Republicans Are No Longer a Political Party
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
When historians chronicle the end of the Grand Old Party, they may mark 2024 as the turning point. Something called the Republican Party will surely exist for years to come, like a legacy brand subsumed by a competitor, but it appears to be coming to its end as a functional party. Instead, the Republican Party has become just another subsidiary of Donald Trump Inc.
Yesterday, Trump announced his effective takeover of the Republican National Committee, endorsing Michael Whatley, the chair of the North Carolina GOP, as chair; his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as co-chair; and one of his top campaign advisers, Chris LaCivita, as chief operating officer. LaCivita will reportedly also remain with the Trump presidential campaign, splitting time. The current chair of the party, Ronna McDaniel, is stepping down because of pressure from Trump.
Officially, these are only recommendations, but they seem nearly certain to become reality. Trump has long held de facto sway over the Republican National Committee, but these moves give him de jure control, too. The reorganization is especially striking because it comes in the midst of what is a moderately competitive presidential primary between Trump and Nikki Haley. Although no one really thinks Haley has much chance at beating Trump, he’s now asserting control over the body that oversees that primary, like a basketball coach appointing one of his assistant coaches as referee.
Trump’s approach is familiar from the way he ran his family business, the Trump Organization, and his White House. He stocks them with ultra-loyalists who will take hits for him and with family members who are questionably qualified. The effect is to efface any organizational identity or institutional structures, to ensure that the only thing that matters, and the only person who decides, is Trump.
The Trump Organization, unusually for a company of its size, was run with a small staff—a few longtime lieutenants, such as Allen Weisselberg, its longtime CFO, and now-estranged fixer Michael Cohen, and then Trump’s children Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka. This generation of Trumps has shown no particular genius for real-estate development; two of them were reportedly nearly charged with felonies after the collapse of one high-profile project. When Trump won the presidency, he nominally placed Eric in charge, but revealed his faith in his son’s abilities by continuing to be highly involved.
Meanwhile, in Washington, Trump appointed Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, to senior-adviser roles in the White House, barely skirting anti-nepotism rules for the executive branch , even though neither of them had any experience in government. But Trump erred, in his own view, by failing to appoint sufficiently sycophantic aides to other roles. Too many of his appointees were determined to defend the processes of government and the rule of law, infuriating him. He and his allies have vowed not to make the same mistakes again .
Now Trump is using the same playbook for the RNC. Whatley is a veteran party official, serving as general counsel, but his major selling point in Trump’s eyes is that he is a loyalist and faithfully backed Trump’s bogus claims that the 2020 election was stolen . Lara Trump has been a frequent surrogate for Trump on the campaign trail and television, but she has no experience at the RNC.
Signs of the GOP’s terminal illness have been present for years. Trump began what amounted to a hostile takeover in 2016, breezing through the Republican primary despite the opposition of most of the party establishment, in a demonstration of the weakness of party structures.
David Frum: The good Republicans’ last stand
Long before he decided to depose her, McDaniel was his own pick for chair. Presidents always exercise great influence over their party committees, but the GOP was particularly supine. In 2020, the RNC didn’t even bother with one of the most fundamental roles of a political party—putting forth a platform. Instead, it resolved “that the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda.” Opposition to Trump within Congress and in state parties has also been slowly suffocated.
The full conquest of the RNC is good news for Trump personally. He can take advantage of the party’s resources, such as they still exist, and make it do what he wants, without the pesky problems of existing structures. But given what we know about the Trump Organization and the Trump White House, it is unlikely to be good news for the party.
David A. Graham: Welcome back to the chaos of the Trump era
In Manhattan this week, a judge is expected to rule in a civil fraud trial that could fine Trump hundreds of millions of dollars, cancel the Trump Organization’s license to operate in New York State, and strip it of marquee properties. Weisselberg is reportedly in talks to plead guilty to perjury in the case, atop a prior felony guilty plea. The Trump administration was, if anything, worse run. It was four years of constant chaos, punctuated by two separate impeachments and concluding with an attempt to steal a presidential election. (Trump is in court over that, too.) None of this is a good omen for the RNC’s future as a Trump subsidiary.
The elephants are dead, long 'live' the circus citrus clown ... /S
Today's gqp is a spineless freakshow clownshow led by the biggest freaking clown of them all.
oh look, another trump bimbo trying to pad her existing resume...
And so is the Republic.
There are 159 of them, which one? Do keep the US out of it, y'all just biding time in the outpatient waiting room.
... and so is the maga movement.
MTG (Large Marge) told the UK British Prime Minister to kiss her ass.
This is the party of magats for you.
Such class and decorum and such a lady!
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. Trump has long held de facto sway over the Republican National Committee, but these moves give him de jure control, too
that’s been true of every president, except for Biden probably. Obama probably still probably call those shots
It's actually very standard practice for the Presidential nominee or incumbent to be the de facto leader of their respective party and to nominate who they want to chair the committee. This is only a story because it's Trump.
Are either Jamie or Gretchen Biden relatives?
Does it matter? Biden nominated who he wanted in those positions and Trump did the same. BFD. Again, this is only a story because it's Trump.
Trump and his isms and ists will be a story for decades to come, get used to it.
It's been that way for a long time already and yes, it won't die off any time soon. So yes, I am used to it. Just seems like a real waste of time to spend so much time harping about one individual that some have to exaggerate issues. I wonder if their constant bitching about Trump makes them feel any better about themselves.
You know what I do when I think an article on NT is useless and a waste of time?
I ignore it
ignorance is the rule for some, and that sum is a plenty too many,. Shame how so many allegedly intelligent people, choose to forever defend this watered or peepeed down forever lying fat ass stabbin and little kitty cat grabbin clown out of and for, some litter literally Biden their time boxes attempted stuffed, male box whore nippin on the cat, 4 da GOP {G rab O ur Pussygrabber B 4 he grabs herrs in like the old grandmothers wooden spoon that stirs the pot for smokin n drinkin Kettle Won, the argument b tween the Liars ,and truth dividers, to think they have one, all due to bean critical of thinkers, as opposed to , them Kool Aid drinkers
That old endless defense of the indefensible.
Exaggerate issues?
How much time did you just waste harping about what a waste of time it is?????
less than the amount of time it takes to read a link.
Less than the time spent saying nothing of value
The totality of your comments along with the defense of the indefensible.
Not so sure this is the end of the GOP, but I am quite confident that its present form is something I do not recognize.
Same here, a score years ago I could easily count them on both hands and feet ... now I'm down to 3 toes on my right foot that still pretend to feel.
Heck, the GOP may have nine lives.
Democrats have declared the GOP dead for so long and so often that they probably have almost started to believe it themselves.
R u sayin theyre pussies, cause that would make a lot of sense, and explain how Trump is able to grab them so easily and well
yes, English can be interpreted different ways.
many of them glaringly wrong, as in this case.
Well:sometimes a deep hole in the ground where is possibly found found by you, is it B water, a bountiful supply found , your water, or, possibly Mine, stripped by the means to calculate the averages, for some dude Joe
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I heard the Republican Party described today as having become a front for the MAGA terrorist organization. That sounds about right.
What radical leftwing nutjob spewed THAT??
Radical reactionary rightwing nutjobs would, of course, be expected to disagree.
I'll take it that you made that up then, since you can't answer which nutjob claimed it.
Member addressed both responded and flagged 6.1 so it stays. charger
You can take it however you want. Your comment is idiotic.
The statement was from Jason Johnson and it rings absolutely true.
Thanks, I will.
Congrats on naming the nutjob, appreciate it.
That sounds exactly right!
I wonder why someone would flag that?????????
trmp was never a true, red republican anyway
yea, more of an Orange one.
I believe the official crayola crayon color name is diet coke piss yellow...
well if prayers are answered, Trump will portray a Creamcicle in PRISON...
a dessert of some sort, no doubt.
cream filled Orange coated dessert served up to any and all, and not just in the desert will this dessert be served, asz Hell be served asz any course of dinner for many a diner, butt mainly intercourse will make his asz be more like the all perp puss inmates' vaginer
Could there have been a Trump without Hillary Clinton? Clinton certainly exercised Trumpian influence over Democrats. How did that work out?
Would Trump still have influence over the Republican Party without Joe Biden? Trump seems to be a suitable counterpoise to Biden's politics. The electorate seems well aware that it will be forced to choose between two of the shittiest of shitty candidates -- again.
The Republican Party does not exist in a vacuum. Republicans are a reflection of Democrats and have been since Ronald Reagan spilled his coffee on the Resolute desk. The state of one party reflects the condition of the other.
Democrats want to be the sole political force in the United States. But that would be a transformation into something akin to China or Russia or Iran where political power is absolute and unchallengeable. So, be careful what is wished for. A Democrat reflection of Trump wouldn't be an improvement in spite of partisan wet dreams.
Amazing how many can be so blind by the projection projected via a project of defect that does infect those of not as tall intellect, and the deflections become the missperceptions of the truth skewed to miss, and misconstrued has divorced mister, hopefully sanity winds up with the senate and house, let the misses keep the kool aid kids, and the pussy grabbin mouse...
Is Kamala Harris a defect? The 25th amendment is real and binding; Biden's clock is running out. A successor needs no coattails of success as poor Yorick can attest.
DOUBT HE EVEN USES THT DUSTY THING ANYMORE,, Jills off the pills, and on the Toys; and soone or later, Trump be past out sleeping, with all the boyz from the hood, nailin their wood
Soon to be renamed The Trumpian Party . Heil Trump!!! No more elephant, Trump is the elephant in the room - the party's new symbol will be a trump-et.
And now, if you want a REAL laugh, here are the dictionary meanings for the word "trump". The second one is the most oxymoronic description I've ever seen.
Buzz, you've been around long enough to see the GOP declared dead at least 10 times now.
Yes, I have, but I've never seen it like it is today. I just watched a movie where when someone was declared brain dead they turned off life support. Maybe it's time to do that. Anyway, surely you know that what I posted was just for fun.
Perhaps a baboon is a more appropriate symbol.