverTrump, praising pro-impeachment Republicans, and dismissing MAGA achievements like the border wall and tax cuts, Cass has consistently aligned himself against the movement he now appears eager to court.

Cass has carved out a niche as a Trump hater, seeking to steer the GOP away from Trump’s influence. While he may host MAGA-aligned politicians at his events, his long history of anti-Trump rhetoric and ties to liberal funders raise serious questions: Is Oren Cass truly interested in advancing the MAGA agenda, or is he using the movement to elevate his own?

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