Have Republicans Given Up on Fighting Trump?

Jonathan Chait: “Part of it is that Trump has gotten better, more polished. His cartoonish facial gestures come less frequently. He is less outrageous (and less funny). He seems to control his tone more effectively.”

“But mainly, Republicans have decided to start treating him as a regular candidate and a member of their party in good standing, rather than an imposter who has hijacked it on a lark.”

First Read: “You know the different stages of grief — shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining. Well, have we finally reached the last stage, acceptance? Now none of this means that Trump is going to win the GOP presidential nomination. But it does mean that he’s become much more acceptable to Republicans than we ever thought possible; that he’s indelibly shaped the GOP contest in his own image; and that he’s in firm control of this GOP race.”