In short, most Republican leaders ended up holding the party line. If they had broken decisively with Trump, telling Americans loudly and clearly that he posed a threat to our country's cherished institutions, and if, on those grounds, they had endorsed Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump might never have ascended to the presidency.
In "How Democracies Die" by Steven Levitsky, the author argues that the failure of Republican leaders to break from Donald Trump ultimately reinforced his position within the party. By not openly condemning Trump's threat to democratic norms and institutions, these leaders contributed to his rise to power, which could have been avoided had they prioritized their commitment to democracy over party loyalty.
Levitsky suggests that a strong and unified denunciation from...
