People who have a fairness-democracy mindset can't fathom this, so they imagine there must be blackmail.
But those who favor hierarchy are comfortable in a system where people grovel to the Leader.
🔹Trump controls his base
🔹His base is a majority of the Republican Party
🔹A Republican cannot get elected without Trump’s base
🔹If they cross Trump, he’ll turn his base against them
But they want power within a party that values hierarchy.
I see this as the same explanation.
America's far right wing is drawn to Russia because both embrace hierarchical thinking and reject fairness-democracy.