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Missouri's Tom Coleman Says The GOP Has Become A 'Cult' And Needs To 'Wake Up'

By Steve Kraske,

Published May 17, 2021 at 6:55 PM CDT

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Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks to reporters after House Republicans voted to oust her from her leadership post as chair of the House Republican Conference because of her repeated criticism of former President Donald Trump for his false claims of election fraud and his role in instigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 12, 2021. — Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 12, 2021 after House Republicans voted to oust her from her leadership post as chair of the House Republican Conference because of her repeated criticism of former President Donald Trump.

The former Missouri congressman sees the ousting of Liz Cheney from House leadership as an example of how the Republican Party has turned into a "totalitarian political movement."

Tom Coleman says, "The Republican Party has left me" and now sees himself as more of an independent. He is one of more than 100 Republicans who signed a letter threatening to break from the GOP and form a third party: "They don't deal in facts. They live in an alternate world created by Donald Trump," Coleman declared.

Tom Coleman, former U.S. representative from Missouri

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Up To Date Podcast Donald Trump politics GOP U.S. House of Representatives Missouri

Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

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Chris Young

Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.

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Mackenzie Martin

Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer and reporter at KCUR Studios, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.

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