Briefing | The Nero of Mar-a-Lago

Donald Trump’s hold on the Republican Party is unquestionable

And it is putting his acolytes into offices that control elections

|DALLAS, PHOENIX AND JACKSON, WYOMING

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.

This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “That hideous strength”

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From the August 20th 2022 edition

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