Larry Hogan, “Trump critic” says that he’ll support Donald J Trump in 2024 if he is the nominee. Haley will do the same when she concedes the nomination. If these knuckleheads want a different Republican Party, then they’d better start acting as though they do. How can a buncha sycophants hope for anything to change if they won’t change it?
I was surprised by the comment that Hogan said he would support Trump. He did not vote for him in 2020 and nothing has happened that should change that. So I tried to find a statement from him where he said he would support Trump. What I found was a statement he made in Feb 2023 where he said he would support the Republican nominee and said he did not think Trump would be it. He later walked back the comment to clarify that his position on Trump has not changed and that he would not commit to supporting Trump. He again said he would support the Republican nominee but again said he did not expect it to be Trump. He clearly did not read the tea leaves correctly. So there is a little confusion there but given his past criticisms of Trump and the fact that he did not vote for him in 2020, and Trump has only gotten worse, I doubt he will come out in support of Trump. In fact, I will go out on a limb and bet Chris’s salary that he won’t endorse Trump. I’m not betting my salary, I’m no fool :).
I will bet that the entire Republican establishment backs Donald J Trump, however reluctantly. Full-throated endorsement perhaps not, but if they want a future in what now passes for the Republican Party, they’ll line up. Wait for it.
I sure hope you’re wrong. But to your point, I was very disappointed when Mike Lee, Mr Constitutional lawyer, came out and endorsed him. But that’s another reason I left the party, there isn’t a Republican Party anymore, as Chris points out.
Chris, I think we're now up to 19 Republican members of the House who have said that they won't run for re-election, with many citing the toxic environment up on Capitol Hill. Now that they're free from being primaried by a Trump-endorsed opponent, wouldn't many problems be solved by one of them making a Motion to Vacate? They could abstain from voting for or against Johnson, thereby allowing the Democrats to remove Johnson and become the majority party in the House, with Hakeem Jeffries as the new Speaker. Budgets would get passed, Ukraine would get funding, etc, etc, etc. These 19 Republican don't have to do anything other than sit on their hands. With nothing to lose, why will they not take this step?
showing my age, but if you showed a clip of William F Buckley on Firing Line to a typical MAGA "conservative" and asked the person to describe him, they would more than likely say "liberal Eastern elite".
Republican "Conservatives" today are the party of outrage and more aptly described as the party of the angry white guy.
They were, in the words of trust-fund baby William Buckley, "standing athwart history shouting 'stop!'" "Conservatism" is always about defending the social order that keeps the "conservatives" on top. Whatever that is.
Trump crawled into the dead carcass of the GOP and took it over. I don't even think the carcass was warm anymore.
I used to ask that question about what conservatives were trying to conserve. I now think they were only conserving anger. Anger at an America that was changing too fast for them.
It bothers me when we call elected Republican capitulation "survival." They aren't doing it to put food on the table, or keep a roof over their head, or protect their children. They're doing it to stay in power. If your entire platform is negotiable when the alternative is irrelevance, maybe you never held your principles that deeply to begin with.
Thanks for the column. It drives me crazy when people refer to Trump and his cohort as "conservatives." Conservatism is not my political philosophy, but it is a valid one based on certain principles: eg, fiscal responsibility, valuing established norms. Trump is a radical populist/nationalist. He fits well with the current penchant for nihilism. He relishes breaking norms&will do whatever he needs to excite his base. Principled conservatives long ago rejected him. Yes, to Dana Bash's question. The Rs of today are not a policy based party. It's a cult of personality devoted solely to "winning."
I'm not she'll back Trump. She'll surprise me if so. I'm left wondering (I'm a young 60 years cute) if we will see the end of Trumpism when he's no longer on stage. He looks horrible inspite of his makeup. Will someone come out of his base that is currently unknown to keep it going. It won't be his kids or current Trump devotees in politics. Makes me wonder!
For the time being, we have a MAGA party, not GOP party. Whigs became Republican party so we are witnessing a very unusual occurrence. I'm still waiting on the memo from Trump to declare but he might be too scared to do that. It's a major move on the chess board of politics. MAGA party has no platform. Anything policy related is based on Trump's current bias, past history of likes and dislikes, who he talked to last, who flatters him, and if his company can make money from it. If MAGA survives after Trump passes on is the million dollar question.
If my only sustenance was McDonald's burgers and Diet Coke, I'd probably be dead before November. Who knows, maybe they're some sort of preservative for him. We all know he lacks an empathy chip. Maybe he's like the Bizzaro Don - everything works backwards with him.
He won’t do it the day after the election because he’ll be focused on calling it a rigged election and pushing the Big Lie II. But, yeah, I bet he would be the favorite for the Republican nomination in 2028.
When Trump is gone we will have a national reckoning. Will the true, conservative, Republican Party emerge from the ashes and retake its once prominent position or will MAGA continue to dominate...President Don, JR.?
Larry Hogan, “Trump critic” says that he’ll support Donald J Trump in 2024 if he is the nominee. Haley will do the same when she concedes the nomination. If these knuckleheads want a different Republican Party, then they’d better start acting as though they do. How can a buncha sycophants hope for anything to change if they won’t change it?
I was surprised by the comment that Hogan said he would support Trump. He did not vote for him in 2020 and nothing has happened that should change that. So I tried to find a statement from him where he said he would support Trump. What I found was a statement he made in Feb 2023 where he said he would support the Republican nominee and said he did not think Trump would be it. He later walked back the comment to clarify that his position on Trump has not changed and that he would not commit to supporting Trump. He again said he would support the Republican nominee but again said he did not expect it to be Trump. He clearly did not read the tea leaves correctly. So there is a little confusion there but given his past criticisms of Trump and the fact that he did not vote for him in 2020, and Trump has only gotten worse, I doubt he will come out in support of Trump. In fact, I will go out on a limb and bet Chris’s salary that he won’t endorse Trump. I’m not betting my salary, I’m no fool :).
I will bet that the entire Republican establishment backs Donald J Trump, however reluctantly. Full-throated endorsement perhaps not, but if they want a future in what now passes for the Republican Party, they’ll line up. Wait for it.
I sure hope you’re wrong. But to your point, I was very disappointed when Mike Lee, Mr Constitutional lawyer, came out and endorsed him. But that’s another reason I left the party, there isn’t a Republican Party anymore, as Chris points out.
And yet Ms. Haley will almost certainly at some point end her campaign and announce her support for Trump.
And, if so __ shame on Ms. Haley.
Chris, I think we're now up to 19 Republican members of the House who have said that they won't run for re-election, with many citing the toxic environment up on Capitol Hill. Now that they're free from being primaried by a Trump-endorsed opponent, wouldn't many problems be solved by one of them making a Motion to Vacate? They could abstain from voting for or against Johnson, thereby allowing the Democrats to remove Johnson and become the majority party in the House, with Hakeem Jeffries as the new Speaker. Budgets would get passed, Ukraine would get funding, etc, etc, etc. These 19 Republican don't have to do anything other than sit on their hands. With nothing to lose, why will they not take this step?
showing my age, but if you showed a clip of William F Buckley on Firing Line to a typical MAGA "conservative" and asked the person to describe him, they would more than likely say "liberal Eastern elite".
Republican "Conservatives" today are the party of outrage and more aptly described as the party of the angry white guy.
Agreed! Similarly, they would probably brand Ronald Reagan as a "snowflake" or "libtard".
Please. How strong could any “conservative convictions” have been if they were so easily overthrown by the likes of TRUMP???
I know some liberal convictions have been upended by the bluff calling blowhard as well, but conservatives aren’t worried about “survival.”
No one will KILL them for standing up for this country, the rule of law, and our constitution.
Perhaps Trump is Frankenstein’s monster, no? And not someone who has somehow “changed” the integrity of “true conservatives”…. What a joke.
The question prevails…. What are/were “conservatives” attempting (or pretending) to conserve?
They were, in the words of trust-fund baby William Buckley, "standing athwart history shouting 'stop!'" "Conservatism" is always about defending the social order that keeps the "conservatives" on top. Whatever that is.
Trump crawled into the dead carcass of the GOP and took it over. I don't even think the carcass was warm anymore.
I used to ask that question about what conservatives were trying to conserve. I now think they were only conserving anger. Anger at an America that was changing too fast for them.
A not-conservative personality cult that promotes unreality in politics is known as Fascism.
2024 Proverb:
"The road to hell is paved with MAGA intentions."
Time for another semantic argument!
It bothers me when we call elected Republican capitulation "survival." They aren't doing it to put food on the table, or keep a roof over their head, or protect their children. They're doing it to stay in power. If your entire platform is negotiable when the alternative is irrelevance, maybe you never held your principles that deeply to begin with.
Thanks for the column. It drives me crazy when people refer to Trump and his cohort as "conservatives." Conservatism is not my political philosophy, but it is a valid one based on certain principles: eg, fiscal responsibility, valuing established norms. Trump is a radical populist/nationalist. He fits well with the current penchant for nihilism. He relishes breaking norms&will do whatever he needs to excite his base. Principled conservatives long ago rejected him. Yes, to Dana Bash's question. The Rs of today are not a policy based party. It's a cult of personality devoted solely to "winning."
Dumpy isn't anything except "Dumpy first."
Great piece.
tRump is not a conservative - never was one, never will be one. He is an opportunist, among other things like rapist, liar, cheat.
I'm not she'll back Trump. She'll surprise me if so. I'm left wondering (I'm a young 60 years cute) if we will see the end of Trumpism when he's no longer on stage. He looks horrible inspite of his makeup. Will someone come out of his base that is currently unknown to keep it going. It won't be his kids or current Trump devotees in politics. Makes me wonder!
For the time being, we have a MAGA party, not GOP party. Whigs became Republican party so we are witnessing a very unusual occurrence. I'm still waiting on the memo from Trump to declare but he might be too scared to do that. It's a major move on the chess board of politics. MAGA party has no platform. Anything policy related is based on Trump's current bias, past history of likes and dislikes, who he talked to last, who flatters him, and if his company can make money from it. If MAGA survives after Trump passes on is the million dollar question.
What if Trump loses in November, and the day after the election he announces his candidacy for 2028? Think about it.
If my only sustenance was McDonald's burgers and Diet Coke, I'd probably be dead before November. Who knows, maybe they're some sort of preservative for him. We all know he lacks an empathy chip. Maybe he's like the Bizzaro Don - everything works backwards with him.
He won’t do it the day after the election because he’ll be focused on calling it a rigged election and pushing the Big Lie II. But, yeah, I bet he would be the favorite for the Republican nomination in 2028.
When Trump is gone we will have a national reckoning. Will the true, conservative, Republican Party emerge from the ashes and retake its once prominent position or will MAGA continue to dominate...President Don, JR.?
If MAGA survives, our Republic will not.
Here’s something of a nightmare - President Tucker Carlson.
Remember 2020, when the Republican platform at their convention was literally "Anything Donald Trump wants" ?
This is another of your essays which belongs in every mailbox etc.!