Donald Trump has gone from targeting political foes to attacking members of his own party – with anyone questioning his controversial actions or grandiose projects coming under fire.
Favouring unwavering loyalty over electoral success, this week Trump helped to end the midterm election hopes of three sitting Republicans: Kentucky’s Thomas Massie, a critic of the government’s handling of the Epstein scandal; Georgia’s Brad Raffensperger, who defied Trump’s call to “find” votes to overturn the 2020 election; and Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy, a supporter of Trump’s 2021 impeachment.
The President also demanded the firing of a non-partisan Senate official who rejected his attempt to include $1bn for his vast White House ballroom in an immigration bill, a vote on which was then abandoned by Senate Republicans on Thursday.
Shorts
The President’s strategy appears to centre on building a movement of frightened loyalists who will back even his most narcissistic ambitions, a growing concern for Republican lawmakers who might dare to challenge him.
