McConnell capitalized on Democrat-media attacks on the Tea Party. After beating down his own Tea Party-backed challenger in 2014, he was happy to work behind the scenes to undercut Tea Party people at every opportunity and elect “his kind of candidates” – those he could control through campaign contributions and other perks – as opposed to the limited government conservatives whom the Tea Party supported. And those senators he has helped elect and reelect over the years provide his power base and bloc support as minority (or majority) leader. McConnell and his cohort are all compromised, and thanks to President Trump, more Republican voters – and other Americans – have figured that out.
McConnell wants to use the same double-barreled strategy (direct attacks in conjunction with Democrat actions) against President Trump’s 75+ million supporters to regain Establishment Republican control of the Republican Party. Except that strategy won’t work this time for a variety of reasons:
McConnell’s public attacks galvanize support for President Trump, reminding them of all the reasons they despise back-stabbing Establishment Republicans. And everyone knows a RINO or two in their own home states who fill that bill.
The Tea Party morphed into a core element of Trump’s support base, which has the same concerns about political corruption and the ongoing undermining of the Constitution and cultural institutions.
The Tea Party-cum-Trump activists are smarter and even more red-pilled than they were in 2009. Once politically awakened and self-aware about Democrat-RINO-media lies, many of the Trump base are never going back to complacency and are hard at work retaking control of local Republican organizations from old RINOs.
Trump supporters aren’t just white Republicans; they include a broad spectrum of Americans, including many minorities, independents, and even Democrats (or former Democrats!).
Democrat support for BLM and Antifa shocked Trump supporters who support law and order and the police. Trump Republicans aren’t going to give control of their party back to Establishment Republicans, who were virtually silent about the violence in 2020. The only question is whether Trump independents and Democrats will join in that battle, too.
Biden’s rash of transparently anti-American executive orders engenders no pushback from Establishment Republicans. Americans are shocked at the destructive actions taken by the left-wing Biden administration. The very public reversal of President Trump’s agenda is an in-your-face reminder of the true Biden-Harris globalist and socialist agenda, and it’s the antithesis of “Making America Great Again.”
Trump Republicans are aghast at the perfidy and traitorous actions of RINOs in Congress who voted to impeach in the House and convict in the Senate. Support among Republican voters for a third party is at an all-time high, signaling political disaster for Establishment Republicans and McConnell’s compromise agenda.
Their home state Republican Party organizations have already censured many RINOs in Congress who voted to impeach and convict. Home state Republicans know that Establishment Republicans have bailed out on President Trump and are taking action. Primary challengers to some of those RINOs have already declared themselves, too.
The Tea Party was amorphous and essentially leaderless, with no real national figure around whom to rally. President Trump isn’t going anywhere and has thrown down the gauntlet!