Let’s imagine a pleasant fantasy together. Let’s imagine Donald Trump and the GOP are utterly crushed in the upcoming general election. (This fantasy has the added bonus of possibly coming true.) The sheer joy and relief from Trump’s humiliating electoral defeat soon gives way to two bitter realities: 1) There is immense damage to repair and 2) the Republicans will quickly regroup. The big question is whether the GOP doubles down on Trumpism or pivots to the bland, pseudo-centrism of Nikki Haley or Mitt Romney? A sensible political party would abandon Trumpism... but the Republicans are not sensible.
Why am I so sure the GOP will cling to Trumpism? Tucker Carlson. The smug host of Fox News’ White Power Hour is a rising star in conservative political circles, and not just for his frat boy punditry. There is legitimate chatter that this turd-in-the-American-punchbowl could win the 2024 GOP nomination. Now, Tucker himself has denied political ambitions and I doubt he will run for office. But there’s no question he could be a GOP kingmaker in a post-Trump world.
This week, [Carlson] warned his viewers... “vultures wait just off stage to swoop in and claim the GOP for themselves once Donald Trump is gone,” name-checking likely 2024 candidate Nikki Haley.
“The moment Trump leaves, they will attack him,” he said. “They’ll tell you that ‘Republicans lost power because they were mean and intolerant just like Donald Trump.’ ... It’s a lie.”
This is an absolute symphony to my ears. Not only does Tucker assume the GOP will lose, but he refuses to accept reality. Establishment Republicans will be desperate to reclaim the suburban moms and seniors turned off by Trump’s incompetence and stupidity, but guys like Tucker and Donald Jr. won’t let them. If the Republican Party had a soul, the battle for it would soon be underway. In the meantime, we can all keep working hard to make sure the fantasy of a one-term Trump presidency comes true.