The Republican Party is an 'organized conspiracy' to maintain power: Steve Schmidt

On MSNBC Wednesday, longtime Republican strategist Steve Schmidt tore into the GOP for abandoning its principles for the blind pursuit of power.

"I do not understand how elected Republicans like Mitch McConnell, and even right-wing hosts like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh, do not say, today, there's a line that can't be crossed and that's violence," said anchor Nicolle Wallace.

"That line is in the rearview mirror, Nicolle," said Schmidt. "They crossed it. They crossed the Rubicon. We cannot be fantastical in wishing what has happened has not happened in our thinking. It has happened. We've watched it play out. We've watched Trump and his loony attorneys. We've watched the declarations of fraud. We've seen United States senators, members of the House of Representatives, they all knew — they all know that Biden has won the election. What they're doing is for no purpose other than power. The Republican Party is an organized conspiracy for the purposes of maintaining power for self-interest, and the self-interest of its donor class."

"There has never been a force that has achieved power, or is within reach of achieving power in the next election, that's been so hostile to the history, the founding, the essence and the entire meaning of the country, as is this Trump and Trumpist movement that has taken over lock, stock, and barrel the Republican Party," added Schmidt. "It's no longer dedicated to American democracy. It is dedicated to Trump and Trumpism and to his family, to defense of his indecencies, his autocratic manner, his corruptions, an apologist for the profound damage he has done."

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