Donald Trump has managed to maintain his power over the Republicans, which he actively uses to fraction the party. To make matters worse, Republican lawmakers have made it their sole purpose to please the former president, and they continue to remain complicit through this internal power struggle. At this point, it seems like an endorsement from the former president is worth more than condemning him. The infamous “Trump Train” has run right through the Republican Party, leaving many with no option but to pick a side.
Donald Trump has stuck with his accusation that the 2020 election was a fraud, and over 70% of Republicans also believe this to be true. The accusations made by Trump have become so influential that Republican lawmakers across the country are showing their support in the form of restrictive voting laws. When imposed, these regulations aim to make it harder for individuals to cast their votes in certain regions. Donald Trump has a very prominent voice within the Republican Party, and this is especially clear considering how close he was to winning the election. Nonetheless, it is imperative that the Republican Party shifts its voters’ attention to another qualified member of the party.
After the Capitol riots in January, the Republican Party started to drift apart ideologically, and it quickly became a matter of whether someone was for or against the former president. Donald Trump has mobilized millions of loyal supporters who follow him blindly. And without them, it has been realized that future Republican lawmakers run the risk of losing their elected positions to their Democratic counterparts.
With midterm elections approaching in 2022, Republican lawmakers have a difficult decision to make. However, it seems like those in the party who oppose Trump immediately receive backlash from the former president. Trump recently attacked Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for acknowledging President Biden’s win. It also seems that former Vice President Mike Pence has lost popularity among Trump’s core supporters. The former president shows no signs of trying to unify the party anytime soon.
Trump is leading the Republican Party down an unforgiving rabbit hole. It has become apparent that Trump enables his large following to believe in harmful conspiracy theories that center around hateful ideologies. These ideologies are branding the Republican Party as a whole, whether they like it or not. This is a matter of death by association, and Republican lawmakers need to take control of their image. The rising tension in the Republican Party has caused certain individuals within it to act on their own merit. Over 150 Republicans have launched a new political movement to cleanse the party, calling for reform — reform which centers around removing Trump’s political hold over the party.
If the Republican Party wants to survive, they need to free themselves from Donald Trump’s grip. Trying to please the former president will only end in further division within the Republican Party that will directly make it weaker moving forward. The GOP needs to re-evaluate their core beliefs and choose how they want to be perceived post-Trump. Republicans need to cut the cord or suffer the consequences of allowing Trumpism to take over their party.
