"This is his way of imposing discipline so he can get things done," tweets Margot Cleveland. "Many Republicans mistake this for childish petulance."
A thought on Cassidy’s defeat. Donald Trump’s philosophy of practicing politics is simple: “If you hit me, I’ll hit you back 10 times harder.” This is his way of imposing discipline so he can get things done. Many Republicans mistake this for childish petulance. The ironic…
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) May 17, 2026
A thought on Cassidy’s defeat. Donald Trump’s philosophy of practicing politics is simple: “If you hit me, I’ll hit you back 10 times harder.” This is his way of imposing discipline so he can get things done. Many Republicans mistake this for childish petulance. The ironic thing is that when these oh-so-high-minded Republicans (Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Thom Tillis, etc.) get their comeuppance, they are the ones who react with truly childish petulance. They are the ones willing to frustrate the advancement of the conservative agenda that they once claimed to support, simply because they didn’t get their way. For all his supposed faults, Trump constantly tries to advance the agenda he has been pushing since before he was elected. His Republican detractors, not so much.
Let them do it. They would fall down in a heartbeat if they had to attempt to fend off such incessant attacks from corners that are supposed to be friendly. It can increase the difficulty of an already difficult situation. There is ample childishness to fulfill the quota for that. They need to have some unity and get on the same page, rather than constantly having to litigate one after another inner-squad altercation.
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