President Donald Trump gestures during a breakfast with Republican Senators at the White House in Washington, D.C., November 5, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
President Donald Trump has long been fond of attacking conservatives who break with him as "RINOs," or "Republicans in Name Only," but as one former RNC leader wrote for The Hill, it is an insult that Trump himself embodies more and more.
Kevin Igoe is a veteran Republican operative, previously serving as deputy chief of staff of the Republican National Committee and executive director of the Maryland Republican Party, as well as serving as an appointee in the Reagan administration. He now frequently publishes pieces criticizing Trump and his influence over the Republican Party, including his most recent piece for The Hill, concerning the growing irony behind one of his favorite insults.
"One of President Trump’s most frequent and favorite epithets for his Republican antagonists is “RINO”... But the evidence suggests that the president should be mindful of the old adage: 'People who live in glass houses should not throw stones,'" Igoe wrote. "Nearing the midpoint of his second term, Trump has turned his back on long held Republican principles which have glued together the conservative movement for decades. This is very different from his first term, when he used his business acumen to produce solid economic growth through tax cuts and deregulation."
Since retaking office, Igoe argued, Trump has left the genuine "principles of conservatism" on the "cutting room floor," pursuing an agenda focused only on enriching himself, satisfying his need for revenge and playing to MAGA faithfuls exclusively. As a result, he has "routinely" assaulted the legal system and rule of law, and alienated the U.S. on the world stage with meaningless trade wars and threats to NATO.
"Those actions are a very long way from 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,'" Igoe added, echoing the famous speech from his former boss.
In addition, while Trump has doggedly railed against Democratic opponents as "socialists," he himself has engaged in some of the most unabashedly socialist executive action in decades.
"[For] the leader of a party that has taken partial ownership in 31 private corporations it is indeed rich to castigate others as socialistic. You may recall a principle of socialism: government ownership of the means of production," Igoe continued.
He concluded: "True conservatives are realizing that Trump is using the Republican Party for his own convenience. Trump’s presidency seems rooted in a policy du jour mindset which responds first and foremost to pleasuring his insatiable ego. America will survive this 'all about me' presidency. If my beloved Republican Party wants to survive it, it must return to its conservative roots of small government, personal freedoms, peace through strength, moral leadership of freedom-loving people and especially respect for our constitutional principles."
