Political scientist Theda Skocpol on how tea party politics laid the foundation for the GOP's current troubles. The group that helped turn the tea party into a political force within the GOP is shuttering. Its president blames the party's ideological shift towards Trumpism. So what does this have to do with the end of FreedomWorks? The libertarian populism of the Tea Party era died because the animating passion wasn't sustainable. Trump did for the Republican establishment what it couldn't do on its own in killing the Tea Party and its demands for small government. The libertarian group was a force in the 2010s, but struggled to keep up its relevance once Donald Trump appeared on the scene. Author Tina Nguyen on watching the evolution of the MAGA movement and how she thinks conservatives can take back the Republican Party. Veterans of the conservative, grass-roots movement see the state's presidential primary as a fight between a “crazy uncle” and a “snowflake.” How did the U.S. descend into crisis, with institutions frayed, political violence mounting, and democracy in peril? Conservative activists calling themselves the Tea Party roared onto the political scene in 2009. They have propelled strictly conservative candidates into office, challenging the traditional GOP establishment.