Trump never cracked 47% of the national vote. He left office with a 39% approval rating. And polls show a majority of Americans favored his disqualification from future office.

So why did Senate Republicans choose to keep him as their de facto party leader?

Thread:

The Republican Party of the past tried to win over a majority of voters - and often succeeded. Reagan, Nixon and Ike all topped 57% (!) of the popular vote. George W. Bush won re-election with 51%, by appealing to swing voters.

That's not today's G.O.P.

(2/n)

The G.O.P. is in the midst of the worst popular-vote slump in U.S. history, having lost it in 7 of the last 8 presidential elections.

But in terms of policy, the G.O.P has done fine. Taxes on the rich are low. Dems have been stymied on climate, pre-K and more. How?

(3/n)

The modern Republican Party has found ways other than majority support to succeed:

- Senate advantage for small states
- Filibuster
- More aggressive gerrymandering than Dems
- More aggressive on judges than Dems
- Electoral College

(4/n)

This pattern helps explain Republicans' willingness to stand by Trump, despite the polls.

Today’s Republican Party is less concerned with national public opinion than the party used to be. It can succeed while appealing to a national minority. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/15/briefing/winter-storm-president-biden-meghan-markle-pregnant.html?action=click&module=Briefings&pgtype=Homepage