Story thread · 4 reports / 4 sources

“Why Bother?”: No One Is Even Trying to Rein Trump in Anymore

newrepublic.com · 5dShare

America has a runaway president, and no one on his team is willing to rein him in. White House officials and elected Republicans have abandoned their attempts to sway Donald Trump’s opinion, finding it futile to push back on the president’s demands, Axios reported Wednesday. Despite a growing distrust of the president’s instincts, Trump’s inner circle has found it increasingly difficult to change his mind once it’s made up, according to numerous aides, advisers, and donors that spoke with Axios. “Why bother?” one longtime adviser told the outlet. “He’s the boss.” The Republican Party has repeatedly caved to Trump’s whims since 2016, allowing him to meander through his second term without the threat of consequence or even a second opinion. As a result, Trump thrust America into war with Iran without any clear goals, aggravated some of America’s longest allies—notably Canada—by shitposting online, incensed the public by tearing down the White House in order to build a $600 million, gold-

First report: GOP officials give up on futile Trump persuasion — axios.com, 6d