Ultraconservative House Republicans blame midterms on GOP moderates, leadership

Ultraconservative House Republicans Nov. 11 blamed party members in both the House and Senate for last week’s crushing election loss.

At a news conference, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., a member of the House Freedom Caucus, said the group had sent letters to Congress and the president outlining what Republicans needed to do to win the midterms, but their advice was ignored.

As a consequence, “A bunch of moderates got beat in the recent election,” said the caucus Vice Chair, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., which he said was proof that Republicans should not be “crossing the aisle with Socialism.”

Perry said moderate compromise failed because voters wanted more conservative policies implemented.

“It’s not because we didn’t do enough liberal things that we had the result last Tuesday. It’s because we didn’t deliver on the things that we told America we were going to do,” Perry said.

Similarly, caucus member Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., said Congress has been “sleepwalking” since the Trump-backed Big Beautiful Bill was passed in July, 2025.

“This party needed a humbling from top to bottom and I think that’s exactly what the American people gave us this last week,” said Crane.

New leadership for House GOP

Tuesday, Republicans elected staunch conservative and caucus member Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to replace Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., as next year’s House Speaker, as reported by Politico.

House Freedom Caucus members said Republicans are united behind Jordan and need to take advantage of the lame duck period to push party legislation through before Democrats take control of the House in January.

The caucus chair, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., described Jordan as a needed change and said Jordan is a “superb communicator” akin to Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

“There’s a tempest coming, and in every storm you seek a guide in life,” said caucus member GOP Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana about Jordan’s leadership.

Dems push back

House Democrats think that Jordan’s incoming leadership will further partisan divisions.

Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin told press outside the capitol on Wednesday that he believes Jordan’s MAGA politics have led the Republican party “down to a road of isolation and political marginalization.”

Raskin said Jordan has real talent and gifts, but he wishes they were used to defend “the public interest and not in defense of Donald Trump.”

Although Caucus members spoke in favor of new leadership, they stopped short of directly blaming Johnson for the election losses.

Perry said Johnson had done as much as he could since the Republican controlled Senate wouldn’t pass the Save America Act that House Republicans has passed four times.

Speaking to press outside the Capitol on the same day, caucus member Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., had a similar critique.

“In the House, we were successful on a lot,” Boebert said. “The Senate wouldn’t move things and now they have the same leadership, and I don’t think anything would be different even if we did have the majority.”

Calling for a renewed legislative push

There are 51 days left until newly elected representatives are sworn on Jan. 3, 2027.

House Freedom Caucus members urged their fellow Republicans to use every last day to push through policies like implementing voter ID laws, banning sanctuary cities, and finally replacing Obamacare.

“We can stay here through Thanksgiving, stay here through Christmas, and send at least one signal to the American people that we listen to them loudly and clearly,” said the caucus Policy Chair, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas.

“We’re not the party for special interest corporations and for the powers,” said Roy.

Harris said he believed that the next two years of Democratic policies will reunite right-wing voters.

“I think when America sees what the Democrat majority is going to do, it will provide all the unity we need going into 2028, including the presidential election,” said Harris.