Donald Trump is historically unpopular and only trending downward. But even at this late date, Republicans have to pretend the exact opposite is true because their big orange cult leader still has the power to turn their voters against them and end their careers.
To get some expert insight on how that dilemma will play out in the midterms and beyond, we connected with old friend of the newsletter Rick Wilson, the longtime Republican strategist who these days is best known as an always colorful Never Trump commentator as the co-founder of The Lincoln Project.
“The delusion, the self-aggrandizement, the corruption — it’s all adding up to an ugly picture for Republicans,” he told us. “If they’re through their primaries, the last thing they want is to hear Donald Trump say their name. It’s a very tough equation for them, because if Trump gets angry at them and he goes on Truth Social and starts blasting them, that still will have an effect on Republican voters.”
Wilson pointed out that Republicans ultimately have to “own his madness,” including his psychotic obsession with turning the White House into a tacky Mar-a-Lago clone while Americans feel deep dissatisfaction with economic conditions.
“His obsession with gold leaf in the White House and covering statues in gold and all the weird ballrooms and triumphal arches — it’s really disconnected with the American voter,” he said. “They’re suffering, and he’s worried about how much gold leaf is going to go on to the statues in Washington, or when is the reflecting pool going to be redone for the second time? None of that connects.”
