… What if, having systematically attacked what seems like every other institution involved in American government — the judiciary, the intelligence community, the press, the election process, law enforcement, Congress — he’s now set to attack and undermine the institution whose nomination he commandeered to obtain the presidency? What if he simply ditched the Republican Party, either officially or in spirit? …
Polls show between 75 and 80 percent of Republicans still approve of Trump, but some of that approval is soft, with slightly more than half of Republicans “strongly approving” — 53 percent in one poll and 61 percent in another. That seems about as good a measure of who might stick by Trump if he went the independent route, at least initially. …
In addition, a poll released Thursday showed 53 percent of GOP voters in Republican districts said their members hadn’t been supportive enough of Trump. If Trump says the GOP is failing him, plenty will believe it. CONT.
Aaron Blake, Washington Post