Donald Trump Should Finish Off Conservatism, Inc.

It is difficult to exaggerate how much a political liability that Donald Trump’s deference to Conservatism, Inc., the GOP establishment and their hidebound neoliberal agenda was after he defeated them in the 2016 election. This was one of the biggest mistakes he made as president.

National Review:

“Well, it’s on.

Donald Trump ended his post-presidency silence not with a blast at President Joe Biden, or at the Left, or at the House impeachment managers, but at the true enemy — Mitch McConnell.

The Trump forces aren’t forming a third party, but they do want to take over or — more accurately — maintain their current grip on the GOP, and McConnell is an obstacle. …

Still, the gravamen of Trump’s anti-McConnell statement, making the case that the Kentucky Republican is a political disaster compared with the masterly Trump, is risible.

Republicans still strongly identify with Trump, but it’d be a mistake to let him dictate the party’s potential future leaders or its ultimate direction.”

From our perspective, we had whipped these guys in the 2016 primary and given Trump a populist and nationalist mandate to move on from mainstream conservatism. We had whipped Hillary Clinton too. In the moment of victory though, Donald Trump inexplicably embraced these people, undermined his own coalition and made the call to advance their politically toxic agenda.