Trump wanted on-the-record stories in the mainstream press, and by God he got one, from the Washington Post. ("Who’s afraid of Trump? Not enough Republicans — at least for now.") These public-consumption quotes are truly stunning.
Sen. Susan Collins (R): "This president is the first president in our history who has neither political nor military experience, and thus it has been a challenge to him to learn how to interact with Congress and learn how to push his agenda better."
Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R): "The president remains an entity in and of itself, not a part of the traditional Republican Party. I handle the Trump administration the same way I handled the Obama administration. When I agree, I work with them. When I oppose, I don’t."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R): "Asked if he personally fears Trump, Graham chuckled before saying, 'No.'"
Political consultant John Weaver (R): "When you have a 35 percent approval rating and you’re under FBI investigation, you don’t have a hammer."
Only one R, a "senior [operative] close to both the White House and many senators," spoke anonymously to the Post. He "called Trump and his political operation 'a paper tiger.'"
I have read many times that, assuming Trump survives impeachment or indictment, it is foolhardy to think the president will be primaried in 2020 — that no Republican would be willing to take him on. I rather think that should Trump survive into 2020, probably a dozen GOPers will take him on. Because by then, even much of Trump's base will have come to realize that this president is an impossibly isolated idiot.