As the Trump era draws to a close, the Republican Party is fractured, out of power, and bitterly fighting over core tenets of democracy.
My story on the spectacle in Washington today, with quotes from Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Thomas Massie, and more: theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
My story on the spectacle in Washington today, with quotes from Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Thomas Massie, and more: theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
I spoke to (a fairly sanguine) Romney last night a few hours after he was harassed by Trump supporters in an airport. “A huge portion of the American public has been misled by the president about the outcome of the election," he told me. theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
“The president was right that there was an effort to corrupt the election," Romney told me, "but it was not by Joe Biden. It was by President Trump.” theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
In a Senate floor speech today, Romney will try to appeal to his colleagues' sense of their own legacies: theatlantic.com/politics/archi… 
Romney says he worries a future Trump-style power grab could succeed: "Instead of being represented by Larry, Moe, and Rudy, a future presidential candidate may have highly competent counsel. There may be state election officials with less backbone." theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
Romney has some personal experience with debunking voter-fraud claims: theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
Ben Sasse on the ploy to challenge electoral votes: “If politicians use a tactic once, they’ll use it again. If these votes become a cost-free way to signal dissatisfaction with the outcome of an election, this is going to be a tradition every 4 years.” theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
GOP Rep. Thomas Massie was candid about why his colleagues are going along with this: “Trump has a 94% approval rating among my Republican electorate—I’ve actually polled it twice. Those are people that vote in the primaries in Kentucky’s Fourth District." theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
Massie opposes the Electoral College challenge on constitutional grounds, but says many of his constituents won't be happy: "I’m going to have a lot of explaining to do.” theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
“Sometimes it’s your job to tell your constituents they’re all wet,” Jeff Flake told me. “There’s been very little willingness to do that.” theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
What happens when a political party spends years indulging its base's worst impulses over and over and over again:
https://twitter.com/ElijahSchaffer/status/1346881968819105792
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