In a live, nationally televised address forty-nine years ago this month, Richard Nixon resigned from the presidency, telling the American people that he no longer had “a strong enough political base in the Congress” to survive Watergate and serve out his term. This August, charges were brought against Donald Trump in both federal court and in Fulton County, Georgia, for his efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election. At rallies, on cable TV, and in social media, Trump has railed at the charges against him, repeated the falsehoods that led to them, mocked the prosecutors who brought them, and issued thinly veiled threats against judges and potential witnesses. He has taken advantage of free media publicity to rake in millions of dollars from small donors, much of which he is apparently using to pay his mounting legal bills. Nevertheless, Trump still has the backing of more than half of Republican primary voters. Not coincidentally, he enjoys what Nixon, who faced no criminal charges, did not: a solid base of support from Republicans in Congress.
As the editors go on to say, cowardice is the only reason that Republican leaders, and the Party in general, have not rid themselves of Trump.
But is it the only reason? Or is Trump’s support from Republicans more deeply rooted? Perhaps they do not need to rid themselves of Trump because that is who they are now. Maybe he actually represents them.
To repeatedly beat a dead horse: The Republican Party is not really a political party. More than anything else, it is a cult of grievance and personality. It has no positive vision and exists solely to piss off the other party.
As bad as he is for everything in the world, Trump is perfect for them. Just perfect.