Heather Cox Richardson

But the Republican lawmakers appear to be in an abusive relationship with Trump and now Elon Musk and perhaps Vivek Ramaswamy. And that is they somehow believe that if they keep appeasing this guy, it's going to make the difference. and he's gonna suddenly start behaving well.

And one of the things that has made me just bonkers throughout this whole thing is anybody who studies anything having to do with politics knows that you must stop these people. They cannot stop themselves.

And one of the things that has made me just bonkers throughout this whole thing is anybody who studies anything having to do with politics knows that you must stop these people. They cannot stop themselves.

And one of the things that has made me just bonkers throughout this whole thing is anybody who studies anything having to do with politics knows that you must stop these people. They cannot stop themselves.

And think about what would have happened if the Republican establishment, which by the way, I had a lot of problems with, had said to Trump in 2015, thanks, but no thanks, we're gonna come out against you. or if they had insisted on making sure in that convention that he couldn't manipulate the delegate votes the way he did to get that. I mean, we could go straight on.

And think about what would have happened if the Republican establishment, which by the way, I had a lot of problems with, had said to Trump in 2015, thanks, but no thanks, we're gonna come out against you. or if they had insisted on making sure in that convention that he couldn't manipulate the delegate votes the way he did to get that. I mean, we could go straight on.

And think about what would have happened if the Republican establishment, which by the way, I had a lot of problems with, had said to Trump in 2015, thanks, but no thanks, we're gonna come out against you. or if they had insisted on making sure in that convention that he couldn't manipulate the delegate votes the way he did to get that. I mean, we could go straight on.

The first impeachment, the second impeachment.

The first impeachment, the second impeachment.

The first impeachment, the second impeachment.

They could have stopped him, but they wanted his votes. And now in this moment, one of the things that I find is really interesting is you can tell that the Republican Party is at civil war. Mitch McConnell has made that very clear. And Trump really doesn't have anything to offer the elected,

They could have stopped him, but they wanted his votes. And now in this moment, one of the things that I find is really interesting is you can tell that the Republican Party is at civil war. Mitch McConnell has made that very clear. And Trump really doesn't have anything to offer the elected,

They could have stopped him, but they wanted his votes. And now in this moment, one of the things that I find is really interesting is you can tell that the Republican Party is at civil war. Mitch McConnell has made that very clear. And Trump really doesn't have anything to offer the elected,

Republicans any longer that is he has not been effective in down ballot races he's 78 years old and clearly slipping last night in the middle of the night after a dinner with some people he wanted to impress he tweeted something to the effect of everybody likes me or something and you're like really you're the president-elect of the United States and you're like everybody is my friend isn't this just great and he has never been able to transfer his voters to somebody else so

Republicans any longer that is he has not been effective in down ballot races he's 78 years old and clearly slipping last night in the middle of the night after a dinner with some people he wanted to impress he tweeted something to the effect of everybody likes me or something and you're like really you're the president-elect of the United States and you're like everybody is my friend isn't this just great and he has never been able to transfer his voters to somebody else so

Republicans any longer that is he has not been effective in down ballot races he's 78 years old and clearly slipping last night in the middle of the night after a dinner with some people he wanted to impress he tweeted something to the effect of everybody likes me or something and you're like really you're the president-elect of the United States and you're like everybody is my friend isn't this just great and he has never been able to transfer his voters to somebody else so

So the question for me has been, when will the Republican lawmakers wake up and go, you know what, what are you doing for me now? Because you're not going to be able to deliver any more voters to me. So I'm going to have to jump and find a new base because the MAGA base is extraordinarily loyal to Trump, but to no one else.

So the question for me has been, when will the Republican lawmakers wake up and go, you know what, what are you doing for me now? Because you're not going to be able to deliver any more voters to me. So I'm going to have to jump and find a new base because the MAGA base is extraordinarily loyal to Trump, but to no one else.

So the question for me has been, when will the Republican lawmakers wake up and go, you know what, what are you doing for me now? Because you're not going to be able to deliver any more voters to me. So I'm going to have to jump and find a new base because the MAGA base is extraordinarily loyal to Trump, but to no one else.

But what's been added to that now, which I did not see coming, is Musk with this extraordinary war chest saying, anybody who doesn't do what I want, I'm going to throw out of government, which is essentially what he's saying. And if that's not the definition of an authoritarian slash king, I don't know what is. And, you know, whether or not the Republican lawmakers will finally find some...