Defeated Trump aides admit they've lost all control: 'Why bother?'

Top White House officials and elected Republicans are no longer even attempting to talk President Trump out of anything, according to Axios, which spoke with numerous aides, advisers and donors in the president's orbit.

"Why bother?" one longtime adviser and admirer of Trump said. "He's the boss."

Republicans have deferred to Trump's demands and impulses for nearly a decade, reasoning that his instincts were sharper than their own. That confidence in his instincts has eroded, insiders say — but so has any appetite for pushing back, even when they disagree with him.

The examples pile up: an Iran strike launched without a clear endgame, a taunting social media post mocking Canada's prime minister, and a first-of-its-kind midterm nominating convention — kicking off Wednesday in Dallas — that many vulnerable candidates would rather skip but that Trump insisted on addressing both nights.

Add to that campaign ads built around a president whose approval rating is near record lows, and an ongoing renovation of the White House, complete with a new ballroom, that critics liken to Augustus's marble makeover of Rome.

"Many aides and confidants have been worn down by Trump," Axios reported. "They know they can't stop him, and they don't even try."

Aides insist there's still some structure behind the president's decision-making, though they could not point to a specific instance when he changed course under pressure.

A donor who recently met with Trump summed up the mood: "He's an 80-year-old man who did it his way. What he wants, he gets."

The dynamic comes as Republicans brace for a difficult midterm cycle, with the House majority seen as a toss-up and the Senate map only slightly more favorable. Trump officially becomes a lame duck 56 days after Election Day, and attention will quickly shift to the 2028 race and to Democrats eyeing new leverage on Capitol Hill.

Still, allies caution against writing him off. "Discount Trump at your peril," one adviser said, arguing his influence over the party won't fade even after he leaves office. "He's going to remain the dominant political figure even after his term ends, and everybody knows it."