Jacob Heilbrunn

The revolt against the Republican establishment is only just beginning

Beware the Moore. This is the doctrine that establishment Republicans such as the Senate Majority leader, Mitch McConnell, who poured in millions of dollars to try and defeat Judge Roy Moore’s bid for the Republican Senate primary nomination in Alabama, were preaching in recent months. For good measure, President Trump also backed the current Senator Luther Strange, who was crushed yesterday by Moore. Trump has hastily deleted his tweets supporting Strange, including one declaring that ‘Big Luther,’ as Trump likes to call him, was ‘shooting up’ in the polls after he endorsed him. Now, Trump is tweeting that Moore ‘sounds like a really great guy who ran a fantastic race. He will help to #MAGA!’

For Trump, this primary is a mere flesh wound. For McConnell, it is a crippling injury. The result suggests that the revolt against the Republican establishment is not over. It’s just beginning.

Already the Republican party, which controls all three branches of government, has been unable to pass any significant legislation.

Get Britain's best politics newsletters

Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Comments

Join the debate for just £1 a month

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in