Updated

David Beasley, who served as South Carolina's Republican governor and later led the Nobel Peace Prize-winning U.N. World Food Programme, announced on October 21, 2026, that he is leaving the Republican Party. Beasley cited what he described as Donald Trump's demeaning rhetoric and a rise in toxic vitriol from the party's leadership as reasons for his departure. Beasley discussed his decision in an interview, reflecting broader tensions within the GOP ahead of the midterm elections.