After Donald Trump became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee earlier this year, the New York Times reported that RNC staffers were advised to quit if they could not handle supporting Trump.
According to a new report, at least some staffers took that advice to heart and quit.
In recent months, deputy press secretary James Hewitt, spokesman Fred Brown, director of Hispanic media Ruth Guerra, and research analysts Lars Trautman and Colin Spence have all left the RNC with Trump as one of the reasons for their resignations, according to sources familiar with their decisions. At least three other staff members have also left the RNC with opposition to Trump as a contributing factor, according to multiple sources.
At least 11 RNC staffers have quit according to Politico, but it's not entirely clear exactly how many of them quit over Trump.
There seems to be this assumption that things will return to normal after Donald Trump loses in November, but I increasingly do not see that happening. Things that have been normalized by Trump, from the incitement of violence to the open racism, are not so easily stuffed back inside the bottle. The new normal is here and it will outlive Trump's candidacy.
The actions or lack of action by RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan have assured that there will be another Trump. If Trump can say and do everything that he has said and done without losing the support of the highest ranked establishment Republicans in the country, why can't the next Donald Trump wannabe?
This is all going to happen again in 2020. It could even be worse.