Previous Guy's Republican States of America: lots of ring-kissing and revenge fantasies

Not prosecuting Trump for what seems to be incontrovertible evidence of his Stormy Daniels payoff seems to be small potatoes only if the big enchiladas are left on the plate. Yet the GQP thinks that they still need him, likely because there are no alternatives, what with Ted Cruz having dinner with Trump and Ron DeSantis doing his best Mini-Me impression.

Six months removed from his Election Day loss, Trump has emerged from his West Palm Beach hibernation — refashioning himself as the president of the Republican States of America and reshaping the party in ways both micro and macro.

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This portrait of the 45th president in this moment is the result of interviews with 13 former White House officials, advisers, Republicans and allies, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to share candid details. https://t.co/NINJ2mwuSa— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 7, 2021

Former president Donald Trump is moving to handpick members of the House GOP leadership team — relentlessly attacking Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the No. 3 House Republican, and endorsing Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York to replace her.

He is plotting to take down Republican lawmakers who voted to impeach him for inciting the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, while continuing to stoke the false claims of a stolen election that has become a dangerous rallying cry for the party.

And he is playing host to a burbling stream of Republican well-wishers — including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif). and Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) — who travel to his private Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida to pay their respects, seek his support and post a photo of their ring-kissing on social media.

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Trump is especially interested in endorsing candidates who will take on Republicans that voted to impeach or convict him, and his team has begun making calls in Wyoming to try to clear the Republican field so one candidate can challenge Cheney. He has already endorsed former White House aide Max Miller to oppose Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) and has also begun interviewing potential challengers to Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) — both of whom voted to impeach him. He is also interviewing potential challengers to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who voted to convict Trump in an impeachment trial, an adviser said.

He has taken a particular interest in Georgia and Arizona politics, two states that flipped for Biden in November. He is calling officials in Georgia to talk about who can beat Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and secretary of state Brad Raffensperger, the two officials in the state he most faults for his 2020 loss there for their refusal to overturn the state’s election results. He has also been paying close attention to the open governor’s seat in Arizona.

www.washingtonpost.com/…

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Trump lost and R's lost the Senate, yet R's near-universally conclude they need him. Why? They're not wrong exactly. Trump's leverage isn't so much his ability to grow the GOP, it's that he could *destroy* them if he wanted and not think twice about doing so. It always has been. https://t.co/raP484gBpB— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) May 7, 2021

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NEW VIDEO: @TedCruz wants you to know that HE led the effort to overturn the election in the Senate… take that, Josh Hawley! pic.twitter.com/eadMdgbc1B

— Lauren Windsor (@lawindsor) May 7, 2021

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 7, 2021

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