Paul Krugman nails why GOPers won't turn on Trump -- and it's not over fear of the president's wrath

In a series of tweets on Thursday morning, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman mocked Republicans who have painted themselves into a corner with their slavish devotion to Donald Trump and now, in the face of real crimes that could lead to impeachment, refuse to condemn him for fear it will make them look like they have aligned with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and the Democrats.

Leading off with, "So all the pundits who warned that Dems were making a terrible mistake are engaged in some serious soul-searching, right? Hahahaha," the Nobel Prize-winning economist dug into what is holding them back -- then coined a term to explain their reluctance.

"Actually, a real puzzle: why are so many center-right anti-Trumpers deeply opposed to holding Trump accountable for abuse of power? You might think they'd be glad to see him fall bc of his personal sins, not his policies," he wrote before adding, "One answer might be Pelosi derangement syndrome: they may be anti-Trump, but can't stand admitting that Dems are doing anything right. Strong overlap between never-impeachers and those who insisted Dems were blowing the midterms."

He then tweeted, "All this is, of course, a minor sideshow. Much more important to ask whether any R senators will relocate their spines. Experience isn't encouraging, but hope springs eternal."

You can see the tweets below: