There was a sense among some Hill GOPers that "letting the process play out" re: election nonsense would allow Republicans to avoid a big conflict with Trump by pointing to the courts.

This week has demonstrated that that was never going to be possible.

This quote exemplifies the line of thinking well. Institutional GOP plays along until it becomes obvious that Trump lost, avoids becoming object of Trump's wrath.

Missing from the calculation was that it was never going to become obvious to Trump, who will demand loyalty.

Yes, Trump will leave on January 20 and Biden will take over. But GOP was always going to have to break with him at some point. Wishful thinking to believe he'd come around on his own. Maybe they thought they could delay until after the Georgia runoffs.

So, Hill GOP succeeded in kicking the can down the road a month, I guess.

But now we're two weeks from Georgia, and the detente is over. Trump is emailing Rs about McConnell, calling for a primary to Thune, amplifying calls to jail Brian Kemp.

Fight deferred, not avoided.

And what did the three-week delay get them?

More time for the conspiracy theories to harden in the minds of base voters. 126 members putting their name behind an asinine lawsuit. Likely having to override two presidential vetos, days before Georgia.

Anyways.