You would think Republicans would have learned by now that they can’t have it both ways with Donald Trump. The choice for Republicans is clear: either you stand fully with a defeated former president who incited an assault on our democracy, or you’re pushed out of the Republican Party altogether. 

While Donald Trump is reaching new levels of unhinged – suggesting pardons for January 6 insurrectionists and an investigation into his own vice president – Republican leaders have refused to denounce him and have been practically tripping over themselves to avoid answering for him. 

Washington Post: “Mitch McConnell very carefully doesn’t reject the idea of Jan. 6 pardons”

The Hill: “GOP leaders silent on Trump’s claims that VP could overturn elections”

HuffPost: “’Low Priority’: Some Republicans Unwilling To Discuss Trump Pledge To Pardon Jan. 6 Rioters”

CNN: “While some Senate Republicans said they found Trump’s controversial pledge to pardon the January 6 defendants to be inappropriate, others were eager to deflect or dodge questions about it entirely, while still others sought to defend Trump’s remarks at a Saturday rally in Texas. And even some of the Republicans who voted to convict Trump in his impeachment trial last year, such as Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, wouldn’t rule out supporting the former President if he ran for the White House again in 2024.”

There’s no hiding from Donald Trump. As Lindsey Graham is finding out, you either support Trump and his attacks on our democracy, or you have to forfeit your right to be a Republican. 

Insider: “Trump called Lindsey Graham a ‘RINO’ after the senator said it was wrong to pardon Capitol rioters”

CNN’s Abby Phillips: “Trump is making the choice very clear for Republicans. They either support him and the coup attempt, or they don’t. And if you are on the wrong side of that for Trump, you are a RINO. There’s no middle ground here. There’s no placating him here. He wants people who back him to also back the insurrection attempt … And if you try to push back against the coup, then you are pushed out of the Republican Party.”

###