FreedomWorks, an influential conservative group that once helped fuel the Tea Party movement, has reportedly ceased operations and blamed its demise on the influence of Donald Trump.
Freedom Works President Adam Brandon told Politico In an exclusive interview published Wednesday, the group said it had disbanded “effective immediately.” Wednesday was the last day for the organization’s approximately 20 staff members.
Fox News Digital contacted multiple members, including Brandon, and reported that FreedomWorks’ board of directors unanimously voted to shut down immediately.
The group laid off just under half of its employees last year, and its revenue plummeted by about the same amount starting in 2022, the report said.
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FreedomWorks President Adam Brandon speaks with Andrew Wilkow on an episode of SiriusXM Patriot’s Wilkow Majority on July 21, 2016 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. (Ben Jackson/Getty Images, SiriusXM)
Brandon said the ideological upheaval of the Trump era ultimately led to FreedomWorks’ demise. He said Trump’s rise has created a rift between libertarian-leaning conservatives and the MAGA-style populism of Trump supporters.
“Many of our constituencies are aging, and new activists are joining us. [with] “Mr. Trump, they tend to be more populist, so their base has changed a little bit,” Brandon told the outlet.
He said this shift was also visible in FreedomWorks’ own membership, which has split into MAGA and “Never Trump” groups.
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This has affected the group’s ability to raise money, he said, noting that donors are increasingly asking, “What are you doing for Trump today?” Still, some complained that the group was going too far to help the former president, putting Brandon in an impossible position.
FreedomWorks Forum for Ohio Republican Senate Candidates held on March 18, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. Candidates Matt Dolan, Mike Gibbons, Josh Mandel, Jane Timken, and J.D. Vance attended the forum. (Andrew Spear/Getty Images)
”[W]”We are neither for nor against Trump,” FreedomWorks director Paul Beckner said, according to Politico, adding, “If Trump does something we agree with, we support him, but… If not, I will oppose it.” And I think we’ve seen a decline in conservative donors. ”
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Brandon said he is looking to start a new libertarian-leaning organization focused on politically independent millennials and Gen Z.
