Not all of the votes have been counted and many Republicans are already turning their backs on the president. Their reactions will now determine the future.
In Washington, one can feel the tectonic movements of power; not only regarding the Oval Office, which henceforth is likel to be occupied by a Democrat. It’s just as captivating to watch the dynamic around the presumptive loser of this election, Donald Trump. While Trump, his family and his closest allies are mobilizing for “total war,” as proclaimed by the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr. on Thursday via tweet, many Republicans are distancing themselves.
Like no other place in the world, Washington is designed for efficiency. Status is determined by power. The way to the top is long and tough, the way down is short and tougher. It’s still unclear what the looming defeat will mean with regard to Trump’s future, the severity of his downfall and whether he will remain in control of his party. But the disengagement has already begun.
The factions are currently forming around the question of who is taking Trump’s side on Fox News and Twitter — and who is remaining silent. Naturally, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is staying right by Trump’s side, as he wants to be Trump’s heir, whose fans will be his Cruz’ most important future supporters. Sen. Lindsey Graham even announced a $500,000 donation to the president’s legal aid fund. And the ultraconservative governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, is acting like he works at Trump headquarters during his appearances on Fox.
The Aura of Power Is Broken
However, the list of conservatives remaining suspiciously unsuspicious is longer. It starts with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and ends with an array of presidential candidates for 2024 who deliver only nothing burgers. Trump’s loudest critics are currently the Republicans who remain silent.
Of course, this hasn’t escaped Trump and his cronies. “The total lack of action from virtually all of the ‘2024 GOP hopefuls’ is pretty amazing. They have a perfect platform to show that they’re willing and able to fight but they will cower to the media mob instead,” ranted Donald Trump Jr.
And Trump’s former campaign manager, Brad Parscale, who resigned over the summer, tweeted, “If you want to win in 2024 as a Republican, I would probably start saying something.” On top of that, Trump’s alliance with Fox News isn’t as reliable as it used to be.
On Thursday evening, as Trump stepped in front of the cameras for the first time in nearly 36 hours, several TV stations simply broke away from their live coverage. In America, this equals lèse-majesté; presidential speeches, particularly the ones pertaining to pivotal political questions, are usually broadcast even by stations from the other end of the opinion spectrum and thoroughly dissected afterward. The aura of power is broken. Trump has the aura of a loser.
The heaviest punch is coming from an equally loyal and powerful supporter. “Downcast Trump makes baseless election fraud claims in White House address,” tweeted the conservative New York Post, which, shortly before the election, published a series of scandalous stories about Joe Biden’s son, Hunter. Other media rejected the stories. It appears that Rupert Murdoch, owner of the New York Post and Fox News, has decided to drop Trump. And so it’s getting lonely around the president, even before the official result of the election is in.
Announcing the end of Trump would be premature, though. So far, he has always somehow managed to stay on top. He knows that he has his loyal fans behind him, who, according to various estimates, make up a third of all voters.
The disengagement movement is happening within the Washington elite, whom Trump attacked as “the swamp.” It indicates the state of Trump’s future, but not what is going to happen in the days to come.
In the last four years, the president managed to turn the Republican Party into a Trumpist party and forced political groups in the House of Representatives and the Senate to submit to his will. Republican policy was decided in the White House, not in the Capitol. And whoever dared to break ranks got mercilessly branded by Trump and ripped to shreds by the party base. On Thursday, Trump’s son, Eric, gave a gloomy warning to all dissenters: “Our voters will never forget you if your sheep!”
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