During the 2016 election, many observers from across the political spectrum saw Donald Trump’s candidacy as a direct challenge to the Republican Party’s ideological orthodoxy. Reporters described Trump as an “insurgent populist” running on a policy platform that “cuts across party lines . . . [and is] anathema to movement conservatives.” From Barack Obama on the left to Bill Kristol on the right, critics described Trump’s brand of politics as fundamentally incompatible with conservative principles and Republican heritage.
But that’s not what we’ve seen so far. Instead of transforming the Republican Party, Trump has assembled the most conservative administration and agenda of any modern president. CONT.
Matt Grossmann (Michigan State) & David A. Hopkins (Boston College), Monkey Cage