Anyone who thinks President Trump‘s mesmerizing hold over the GOP will slip if his poll numbers slide is missing one of his biggest innovations in American politics:
- The creation of a cash-flush political operation that has raked in around a half-billion dollars — about the same amount the GOP’s House and Senate campaign arms spent during the entirety of the last midterm campaign.
Why it matters: It’s unheard of for a president not running for reelection to raise that kind of money. But the cash is just one piece of a bigger power play that’s arguably the most powerful, well-funded political apparatus ever.
- The day after Election Day, Trump — at a time most presidents-elect are scrambling to get their transitions rolling — started calling major donors to start building an enforcement machine for his agenda.
- “Right now, there’s a huge price to pay by crossing Donald Trump,” said Republican strategist Corry Bliss, who formerly led the Congressional Leadership Fund super PAC. “When you combine a 92% approval rating among Republican voters with unlimited money, that equals: ‘Yes, sir.'”