Former Republican chair says US institutions yielded to Trump, ‘the bully’

Michael Steele argues law firms, universities and media capitulated with startling speed and voters want accountability

The biggest surprise of Donald Trump’s first year back in office is how quickly America’s institutions capitulated to “the bully”, said Michael Steele, a former chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) turned arch critic.

But with the midterm elections for Congress looming, Steele predicts a resounding Democratic victory amid a hunger among voters to hold the president and his allies accountable for threatening democracy.

Steele, 67, was the first Black chair of the RNC and coined the phrase “Drill, baby, drill!” in a speech at the 2008 Republican national convention. He was implacably opposed to Trump’s takeover of the party and is now a co-host of The Weeknight on the liberal-leaning MS NOW network.

As the first anniversary of Trump’s second inauguration approaches, Steele said the president’s authoritarian assault on the constitutional and rule of law was more expected than the way in which many law firms, universities and media companies caved.