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Principles First

Type:

Right-Leaning Organization
Formation:

2019
Founder:

Health Mayo

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Principles First is an ostensibly right-leaning organization that opposes former President Donald Trump. The organization was founded in 2019. 1 The group hosts an annual summit in Washington, D.C. that usually counterprograms the Republican Party-aligned Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). 2

Heath Mayo, a corporate associate at the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz, is the founder of Principles First. 1

Background

Principles First’s founder, Heath Mayo said he began organizing right-leaning Americans in 2019 who were concerned about then-President Donald Trump and the state of the Republican Party. He started a series of meetups around the country concerning how to advance conservatism while opposing President Trump. The movement grew into Principles First. 3 The group says it sought to establish an alternative to the Trump-era GOP-aligned Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which became the Principles First Summit. 1

Mayo has stated, “Donald Trump represents an existential threat not just to the Republican Party, but to the constitutional principles that shape our country.  So, I personally would be voting for Biden.” 4

Beyond CPAC, Mayo picked a fight with the Federalist Society, posting on X (formerly Twitter) “@FedSoc has died. As a proud member in law school, I’m disgusted. It isn’t an intellectual movement anymore. It’s just rationalizing priors in bow ties. Zero principles. FedSoc should be ashamed it’s strayed so far. This isn’t law — it’s embarrassing.” Georgetown law professor Randy Barnett, a Federalist Society contributor, replied, “Resignation accepted. Please return the bow tie.” 5

People

Heath Mayo is the founder of Principles First. He is a corporate associate at the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz. Previously he was a manager at Bain and Company. He earned his J.D. from Yale Law School, and M.A. and B.A. from Brown University. 1

Jeff Carson is the chief operating officer. He joined Principles First in 2023. Previously, he was

vice president at Unite America. He also ran for U.S. Congress in Virginia’s 8th District. He served as a U.S. Army officer from 2004 to 2008. Carson earned his B.S. from Florida State University and M.B.A. from Texas Tech University. 1

Summits

The Principles First Summit is held in Washington, D.C. and usually counterprograms the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which has closely aligned with the GOP led by former President Donald Trump. 2

The organization’s first conference was held in February 2020, the year that then-President Trump sought re-election, where its founder, Heath Mayo, said attendees rejected the “personality cult” of then-President Trump. 6

The 2021 Summit was held in October. 7

Speakers at the organization’s 2022 summit in March included then-U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY); former U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA); retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a key witness in the first Trump impeachment; Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R-GA),  and then-U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL). 8

Most attendees at the 2022 summit were Republicans, but some of the attendees were Democrats. The organization asserted that many Americans are looking for a home at a time when the major parties are polarized between “Trumpism” and “wokeism.” 8

Signs at the 2022 summit included “NO TUCKER” (referring to media pundit Tucker Carlson) and “Stop Trumpism, save America.” The conference included panels warning about the fate of democracy and expressing concern about religion in the public square. The American Conservative reported the crowd was mostly older and included several self-described Democrats. 9

The 2023 Principles First Summitt had 20 panels, which included a debate over which candidate was worse between former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). 10 Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R-FL) spoke to the 2023 summit in a video-taped message and called for moving past “angry, divisive politics.” 11

The organization held its 2024 summit in February, drawing about 500 attendees, with speakers that included former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, and others who claimed that Trump was a threat to democracy. 12 Other speakers at the 2024 summit included former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR), attorney and pundit George Conway, former federal Judge J. Michael Luttig, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R-GA). 13 14

The organization gave former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who testified to the U.S. House committee that investigated the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, a “Profiles in Courage” award at the 2024 summit. 15

USA Today reported that at the 2024 summit, about a dozen attendees said they would vote for President Joe Biden in the November election. Others said they would not vote for former President Trump but were noncommittal about for whom they would vote. 12

References

  1. “About.” Principles First. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.principlesfirst.us/about/
  2. Ball, Molly. “What Nikki Haley is Really Doing.” Wall Street Journal. February 26, 2024. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/what-nikki-haley-is-really-doing-6115dc4e
  3. Schmidt, Lynn. “Conservative values shine brightly at Principles First conference.” Chattanooga Times Free Press. March 14, 2024. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2024/mar/14/opinion-conservative-values-shine-brightly-at/
  4. Folks, Will. “‘Principled’ National Political Group Heads To South Carolina.” Fits News. June 11, 2024. Accessed June 29, 2024. https://www.fitsnews.com/2024/06/11/principled-national-political-group-heads-to-south-carolina/
  5. Schilke, Rachel. “Federalist Society contributor demands apology after Kinzinger claims he ‘sold out the Constitution.’” March 20, 2023. Accessed June 29, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/28186/federalist-society-contributor-demands-apology-after-kinzinger-claims-he-sold-out-the-constitution/
  6.  Voght, Kara. “Will Anti-Trump Republicans Vote for Biden?” Washington Post. February 27, 2024. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2024/02/27/will-anti-trump-republicans-vote-for-biden/
  7. “ Principles First Founder Heath Mayo.” Speaker. Accessed June 29, 2024. https://www.spreaker.com/episode/principles-first-founder-heath-mayo–45333222
  8.  Hill, Jessica. “Summit of ‘principled conservatives’ offers itself as alternative to Trumpists.” Las Vegas Sun. March 1, 2022. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://lasvegassun.com/news/2022/mar/01/summit-of-principled-conservatives-offers-itself-a/
  9. Leary, Declan. “Dispatch from the Anti-CPAC.” The American Conservative. March 5, 2022. Accessed June 29, 2024. https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dispatch-from-the-anti-cpac/
  10. Mutnick, Ally. “Never Trumpers rally in D.C., trying to find hope and a plan amid despair.” Politico. March 6, 2023. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/06/never-trumpers-rally-dc-00085758
  11. McIntire, Mary Ellen and Altimary, Daniela. “Trump wows one GOP group as another dreads his return in 2024.” Roll Call. March 6, 2023. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://rollcall.com/2023/03/06/trump-wows-one-gop-group-as-another-dreads-his-return-in-2024/
  12. Waddick, Karissa. “These Republicans think Donald Trump is a ‘threat.’ Who will they vote for in 2024 and beyond?” USA Today. February 27, 2024. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/02/27/anti-trump-republicans-2024-presidential-election/72699336007/
  13. Press Release. “Principles First to Host Fourth Annual Summit in Washington DC.” Principles First. February 5, 2024. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.principlesfirst.us/2024/02/05/fourth-principles-first-summit-to-gather-in-washington-to-offer-pro-democracy-alternative-to-cpac/
  14. Mordowanec, Nick. “Republicans Confronted With Empty Seats at CPAC.” Newsweek. February 23, 2024. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.newsweek.com/cpac-2024-turnout-empty-seats-republicans-1872627
  15. Pengelly, Martin. “To Trump or not to Trump: Stefanik and Hutchinson offer contrasting Republican visions.” The Guardian. February 24, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/24/elise-stefanik-cassidy-hutchinson-donald-trump-republicans-cpac-principles-first
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