Watching “The Last Republican” Again Brought Back Every Emotion I Thought I’d Buried

Reliving the chaos, the loss, and the purpose that still drives me to fight for our democracy.

Sofia and I sat down to watch The Last Republican Again — my family’s own story — and it was a strange, emotional experience. There’s something surreal about watching your life unfold on screen, even though I’ve seen it before and lived it, especially when it captures some of your best and worst moments. This morning I noticed it hit number 7 overall on AppleTV, which is outstanding and a testament to the non-traditional media here on Substack, but that pride is fleeting, and the heaviness remains.

In the span of one year, I retired from the military, stepped away from Congress, and we moved our family to a new place, free of the baggage of angry party members that know you and where you live. That’s a lot of change compressed into a short time, and it came with a sense of loss I couldn’t fully name back then. Leaving service — both military and public — means leaving behind identity, mission, and community. Sofia left her job in government as well. But in that same year, we gained something incredible: a son. That little guy has become our anchor, our joy, the proof that new chapters are possible.

Still, watching the film brought back memories we hadn’t revisited in a long time — some beautiful, others painful. I felt sorrow for what was lost: the sense of purpose, the friendships strained or broken, the idealism that took a few too many punches. I felt anger and confusion reliving January 6th — watching again as the chaos unfolded and wondering, even now, what could have been different.

And yes, I even found myself revisiting moments like the stabbing in Milwaukee — the physical foreshadowing of future struggle. These are things you think you’ve processed, until you see them again in sharp detail. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard. It was. Some of it was disheartening.

But what struck me most wasn’t just what had happened — it was what it revealed. The Last Republican isn’t just about us. It’s about a party, and a movement, and a country standing at a crossroads. It’s about the moral cost of silence, and how quickly decency erodes when people choose power over truth.

I thought a lot about Kevin McCarthy as I watched. How one man’s ambition helped resurrect Donald Trump’s political career — and how that single act (visiting Trump in Mar-a-lago) immediately undid serious effort to reclaim integrity in our system. McCarthy should be shunned for the rest of his life, not out of personal bitterness (I do have that), but because there have to be consequences for betrayal. He made a choice — and it was one that put personal gain over country. That can’t be forgotten or excused. Congrats Mr. Speaker, you had the shortest run in history.

The film also reminded me how relentless these illiberal forces still are. The same voices that excused lies, that justified violence, that mocked truth — they haven’t gone away. They’re louder now, bolder, and in many ways more dangerous because they’ve learned how to wrap authoritarianism in patriotism, and they re-took power against all odds.

But even as I watched those scenes — the anger, the fear, the confusion — I also saw something else: resilience. Courage. Ordinary Americans who decided enough was enough. People who refused to bow to the mob or give up on the idea that truth still matters. That democracy, as battered as it is, can be rebuilt if enough people stand up for it. The Capitol Police who testified, the courageous state officials, Justice Department officials, young women, etc who showed strength beyond measure.

I realized that what I felt watching wasn’t just sadness — it was renewal. A reminder that the battle for democracy was never meant to be easy. We are in a fight not against each other, but against the forces that thrive on chaos and division. Against people who, intentionally or not, are willing to destroy our institutions for the sake of power.

But I believe this with every fiber of my being: they will not win. Because there are still enough of us who remember what America is supposed to be — a place where character matters, where truth matters, and where we take care of each other even when we disagree.

Watching The Last Republican wasn’t just a trip down memory lane. It was a reckoning — and a recommitment. To keep speaking up. To keep pushing back. To keep choosing hope over despair.

Hope isn’t naive. It’s defiant. It’s the stubborn belief that the story isn’t over yet — that our best days as a country are still ahead.

And after everything — the pain, the loss, the lessons — I still believe that.

I want to thank the fellas over at Meidas Touch Studios for believing in this project, Kevin Morris for the vision and financing, Steve Pink for the laughs and story, and the rest of the team at MCDC for putting the pieces in place. My hope…no…my prayer…is that it makes a difference in the broader fight.

(If you still haven’t watched it, fine it anywhere you can on demand…ITunes, AppleTV, Amazon, Google, etc)

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