Never Trumpers' Goal: 'Destroy All Monsters... Destroy Trump'
A faction aligned with anti-Trump media personalities calls for a sustained, ruthless drive to destroy Trump’s political standing and remake the GOP in a pro–immigration, global-mized image. The plan envisions using the next two years to humiliate Trump, pressure Republican backers, and leverage amnesty as a turning point, with the Democratic base urgently pursuing revenge and dominance. The push centers on marginalizing populism within the party, while Democrats aim to structure a long-term political realignment. Momentum appears contingent on suppressing Trump’s support and channeling backlash into a broader political strategy for the future. The narrative underscores a high-stakes, intra-party confrontation with long-run implications for both parties. (Key figure: Jonathan Last.)
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Jonathan Last, editor at an anti-Trump media site connected to Bill Kristol, advocates for Democrats to concentrate on destroying Trump’s polls and reputation over the next two years, framing it as a single, ruthless mission.
The proposed strategy includes exile for Trump and his populists from the GOP, followed by rebuilding the party to align with a pro-migration, investor-first, global-military vision.
A related voice, James Carville, articulates a desire among the Democratic base to humiliate Trump at every opportunity, framing the goal as political domination rather than policy focus.
The plan links Trump’s vulnerability to an amnesty-driven shift, arguing that eroding political support would expose him to threats and lawsuits from a furious Democratic base.
Bill Kristol and associated Bulwark viewpoints push for punitive action against Republicans who back Trump, urging relentless accountability and retaliation as a prerequisite to broader policy gains.
The rhetoric emphasizes reshaping incentives within the GOP and political landscape, arguing that political leverage from the next Congress would come from making Trump and his allies pay for unpopular actions.
Overall, the narrative depicts a high-stakes intra-party struggle, with a forward-looking wager that sidelining populism could enable a long-term realignment of party identity and policy priorities.