Former President Donald Trump has created a "MAGA doom loop" for himself that will come to cripple his efforts to win the White House next year, argues Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent.
Sargent begins by arguing that Trump and Republicans' efforts to stifle democratic processes -- whether by inciting a riot to prevent the certification of a presidential election or nominating candidates for secretary of state who had vowed not to certify 2024 election results if Trump didn't win -- have proven to be unpopular with voters.
However, Sargent says that Trump and the GOP have only doubled down on such anti-democratic maneuverings, and he points to some of the party's recent actions in states such as Michigan and Wisconsin.
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When it comes to Michigan, writes Sargent, the state Republican Party "is in shambles" thanks to its devotion to propping up Trump's lies about a "stolen" 2020 election.
"Just this month, the chairman again called for scrutiny of supposed 2020 fraud, prompting infighting over debunked conspiracy theories," he writes. "And as the New York Times reports, the party’s descent into MAGA mania is alienating donors, draining volunteer enthusiasm and driving away swing voters."
Things are getting even more drastic in Wisconsin, where Republicans this week voted to oust a top elections official over conspiracy theories that she "rigged" the election against Trump three years ago.
Added to this, the Wisconsin GOP is threatening to impeach a Supreme Court justice who was elected earlier this year before she's even issued a single ruling on a single case.
"Democrats will surely be able to use those MAGA-approved tactics to mobilize voters against Trump and Republicans in 2024," predicts Sargent.
