Muted backlash to Trump’s bipartisanship signals warning for GOP

… The old rules of GOP politics held that any Republican who stepped out of line to seek compromise with Democrats risked immediate attack for ideological heresy, or worse, squishiness and weakness. But Trump’s call for a “much stronger coming together” with Democrats last week earned him little direct public criticism from Republican lawmakers or activists, who are wary of his power among the base. Instead, party leaders across Washington turned the focus of their ire on the continued dysfunction among Republicans. …

Trump’s 2016 campaign pollster, John McLaughlin, who continues to consult with the White House, conducted an online poll for conservative groups late last month that found 68 percent of likely Republican voters in 2018 thought it was time to replace McConnell and Ryan in Congress. In a separate question, 49 percent of all likely voters polled, including 46 percent of Republicans, said the same Republican leadership was “supporting the swamp” that Trump had promised to drain. CONT.

Michael Scherer, Washington Post