Donald Trump’s hold on the Republican Party is unquestionable
And it is putting his acolytes into offices that control elections
Like his presidency, the after-presidency of Donald Trump is riddled with extreme contradictions. Here is a man deeply mired in investigations into a range of possible crimes—a mire it is hard to imagine any previous politician escaping. And yet he is so powerful within his party that his disapproval can sink the career of almost any elected representative who speaks out against him, no matter how unassailable their pedigree or impeccable their credentials. Two events, only eight days apart, prove the paradox.
On August 8th fbi agents turned up at Mar-a-Lago, Mr Trump’s club and private mansion in Florida, with a warrant to search the premises for top-secret documents and presidential records kept in violation of federal laws, including the Espionage Act. They left with 11 boxes of material. Mr Trump is no stranger to litigation, and indeed to criminal investigation; but this was something new even for him.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline "That hideous strength"
From the August 20th 2022 edition
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