There's a German word, Steigbügelhalter (stirrup holder), that describes helping someone come to power, but has been specifically applied to politicians who use the mantle of respectability to aid and abet authoritarianism.
This may well describe what happened in Washington today. But it's global, too. Back in Germany, the mainstream conservative and libertarian parties just collaborated with the far-right AfD to oust the socialist who'd won a regional election. theguardian.com/world/2020/feb…
The AfD there is led by a man who a court has ruled may fairly be described as a fascist. This is the logical extension of "my righteous ends justify pandering to the enemies of democracy." Whether that goal is confirming Supreme Court justices or defeating a socialist.
And these respectable German conservatives tell themselves, and probably believe, that they can hold back the barbarians, that it won't be that bad, that they don't really mean all that stuff they say. Just as they did 87 years ago.
Anyway, it was @gri_mm and @Bojerlanski who reminded me of the term Steigbügelhalter, and it's thanks to the many, many people who do see the dangers of playing footsie with fascism that we may yet avoid going down this road any further.
@gri_mm @Bojerlanski I didn't want to leave it at that pit in my stomach. The country I've made my home is not Weimar. So I tried to write about the danger we're in here, and also how much reason there is, still, today, to hope and go to work. Please read and respond! motherjones.com/media/2020/02/… 
