One thing that bugs me about this Trump-Putin business is that while it can seem obvious Putin has leverage on the man, it's hard to imagine what could be more embarrassing than what we already know about Trump. What's left that could shame him or cause the GOP to turn on him?
The much ballyhooed "pee tape," if it even exists, would serve as a momentary distraction. We'd all have a good laugh, meanwhile Republicans would go on Fox saying it's shameful Trump's privacy was so ruthlessly invaded, the news cycle moves on, and we'd be back at square one.
The most plausible theory is that it's less about public shaming than Trump's finances. What remains of Trump's wealth has been cobbled together from shady loans that likely trace back to Russian interests. Threatening his money, so central to his identity, could move him.
But even if this were revealed we're right back to the larger and more terrifying question: would it cause the GOP and his base to abandon him? The answer is almost certainly "no."
