Should Republicans Divorce the President? "Trump is the party, the party is Trump"

The midterm congressional elections brought the Republican Party its worst result since the Watergate scandal in 1974. The defeat, which many commentators attribute to the politics and controversies surrounding Donald Trump, caused a wave of speculation about the future of the group. Despite this, as the Washington Post notes, the president still rules the GOP (Grand Old Party - an alternative name for the Republicans) undividedly.

Trump is not giving up power

Donald Trump, despite his electoral failures, retained full control over the party. For over a decade, Republicans have been trying to "divorce" the president - some of them even voted to impeach him after the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. However, as the daily emphasizes, "the president not only constantly strengthened his control over the GOP, but also led the party to identify with him."

Many party leaders and activists who prefer to remain anonymous admit that creating a "post-Trump" image of the group will be extremely difficult. "However, Trump has created a political universe around himself (...) that has not changed," emphasize the Washington Post's interlocutors.

A gigantic electoral machine

One of the key elements of Trump's advantage remains his powerful election machine - Super PAC MAGA Inc., which raised almost $450 million in the last election cycle. Thanks to these funds, the president can effectively support his favorites in election campaigns and hinder others from conducting their own activities.

Moreover, despite his low ratings in the polls, Trump maintains the support of the "party base" and invariably influences the results of the primaries. Over the years, he has consistently extinguished any resistance to his own priorities among Republicans, which has led to a situation in which there are few politicians left in the party with sufficient authority to propose a new program.

"Trump is the party, the party is Trump"

Among the few who dared to oppose Trump, only Senator Lisa Murkowski maintained her position after voting for impeachment. Trump is the party, the party is Trump. Trump is a program. The agenda is Trump. It's very difficult to say today what the party's values ​​are, noted former Republican congressman Bob Good.

Curt Mills, head of American Conservative magazine, has a similar opinion, predicting that the GOP "will not abandon Trump." In his opinion, the party's plan for the last two years of the president's term is to "stick to the core of his policy, reject war with Iran and silently support Trump."

The end of the MAGA movement?

"New Republic" columnists have a different opinion, arguing that after the last elections, the MAGA movement in the Republican Party practically fell apart and will never regain its former influence. However, the political reality turns out to be much more complex.