Out-Trumping Trump: The GOP’s baffling hamster wheel race, explained

Former President Donald Trump remains a dominant force among members of the Republican Party. According to The New Yorker, it doesn't look like Trump's influence will wane anytime soon. If anything, it appears to be getting worse as some of Trump's loyal supporters are now fighting to outdo one another.

The New Yorker's Amy Davidson Sorkin has explained how Trump-era Republicans are basically tumbling over each other for the purpose of political exposure; exposure that a Trump endorsement can surely bring. In exchange, those same Republican leaders and lawmakers are also helping to lay the foundation for a potential Trump run in 2024.

"The Republican leaders who defer to his preferences and echo his delusions now are building the scaffolding for his own next campaign. The nomination, at least, appears to be his for the taking. Ahead of 2022, G.O.P. candidates are scrambling for Trump's endorsement. In 2024, he may be demanding theirs."

Sorkin explained how the Republican imbalance can still have lasting impacts on Congress even if Democratic lawmakers manage to maintain control of the Senate.

"Even if the Democrats hold the Senate, the dynamic there will change for the worse if their Republican counterparts are more Trumpist—more conspiracy-minded, more jingoistic, more convinced that the people on the other side of the aisle are godless, evil, amoral socialists," Sorkin wrote. "Such a caucus would be even more likely to engage in reckless acts of obstruction and conflict. The effect would almost certainly be more exaggerated in the House, where the Marjorie Taylor Greene contingent will likely grow."

Sorkin also warned of the rapidly changing dynamic within the Republican Party. With more Trump loyalists seeking positions in public office, the level of extremism among lawmakers is continuing to rise at alarming rates. Sorkin went on to express concern about the difficulty there is determining the difference between true conservative Republicans and those who are seeking positions solely for the purpose of opportunity.

Although Trump has been banished from social media, his hold over the political party remains intact.

"As the average level of extremism in Congress rises, it becomes harder to tell true believers from opportunists," Sorkin wrote." "The former President, banished from Twitter, can appear marginalized, yet the G.O.P. is heading into the midterms with Trump as its leader."