The delusion of a post-Trump GOP


Sen. Susan Collins is nothing if not an optimist. A year after former President Donald Trump left the White House, the Maine Republican apparently still believes better times are ahead for her party — a moment when Trump's rabble-rousing, anti-democratic influence will recede, and the GOP will again become something like a "normal" party.
It's a nice idea, but it's probably wrong. The New York Times reports this week that Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) is considering retirement, though he stands to succeed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as the chamber's top Republican. Why? There are several reasons, but one of them is that Trump is out there, ready to be a thorn in his side: Thune rejected Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which puts him on the outs in today's GOP.
Even if that weren't a potential obstacle, the prospect of leading an increasingly Trumpified party apparently isn't very palatable. Trump himself still tries direct the party's legislative strategy from exile. Who could blame Thune for bowing out?
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Collins, though, very much wants Thune to hang on. "We've just got to plow through this to the post-Donald Trump era, which I believe is coming," she told the Times.
There is no reason — outside of pure, blind hope — to think Collins is right. It's true the Senate is somewhat insulated from Trumpian passions, or else McConnell (whom Trump openly despises) would have been forced by his colleagues to resign by now. Everywhere else, though, it's a near-requirement for GOP candidates to endorse the former president's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Sooner or later, those trends will reach Congress' upper chamber. Maybe sooner: As the Times points out, retiring Republicans like Richard Shelby of Alabama, Rob Portman of Ohio, and Roy Blunt of Missouri will almost certainly be replaced by MAGA-fied candidates next year.
Since Trump won the presidency in 2016, many "mainstream" Republicans — the ones who tried to keep their political careers alive, anyway — responded by keeping their heads down, trying not to get on his bad side, and telling reporters on the record that they hadn't seen their leader's latest tweets while whispering their off-the-record complaints. They hoped the whole thing would blow over.
Collins' latest comments are a sign that hope abides among the few remaining non-Trumpy GOP officials. But it hasn't proven true so far. It probably won't in the future, either.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
-
Fonab Castle: a regal stay in the Scottish Highlands
The Week Recommends Prepare for the royal treatment in Pitlochry
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
Today's political cartoons - April 25, 2025
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - online expertise, eternal promises, and more
By The Week US
-
The Week contest: Spaceflight song
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US
-
Kevin Warsh: the man who could replace Jerome Powell as Fed chair
In the Spotlight Powell's term ends in 2026, and President Donald Trump will likely replace him
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
With Dick Durbin's retirement, where do Democrats go from here?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The number two Senate Democrat's pending departure is a pivotal moment for a party looking for leadership in the second Trump administration
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Nayib Bukele: the Salvadoran ally in Trump's deportation machine
In the Spotlight El Salvador's popular strongman rose to power promising to make his country safe
By David Faris
-
A dozen states sue Trump to halt tariffs
Speed Read The states sued in the US Court of International Trade, seeking to stop tariffs they say will damage their economies
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
A running list of RFK Jr.'s controversies
In Depth The man atop the Department of Health and Human Services has had no shortage of scandals over the years
By Brigid Kennedy
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Climate: Trump's attempt to bring back coal
Feature Trump rolls back climate policies with executive orders aimed at reviving the coal industry
By The Week US