McConnell has done a cost/benefit analysis that Trump can't deliver enough to offset the fact that he'll be an anchor on the ankle of the GOP for the next 4 years. His tune would be different if Trump had helped win the 2 GA Senate seats, rather than causing a suburban hemorrhage https://twitter.com/nytpolitics/status/1349189949816528901

It will be interesting from a historic perspective if the GOP assists in voting to remove Trump, but I am not looking forward to anyone acting as if McConnell is acting on principles beyond delivering life support to the GOP. GA gave them an electoral existential crisis.

There are still costs to cutting Trump loose, given just how devoted the highly radicalized GOP base is to him. But McConnell is looking at GA, AZ, polls, etc. & calculating that the benefits to separating from him now outweigh the consequences.

Trump's social media bans also may play a part here, albeit a smaller one. It's easier to separate from him when 1. you know he won't have the same public megaphone & 2. you know the media will cover his speeches less. That increases the likelihood he will become obscure.

Also, I don't think the GOP is capable of *much* shame & that includes McConnell for reasons that are likely obvious. That said, I do think a few of them--especially those w/ primarily neocon sensibilities--finally felt a little bit embarrassed on the international stage.

And, as others have pointed out: 2022 is a rough map for the GOP & donors are leaving them. If any of the above factors were different, McConnell may have made different calculations re: the value of separating from Trump.