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Edited by Eduardo Vidal
Manatee County, Florida - A troubling picture has emerged within Florida Republican Party politics, one that places Lara Trump—President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law and former Vice Chairwoman of the Republican National Committee—at the center of a controversy involving the systematic removal of America First and MAGA-aligned grassroots leaders.
According to party activists, Lara Trump is now aiding—whether knowingly or inadvertently—the same Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) leadership accused of targeting President Trump’s most loyal base. The controversy stems from what critics describe as an unprecedented purge of MAGA-controlled Republican Executive Committees (RECs) across the state.
The suspension of the Manatee County Republican Executive Committee in late 2024 marked a turning point. Since then, similar takeovers have occurred in at least five other counties—Brevard, Sarasota, Duval, St. Johns, and Charlotte—where America First-aligned leadership was replaced. These actions do not account for the numerous vocal grassroots MAGA supporters who have also been suspended individually, many of whom now openly question what is happening inside their own party.
Cathi Chamberlain, the author of this article, counts herself among those affected. On September 29, 2025, she was recommended for suspension from the RPOF after seven years of service as a Precinct Committeewoman in the Pinellas County REC. The timing followed the publication of her book Rules for RINOs, whose final chapter examined the 2024 suspension of the Manatee County REC.
While the RPOF did not cite the book as the reason for its grievance, the formal complaints accused Chamberlain of: “divisive rhetoric” for criticizing Republicans-In-Name-Only (RINOs); affiliation with Defend Florida, an organization that identified anomalies in voter rolls; founding Pinellas Watchdogs, a grassroots group advocating internal party accountability; and what party leadership labeled “bad judgment” for serving as campaign manager to a January 6 defendant. The grievances remain publicly available on her website.
Chamberlain reports that supporters frequently ask why she did not formally contest the grievances. Her response is blunt: she believes the RPOF is backed by significant dark-money interests and that past attempts to fight the party apparatus have left grassroots activists financially and emotionally exhausted. In her view, the system is designed to outlast dissent.
That assessment led to the founding of the American Patriot Executive Committee (APEC), a coalition intended to give America First and MAGA activists an organized voice outside the traditional party structure. APEC now claims more than 150 members representing 35 Florida counties.
On Thursday evening, January 29, Lara Trump is scheduled to appear as the keynote speaker at the Manatee County REC’s “Trump Day” gala dinner. The event is hosted under the auspices of the RPOF and is intended to rebuild the REC’s membership and replenish a treasury that once exceeded $90,000—funds originally raised by the MAGA-led committee before its suspension.
APEC leaders describe the event as deeply offensive to the activists who were removed. In response, APEC will hold its second press conference nearby on the same evening, aiming to draw attention to what it calls an ongoing purge of America First Republicans. Chamberlain will serve as emcee.
Since 2024, critics argue, the RPOF has engaged in an aggressive campaign to marginalize MAGA activists—a campaign that has largely escaped public notice. Those who have noticed, however, include former county REC members, elected State Committeemen and Committeewomen who were removed from office, and the entire RECs stripped of their authority. Party insiders describe the scope of these actions as unprecedented in Florida’s political history.
APEC’s first press conference was held on November 7, 2025, during the RPOF quarterly meeting in Orlando. Eleven speakers from nine counties recounted their experiences of suspension and removal. Video of that event, along with additional information about the coalition, is available at APECUnited.com. All Republican Party members who have been purged by the RPOF had been duly elected to their positions. They were purged under the auspices of trumped-up grievances.
As the author of two political books and a frequent speaker throughout Florida, Chamberlain says her understanding of the Republican Party’s internal threats has evolved. While she once viewed Democrats and the political left as the primary danger to American freedoms, she now argues that the more immediate threat comes from RINOs operating within the party itself—both in Washington and at the state level.
In researching Rules for RINOs, Chamberlain sought comment from RPOF leadership regarding the Manatee County suspension. She contends that this inquiry led directly to her being targeted for removal. In her view, RPOF Chairman Evan Power and Executive Director Bill Helmich have abused their authority and must be removed to preserve the party’s integrity.
The situation in Manatee County remains central to the dispute. In 2024, the RPOF dissolved the entire MAGA-led REC. Now, Lara Trump has been enlisted to help rebuild that same committee with RPOF-approved members while serving as keynote speaker at the upcoming gala.
APEC leaders emphasize that their objective is not to undermine President Trump, but to expose what they describe as a dangerous internal trend that threatens party unity ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. They argue that surrendering control of local party organizations to lobbyists and dark-money-backed interests undermines grassroots democracy.
According to APEC, the division within the Republican Party is not being driven by MAGA activists, but by RINOs working within party leadership. APEC reports that it sent a detailed letter to Lara Trump outlining these concerns, delivered to her home on January 22. Whether the letter was read or will prompt a response remains unknown.
The January 29 press conference will feature former Manatee County REC members who were removed during the 2024 suspension, including State Committeewoman Jackie Heisse, State Committeeman Trent Wayman, former REC Secretary Sandra Freas Keegan, and Precinct Committeewoman Samantha Keller. Also scheduled to speak is Marcus Carter, an America First candidate for Congress in Florida’s 9th District, who will discuss what he describes as the systematic silencing of MAGA candidates by the RPOF.
APEC is also partnering with the nationally recognized RINO Removal Project to support America First candidates across Florida.
Organizers say the message is simple: local action is now essential. With President Trump already stretched thin defending the country at the national level, they argue that preserving the Republican Party must begin at the grassroots. First local action, and then national impact will follow.
