How Trump Cemented an Iron Grip on Republicans

New York Times: “This account of how Mr. Trump is using his influence with Republicans on Capitol Hill is based on interviews with more than a dozen people familiar with the interactions, most of whom insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations. They described an approach in which Mr. Trump, who has spent years showing Republicans that he can either be their greatest champion or their worst political enemy, focuses intently on wooing and socializing with G.O.P. lawmakers, relying on the implicit but rarely stated threat of ruining them to get his way when they stray from his demands.”

“And they said Mr. Trump’s tactics were more carrot than stick. He relies on the trappings of the presidency — rides on Air Force One; visits with their spouses to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla.; White House tchotchkes; and seemingly endless Sharpie signatures on Trump-branded merchandise — to make Republicans members of Congress feel special and indebted to him.”