In his third run for the White House, Donald Trump’s hold over the Republican Party appears to be stronger than ever. Even his former rivals are rallying around him — and echoing Trump's signalling that he may not respect the election result in November.

But Trump’s selection of a younger running mate in Ohio Senator JD Vance has ignited discussion about the future of the Republican party, the America First movement and American democracy itself. With a resurgent Democratic Party under Vice President Kamala Harris looking to maintain control of the White House for another four years, the world is watching to see whether the Republican Party will remain in lockstep with the former president or begin to move out of Trump's shadow.

Former Republican Congresswoman Barbara Comstock served as the US representative for Virginia’s 10th Congressional district in the House of Representatives between 2015 to 2019, and was named as one of the ‘Top Ten Most Effective Lawmakers’ in the 115th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking. As an ABC News political contributor and regular guest on CNN, PBS and MSNBC, she has spoken extensively on the state and future of the modern Republican Party. She also co-chairs the bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity, which is dedicated to combatting election disinformation.

Can Trumpism outlive Trump himself? What is the future of the Republican Party? How can election integrity be preserved in a time of deep political polarisation? What should Australians be watching for in the lead-up to the election?

To answer these questions, the USSC hosted a live event with former Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, in conversation with Australian Financial Review senior editor Emma Connors.