'A malaise is setting in': Some DC Republicans resigned to 'long slow death' of Trump's presidency

The Trump White House has been the most scandal-plagued of any new administration in recent history, and it's starting to wear down Republicans on Capitol Hill.

The Atlantic's Molly Ball talked with several Republicans in Congress and on K Street, and she came away with the impression that many of them are resigned to the fact that their agenda is going to get swallowed up by assorted Trump scandals.

One Republican House staffer told Ball that while some Republicans think they can fight through the Trump crisis, another group simply believes that Trump's presidency is doomed to "a long slow death."

"This is like Reservoir Dogs," the staffer said, referring to the Quentin Tarantino movie in which the majority of the main characters die at each others' hands. "Everyone ends up dead on the floor."

Similarly, one Republican lobbyist told Ball that the constant drumbeat of scandals might ensure some GOP lawmakers decide to throw in the towel instead of running for new terms.

"You finally have united Republican government, and this is as good as it gets?" he asked. "Why bother? A malaise is setting in."

And finally, one staffer for a GOP senator who did not support Trump this past fall explained that no one should be surprised that things are going so badly for Trump so soon.

"We didn’t have high expectations, so we’re not disappointed," the staffer said. "We tried to warn you."