Shortly after the attack on the Capitol on January 6, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told The New York Times that Donald Trump “went too far.”
“Trump and I have had an amazing journey,” the senator said after the riot. “I hate to end this way. Oh my God, I hate it. … All I can say is, deal with it, enough is enough.” A day later, the longtime Republican lawmaker continued: “When it comes to accountability, [Trump] must understand that his actions were the problem and not the solution.”
This came to mind when Graham appeared on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” a few weeks ago and was asked whether Trump described the day of the insurrectionist attack as a “day of love.” He responded that “most” of the people who responded to Trump’s call “came out of love for the country.”
Apparently he didn’t feel the need to repeat the “count it out, enough is enough” comments he had made almost four years earlier.
Graham has loads of company. After the riot, Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota not only spoke openly about Trump’s potential criminal liability, he specifically pointed to the federal statute regarding “insurrection or insurrection” as the law prosecutors could use against the then-president of his party. Rounds added at the time that it would “stop.” [Trump] because he is running for public office again.”
Rounds nevertheless supported Trump’s re-election campaign.
Then-Republican leader Kevin McCarthy condemned Trump after January 6, telling his members: “I’ve had it with this man.” Nearly four years later, McCarthy not only supported the newly elected president, he also started looking for a job in the White House.
It is easy to forget what conditions were like in the immediate aftermath of the violence. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska wanted the then-president to resign before Inauguration Day 2021, declaring: “He has to go.” Then-Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania made similar comments, saying Trump’s behavior “disqualifies him from serving.”
Around the same time, Axios reported: “With thirteen days left in President Trump’s term, confidants and Republican officials are considering drastic steps to stop him.”
The question at the time was not whether his political career was over. It seemed clear at the time that this was so. The idea that he would win a second term 46 months later was so patently ridiculous that it played no role in the public conversation.
Rather, the question was whether his presidency would survive the final two weeks. With talk of the 25th Amendment circulating in the nation’s capital, the answer was not a foregone conclusion.
It wasn’t just Republican members of Congress who agreed that January 6 was an automatic disqualification for Trump. David Sacks, a prominent party donor, said after the riot: “I think he has disqualified himself as a candidate at the national level. … I think if you want to look at this gang as a gun, I think he loaded the gun. He steered it in a certain direction.”
Sacks nevertheless supported Trump’s 2024 candidacy.
Billionaire Chamath Palihapitiya added in 2021: “He’s a complete asshole.”
In 2024, Palihapitiya hosted a fundraiser for Trump’s campaign.
In the aftermath of the riot, even Chris LaCivita amplified online content blaming Trump’s lies for the violence. And who is Chris LaCivita? He’s the Republican who managed Trump’s 2024 candidacy.
On January 6, the stain that could not be washed away. It was the career killer. It was the point of no return.
Or so we thought.
Of particular note, Trump’s allies changed course without a fight. It’s not that Trump had somber and thoughtful conversations with key party leaders, expressing remorse and regret, accepting responsibility and asking for their grudging forgiveness.
There was only surrender. A weak, leaderless and directionless party simply decided to stop caring about the crisis they briefly took seriously, and submitted to the accused criminal because he said so.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
