trump and trumpism have not been banished but live on as a dominating unpleasant reality of american political life a year after his appalling refusal to accept the election results should have exiled him ever more from the public space. the post january 6th gop embrace of the fall narrative of the insurrection is where we are start this hour. carol len i go is here. matt dowd joins us. and barton gehlman is back, from the atlantic, who in a cover story last months reports that the former president is in an even better position seize power in the next election. i want to start with you, matt dowd, he and she who hail from texas know the underbelly of ted cruz and being ted cruz. and i wonder your thoughts to this bit of political performance art. well, as you know, i have