Although the focus of this book is on Trump and the period immediately following his presidency, to truly understand Trump and the current Republican Party, one must look back to a point where the Republican Party began to shift away from what would be thought of today as a more liberal political platform. For this reason, the second half of this chapter provides a brief history of the Republican Party, beginning with President Eisenhower. The Eisenhower presidency (1953–1961) was chosen as a starting point for a historical review for the following reasons. First, the Eisenhower presidency was the first president that the oldest of my interlocutors remembers living through. He is part of living memory, and the impact he had on their political identity was referenced on multiple occasions. Second, prior to Eisenhower, the Republican Party endorsed what would be labeled “liberal” political platforms today. As shall be the subject of further discussion, Eisenhower was the last “liberal” Republican, and this shift would be reflected in several of my interlocutors’ understanding of what it meant to call oneself a Republican.