'It will be a problem for the Republicans if Donald Trump sets up rival party'

20 January 2021, 20:24

'It will be a problem for the Republicans if Trump sets up party'

It will be a problem for the Republicans if Donald Trump sets up rival party, according to former top US diplomat Colleen Graffy.

Donald Trump left the White House today for the last time as Joe Biden was sworn in as 46th President of the United States.

Read more: Inauguration day LIVE: Joe Biden sworn in as 46th US President

Ex-Presidents attended the Inauguration Day event including Clinton, Bush and Obama - however Trump was notably missing.

There have been reports Mr Trump has been in talks about setting up his own political party called the 'Patriot Party' to rival the Republicans.

Joe Biden sworn in as 46th President

Ms Graffy told LBC: "It will be a problem for the Republican Party because if Trump has a third party it means that the Republican Party will be always split."

She said that for Republicans who care about their party's values, it will be a "positive thing" that those following the "cult of Trump" will be "hived off" from the mainstream party, branding Trump supporters as "QAnon conspiracy theorists".

"Right now the Republican Party is trying to figure out how do we start anew and either you have to say that this group is part of the Republican Party - which goes against everything I as a lifelong Republican believed in... or Trump hives off into the Patriot Party and perhaps those elements follow Trump."

Read more: Trump insists his political movement 'is only just beginning' in farewell address