qualifies as the mainstream anymore, but what we used to call the mainstream, are not holding the line, are not resisting what has been a very successful effort by trump to break down the walls between the gop and the most radical elements in american society. all of those voices in the republican party are operating under the implicit protection of trump. you see it in the way people like kevin mccarthy deal with them. he is afraid to discipline them in any real way because he realizes that to do so would invite a thunderbolt from trump. and the failure to discipline them encourages them. and the way in which trump has kind of mainstreamed arguments and language and views of far-right groups encourages them. and so all of these and you see rather than standing up to it, republican elected officials in state after state kind of going along with the big lie and passing legislation making it tougher to vote or making it easier to interfere with the
all of those voices in the republican party are operating under the implicit protection of trump. you see it in the way people like kevin mccarthy deal with them. he is afraid to discipline them in any real way because he realizes to do so would invite a thunder bolt from trump and failure to discipline them encourages them. and the way in which trump has kind of main streamed arguments and language and views of far right groups encourages them. and so all of these you see rather than standing up to it the republican elected officials in state after state kind of going along with the big lie and passing legislation making it tougher to vote or making it easier to interfere with the counting of votes or conspiracy theorists running for election positions. we are kind of steadily moving toward a crisis moment where you see all of these elements of social division coming together.