An ex-GOP congressman blasts the 'populist wave' that he says has corroded conservatism: 'Now we're impeaching people like it's some kind of carnival'

• Ex-Colorado Rep. Ken Buck said many conservatives have compromised their values over populism.
• "The Constitution is just a thing of the past to the very same people who were Tea Party patriots," he told WaPo.
• Buck retired from the House in March, leaving months before his term was set to end.

During his nearly decadelong tenure in the US House of Representatives, Ken Buck was well-known for his conservatism.

But the former Colorado congressman recently told The Washington Post that over the years, some of his fellow conservatives shifted their focus from curtailing government spending to shielding former President Donald Trump from criticism — while becoming more partisan in the process.