Republicans look more like the cannibal 'Donner party' than a governing party: columnist

Columnist Mark Shields said on Friday night that with its infighting and internal strife, the Republican Party is looking more like the 19th century Donner party, a group of snowbound pioneers who resorted to cannibalism to survive.

In their weekly "Shields and Brooks" segment on "PBS Newshour," Shields -- host of CNN's "The Capital Gang" -- and New York Times columnist David Brooks discussed President Donald Trump's attacks on the far-right Freedom Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Freedom Caucus, in turn, is lashing out at both the president and Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI).

"Since the collapse and the failure of the Republicans' promise after four elections to repeal and replace Obamacare as their first act, a total and abject failure," Shields said. "The Republicans look more like the Donner party than they do like a national governing party."

He explained that the Donner party were "settlers who got caught in the Sierra Madres in winter and ended up practicing cannibalism to survive. And really, this has been a circular firing squad. Donald Trump is attacking the Freedom Caucus, Paul Ryan is attacking the Freedom Caucus and suggesting that the worst thing that could happen would be for the president to work with Democrats to solve a national problem."

Watch the video, embedded below: