But the relationship between Trump and many Republicans increasingly looks less like a marriage of convenience than a sadomasochistic affair. The mounting authoritarianism of the Republican Party under Trump is particularly blatant when it comes to the Russia investigation. His texts directly contradict Trump’s claim that the Russia investigation is “fake news” cooked up by bitter Democrats to explain their loss. Maybe that’s true, and Republicans will display new independence once tax reform is signed, particularly if support for the president keeps dwindling. Maybe Trump is changing Republicans, or maybe he’s just giving men like Pence permission to be who they already were.

Source: New York Times December 22, 2017 10:41 UTC