The (Like a) Dog Who Won’t Bark

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A TPM Reader asked me last night how much of this is shaking out in the way it is because Donald Trump is distracted by his trials and thus not getting involved. My initial response was that it might be playing some role. But I figured the much bigger driver is the fact that unlike his own power, his own freedom and his own money, who runs the House Republican caucus just doesn’t affect him that much. What we know about Donald Trump is that if there’s nothing in it for him he basically doesn’t care. That’s got to be a big part of it. But as today has played out I wonder whether this may be having a bigger impact than I thought.

Just a few moments ago, after I’d started writing this post, Trump posted a kind of ‘pox on both your houses’ comment. “Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves, why aren’t they fighting the Radical Left Democrats who are destroying our Country?”

That’s pretty weak sauce and really an attack on both sides. He doesn’t look to be intervening on either side, even if only to demonstrate his role as kingmaker.

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