How the GOP is becoming ‘the party of Trump toadies’

They think of themselves as “cold-eyed realists”, said Gerard Baker in The Wall Street Journal, yet leaders in the Republican party have long “indulged in comically wishful thinking” about Donald Trump.

When he emerged on the political scene, they dismissed him as a joke who’d never get to the White House. When he did, they told themselves that he’d grow into the role. When he didn’t, they switched to hoping that his demented energy could at least be harnessed in pursuit of their objectives. To be fair, some of these aims were fulfilled: “a solid legislative record, three fine supreme court justices, a robust economic performance”. But then came Trump’s disgraceful attempt to overturn the 2020 election result. Here was a moment to draw a line. Yet once again Republicans prevaricated, declining to impeach and convict Trump in the “misplaced belief that he was finished anyway”.

Trump on trial on TV?

Fast forward to today, and Trump has the Republican presidential nomination all but in the bag, said Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times. And even his GOP rivals are still making excuses for him. Florida governor Ron DeSantis, for instance, has responded to each Trump indictment by warning about the “weaponisation of federal law enforcement”. Only former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson and former US representative Will Hurd have dared to call Trump out. To what end? Christie is polling at 2.9%; the other two are each on less than 1%. Behold the “Republican Political Paradox”: you have to attack Trump to win, but if you do, you lose.

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The problem is that most congressional Republicans have felt “inoculated from the Trump trauma”, because they represent hitherto safe districts or GOP-dominated states, said Walter Shapiro in Roll Call. Their main fear is being challenged from the right, so they keep their heads down. But their silence could cost them. There’s a “growing clamour” to allow TV cameras into the coming Trump trials. If that happens, Americans may spend 2024 gripped by a reality show that would severely damage the Republicans’ electoral prospects. Had they taken a stand earlier by joining apostate colleagues such as Wyoming’s Liz Cheney, they might have wrestled back control of the GOP. Now, though, it’s probably “too late for the Republicans to become anything other than the party of Trump toadies”.