If It Quacks Like a Lame Duck....

Trump shows limited adherence to Republican orthodoxies and demands absolute loyalty while offering little loyalty in return. His personal priorities, including proposed projects in Washington and retribution against perceived tormentors, often conflict with party political interests. With midterms approaching, his actions appear to worsen GOP prospects: the Iran-related conflict has intensified economic concerns such as gasoline prices, legislative momentum has weakened as long-shot bills are pushed, and focus on construction around Washington does not address everyday problems. Inside the party, Trump uses endorsements to defeat incumbents who defy him, and his primary endorsement record is strong, though some races were not competitive. Many Republicans believe these moves accelerate his political decline and may endanger GOP performance in November.

"President Trump has never really cared about the Republican Party per se. He basks in its adulation, and it's beneficial to him when the GOP controls Congress. But he's never adhered to its orthodoxies or honored its heroes. Neither has he been willing to brook internal dissent in the name of the party's big tent. He demands absolute fealty but displays little loyalty. He can't help obsessing over his personal priorities-such as his proposed ballroom or his retribution campaign against perceived tormentors-to the detriment of his party's political interests. On ballots, Donald Trump (MAGA) would be more accurate than Donald Trump (R)."

"With little more than five months until the midterms, that divergence between what Trump thinks is good for Trump and what is good for the Republican Party has never been wider. Trump's priorities appear in many ways to be hurting the GOP's chances in November, when it already faces stiff odds of keeping control of Congress. The war he started with Iran put Americans' economic struggles front and center when the price of gasoline jumped. Any semblance of a national legislative agenda has evaporated as he pushes long-shot bills that his own party declines to take forward. And his obsession with construction in and around Washington, D.C., it is safe to say, doesn't suggest a chief executive focused on the problems of everyday citizens."

"Meanwhile, Trump has wielded his clout inside the party like a broadsword, endorsing primary opponents in races against incumbents who defy him. Trump has a perfect endorsement record this year: All 118 candidates -for House, Senate, and governors' races-he has backed in primaries have won, according to a Fox News count (though many of these races were not really contested). Even though Trump's power over his party appears at its pinnacle, many Republicans believe that the president has actually accelerated his own political decline. Many of those primary winners may struggle in November, darkening the GO"

Read at The Atlantic