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Republicans wrestling over the future of the party are debating whether to embrace the culture wars that helped former President TrumpDonald TrumpFacebook Oversight Board to rule on Trump ban Wednesday Rubio keeping door open on White House bid Lincoln Project taunts Trump, saying he lost to 'swamp,' McConnell MORE cement his popularity with the GOP base.

The internal rift, which involves congressional leaders and potential 2024 presidential contenders, comes as Republicans have struggled to dent President BidenJoe Biden1.6 million US air passengers fly in a day for first time since last March Biden administration eyeing long-term increase in food stamps: report Conspiracy against the poor MOREs popularity and as they plot their strategy to win back the House and Senate in the 2022 midterms.

While some in the GOP are eager to double down on Trumps brand of populism, others argue the party needs to return to its roots.

I think that the long-term future of the Republican Party requires it to be some version of the traditional Republican Party: strong on national security, low taxes, limited government, limited regulation and in the broadest sense of the word, pro-business, said Vin Weber, a Republican strategist, who espouses the more traditionalist party.

But he also acknowledged, Were at a moment when cultural issues are pushing everything else aside.

"There's no escaping that cultural issues are dominating," Weber said.

Issues that have dominated the conservative mediasphere in recent weeks include Major League Baseballs decision to pull the 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta because of Georgias new voting law; the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial; a company halting publication of certain Dr. Seuss books due to racist imagery; and a false report that the Biden administration wouldlimit meat consumption as part of its fight against climate change.

The vanguard pushing the GOP to become more populist in Trumps image include Sens. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzGOP wrestles with role of culture wars in party's future Maher on Biden's trillion plans: 'Thank God we got Mexico to pay for that wall' Overnight Defense: Gillibrand makes new push for military sexual assault reform | US troops begin leaving Afghanistan | Biden budget delay pushes back annual defense policy bill MORE (R-Texas) and Josh HawleyJoshua (Josh) David HawleyGOP wrestles with role of culture wars in party's future Washingtonkeeps close eyeas Apple antitrust fight goes to court TikTok names new CEO MORE (R-Mo.) two potential 2024 presidential candidates who say they will no longer accept corporate PAC contributions.

Starting today, I no longer accept money from any corporate PAC. I urge my GOP colleagues to do the same. For too long, Republicans have allowed the left & their big-business allies to attack our values & ship jobs overseas with no response. No more,Cruz tweeted on Wednesday.

That prompted an enthusiastic response from Hawley, who retweeted Cruz the following day.

Yes! Corporate America has put Americans last. They ship our jobs to China, mock middle Americas way of life, try to control our speech and run our lives,Hawley wrote. Its time we stood up to them. I wont take corporate PAC donations & Ill fight to break up their monopoly power.

The bashing of corporations is striking a discordant tone with other Republicans at a time when theyre trying to marshal a unified defense against Bidens plan to raise the corporate tax rate to 28 percent, from 21 percent, to pay for his infrastructure agenda.

Its repudiating a segment of the American economy and the American electorate that has traditionally been very loyal to the Republicans. Its an amazing example of ideological shapeshifting to wage war along cultural lines, said Ross K. Baker, professor of political science at Rutgers University and a former Senate fellow.

Trump has yet to say whether he will run for president again in 2024, but on Thursday he said that if he did he would "certainly" consider Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisRon DeSantisGOP wrestles with role of culture wars in party's future Will DeSantis, Rubio and Scott torch each other to vault from Florida to the White House? Florida passes bill prohibiting social media companies from banning politicians MORE (R) as a running mate. DeSantis is a staunch conservative and longtime Trump ally.

The competing GOP approaches in the post-Trump era are also reflected in the starkly different styles of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellLincoln Project taunts Trump, saying he lost to 'swamp,' McConnell The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Emergent BioSolutions - Biden sales pitch heads to Virginia and Louisiana Vaccine hesitancy among lawmakers slows return to normalcy on Capitol Hill MORE (R-Ky.), a strong defender of traditional Republicanism, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin McCarthyThe Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Emergent BioSolutions - Biden sales pitch heads to Virginia and Louisiana Vaccine hesitancy among lawmakers slows return to normalcy on Capitol Hill GOP wrestles with role of culture wars in party's future MORE (R-Calif.), who has tied himself more to Trumps brand of conservatism.

McConnell hasnt spoken to Trump since mid-December and denounced the former president's role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Since then, he has rarely invoked Trump by name.

McCarthy, by contrast, visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort shortly after he left office and is now working closely with him ahead of the midterm elections.

Trump on Thursdayrenewed his call for Senate Republicans to replace McConnell as their leader, and promised to be a force in the midterms, citing his work with McCarthy.

But the lines in the internal debate over culture wars are fluid. McConnell joined in the tough talk directed at corporate America last month when he warned CEOs to stay out of politics. He later backpedaled after being pressed on his longtime advocacy of allowing companies to spend freely on political campaigns.

More recently, McConnell led more than three dozen Senate Republicans incalling for the Education Department to abandon plans of offering grants to schools that include The New York Times's "1619 Project," which reframes U.S. history around the arrival of the first slave ship, in their curriculum.

This is a time to strengthen the teaching of civics and American history in our schools. Instead, your Proposed Priorities double down on divisive, radical, and historically-dubious buzzwords and propaganda, the GOP senators wrote last week in a letter to Education Secretary Miguel CardonaMiguel CardonaGOP wrestles with role of culture wars in party's future McConnell wants '1619 Project' removed from federal grant programs Biden faces mounting pressure on forgiving student loan debt MORE.

Baker said Republicans see cultural hot-button issues as more effective in generating attention than attacking Biden, who has maintained strong approval ratings since taking office.

A Gallup poll released in April showed Bidens approval at 57 percent 16 percentage points higher than Trumps numbers at the same point in his presidency.

They realize that Biden himself isnt a very good target. But the one thing they can get the blood boiling with are cultural issues: the 1619 Project, Black history, Black Lives Matter, Baker said of Republicans.

Some Republicans want their party to focus less on those topics and more on the issues that unified Republicans before Trump: lower taxes, smaller government, deregulation and a strong national defense.

I know there are these cultural issues ... that get people very worked up and exercised but I think that theres plenty on the policy agenda, lots of ammunition to debate and a lot of contrasts to draw, said Senate Republican Whip John ThuneJohn Randolph ThuneGOP wrestles with role of culture wars in party's future Trump drama divides GOP, muddling message Schumer warns Democrats willing to go it alone on infrastructure MORE (S.D.). You can get distracted.

Thune called the false claims about Biden planning to ban Fourth of July burgers and similar blowups a distraction.

With Biden looking to spend $4.1 trillion on infrastructure, raise taxes and pull troops out of Afghanistan, Thune sees a prime opportunity for Republicans to get back to what had long been their bread-and-butter issues.

The public historically, at least, has trusted us on national security issues, I think with good reason. And I think that will continue to be a strong issue for us, said Thune. The economic cluster of issues, taxes and spending will also be grist for a very robust debate about the future of the country.

Meanwhile, some GOP lawmakers are worried that even the partys base isnt concerned about increased government spending and the price tags on Bidens infrastructure proposals, which are shaping up to cost $4.1 trillion.

The U.S. added nearly $8 trillion to the federal debt during Trumps four years in office and the Republican Partys base is now less concerned about the deficit than it was during former President Obamas first two years in office, when the Tea Party was on the ascent.

Sen. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyExclusive Cruz, Rubio ramp up criticisms of big business GOP wrestles with role of culture wars in party's future Collins: Republican Party is not led by one person MORE (R-Utah), who was the GOP presidential nominee in 2012, indicated he would prefer Republicans return to what he considered their traditional strengths.

Im not going to criticize other Republicans [and] the issues they tend to focus on. For me, the amount of our debt has been a concern and continues to be and Im going to continue battling on that front, he said when asked about the recent penchant for fellow Republicans to focus on the culture wars.

Romney said traditional Republican positions on taxes, fiscal responsibility and foreign policy are right for our economy and right for our future and will return, hopefully, to the centerpiece of our party.

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