While many MAGA supporters view Democrats and the progressive left as the primary obstacles to the movement, Andy Roth of the State Freedom Caucus Network says the true danger lies much closer to home. In a powerful interview on Blaze News’ The Mandate, Roth called out the growing epidemic of so-called “RINOs” — Republicans In Name Only — who campaign as conservatives but govern like liberals once in office.

“Red states, almost all of them literally, are governed by Democrats that have an R after their name,” Roth told Blaze hosts Jill Savage and Matthew Peterson. “They live in districts that are very red, and they know they can’t have a D after their name, so they put an R after their name, get elected, and then vote like Democrats.”

Roth pointed to states like South Carolina, Idaho, Montana, and South Dakota as examples where Republican supermajorities are often not what they seem. Despite appearing conservative on paper, legislatures in these states are frequently stalled or undermined by GOP lawmakers who side with the left on key issues — from taxes to education to election integrity.

But the Freedom Caucus movement is fighting back.

Modeled after the House Freedom Caucus in Washington, D.C., Roth’s State Freedom Caucus Network works to create similar bodies in state legislatures across the country. These caucuses are composed of Republican lawmakers who commit to conservative values like limited government, constitutional protections, fiscal responsibility, and strong cultural policies.

The impact is already being felt.

“In Wyoming, we had only eight members in our freedom caucus,” Roth explained. “But they quickly doubled to 16, and now they’re in charge of the Wyoming House. The speaker is a Freedom Caucus member. The pro tem is a Freedom Caucus member.” And the results speak for themselves: Wyoming passed property tax cuts, enacted universal school choice, and banned noncitizens from voting — all within a short period.

Roth believes this model can be replicated in every state — and it must be, he argues, if the MAGA movement is going to achieve real reform.

“It’s one of the most under-reported stories in the country,” he said.

Peterson, who lives in Texas along with Savage, asked whether the Lone Star State might soon join the Freedom Caucus wave. Roth replied that while Texas isn’t quite there yet, the potential is enormous.

“We need another election cycle in Texas before we can do anything here,” he said. “But Texas needs a freedom caucus, and the country needs a Texas Freedom Caucus.”

Savage added her own frustration with the state of conservative politics in Texas: “It feels like you can mess with Texas right now, and I don’t want that to happen.”

Roth agreed, insisting that the movement has a blueprint for reclaiming conservative governance in states that have drifted leftward under the surface.

“We have the model. We know how it works. We just need to do it in all 50 states,” he said.

For MAGA to thrive, it must first cleanse its own ranks. As this grassroots uprising shows, the greatest threat to conservative reform may not be liberal opposition — but internal sabotage from politicians who wear red but legislate blue.