The Republican Party is evolving, embracing candidates with scandalous pasts.
Washington: So, it looks like Donald Trump and his team tried everything to avoid serious consequences for his criminal case, but they didn’t succeed. In the end, he dodged a big punishment but is now the first convicted felon to hold the presidency.
The New York Times pointed out that having a criminal record used to be a dealbreaker for presidential candidates. Not too long ago, people debated whether a divorced person could win an election. The thought of electing a criminal was just laughable.
After Trump’s sentencing, I couldn’t help but remember what Nikki Haley said last February. She was convinced that Americans wouldn’t vote for a convicted criminal. She thought there was “no way” that could happen.
But look at what happened! GOP voters rallied behind Trump, ignoring his long list of scandals and legal troubles. Almost half of the voters still supported him after everything.
Even after a jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts related to his hush money scandal, Republican leaders kept backing him. Trump even turned his legal issues into a way to raise funds.
Just days before his sentencing, former Rep. Matt Gaetz mentioned he was thinking about running for governor in 2026. This came after some pretty serious accusations against him, like paying women for sex and using illegal drugs. He’s denied any wrongdoing, but it’s still wild.
Despite the serious allegations, many Florida Republicans shrugged it off, saying Gaetz could still be a strong candidate.
Meanwhile, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth is set for his Senate confirmation hearing. He’s got a controversial past and has never run a big organization, but it seems most Republican senators are ready to confirm him anyway.
Trump, Gaetz, and Hegseth all claim they’ve done nothing wrong. But let’s be real: the serious allegations they face would have ended anyone else’s political career not too long ago.
It’s time to rethink what “career-ending” really means as the Republican Party steps into this post-scandal phase. Jonathan Bernstein wrote a great piece about how the rules have changed.
He pointed out that both parties used to kick out bad actors, but now Republicans are more likely to tolerate or even celebrate questionable behavior.
Some might say both sides are the same, but that’s not quite right. When Democrats like Rod Blagojevich or Bob Menendez faced scandals, their party didn’t hesitate to show them the door.
It’s hard to imagine Democrats accepting a candidate with Trump’s history or Gaetz’s record. But as we move into 2025, the GOP is becoming a post-scandal party, and the rules of the game have shifted.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
