Contributor: Five Reasons the GOP Is Finally Supporting Trump

President Trump’s grip on the GOP, long considered an inevitable feature of American life (like gravity or the return of the solstice), is beginning to loosen.

Republicans are now openly defying him. The man who once ruled the GOP like a casino owner can’t even Strong-arm Indiana Republicans To handle yourself properly.

This kind of resistance did not develop overnight. It is fermented in the faculty room like gel wine or bad ideas. First came the bombing of Iran: an initial shock that suggested “America first” might mean “Israel first,” at least to the populist-nationalist camp within the GOP.

Then began efforts to tamper with the Jeffrey Epstein files, an idea so foreign to MAGA’s ethos that the ensuing drama, the rap. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-ga.)MAGA was torn apart“

Green also expressed concern that the Affordable Care Act’s subsidies have expired, and that Republicans have no plan to address the impending premium spikes — an event that threatens to alienate the very working-class voters that MAGA now insists it represents.

All in all, MAGA was another soap opera run. Tucker Carlson decided to “platform” white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes.causing an outcry of criticism that prompted the director of the Heritage Foundation to defend them (creating another Republican “civil war” subplot).

The common thread in these stories is the sense that Trump’s days are numbered. The question “Who gets Maga when Dad can’t operate the remote anymore?” It has become unacceptable.

True, pundits have been prematurely writing Trump’s political death since he first got on that escalator. But this time it feels different. The question is this why.

There are likely many reasons, but I’ve zeroed in on the five that I think are the most important.

The first, and most obvious, reason is that Trump is now a dumb duck, and everyone knows it.

Rep. Thomas Massey (R-Ky.) made the logic clear when, during the Epstein file fight, he He warned his colleagues: “Donald Trump can protect you in red districts right now…but he won’t be president until 2030, and you’ll be voting to protect children if you don’t vote to release these files.”

Once politicians and influencers start imagining their post-Trump resumes, his spell breaks on them. This might explain why Trump has balked at the idea of ​​an illegal third term.

The second reason we see Trump’s grip weakening is that, frankly, Trump is not popular. In fact, according to one A new Reuters pollhis approval rating is only 38%.

This ranking declines when it comes to issues that divide Republicans. For example, according to the same survey, only 20% of American adults — including only 44% of Republicans — approved of Trump’s handling of the Epstein files.

A third reason is that Trump is increasingly alienated from constituencies that once supported his political motivations.

The 2016-2020 Trump essentially gathered his political instincts at rallies, where he learned to read the room like a comedian. Now he is physically isolated and increasingly out of touch with his base. His inner circle consists of ideologues and billionaires – people who don’t care about the price of milk.

So when Trump insists that the economy is booming, as he hosts Gatsby-themed soirées and looks to build a new ballroom in the East Wing of the White House, people look up from their rent bills, spy Trump in a televised meeting with the Saudi crown prince, and are suddenly flooded with buyer’s remorse. This creates an opening, and the heirs of the movement can feel it.

Of course, Trump could adjust his policies and rhetoric significantly in an effort to restore popular demand.

But a fourth reason for Trump’s loss of power in the GOP is concern about his mortality: Trump is the oldest person in US history to win the presidency. He had two “annual” physicals this year – including an MRI no one would properly describe (it’s not part of a routine physical).

This brings us to the fifth and final reason the cracks are showing: Trump’s 2024 coalition has always been like a game of Jenga.

It was a perfect union Disparate groups and individuals whose interests converge Because Trump’s charisma (and lack of a coherent political worldview) was like the glue that held the disjointed pieces together. But as this binding force weakens, contradictions become apparent, and open war is inevitable.

For years now, Trump has enforced peace the way an old rock frontman keeps peace in a group. But once the star starts forgetting songs or showing up late, his bandmates start imagining a solo career.

We see Mega realizing that the Trump era is over, and that the next battle is about what — or who — will fill the void when he’s gone.

Matt K. Lewis is the author of “Stupid rich politicians“Oh”Too dumb to fail“