Ronna McDaniel and the problem of ‘Fictitious Republicans’

The Republican party has become an authoritarian cult and mainstream journalism should stop pretending otherwise

This essay is the second of a series called “How This Happened,” which takes a look at the larger historic events that created America’s current political environment. To receive future entries, please subscribe.

Donald Trump is an authoritarian criminal who lies as easily as he breathes. Everyone outside of the Trump cult knows this to be the case, including Ronna McDaniel, the former head of the Republican National Committee whose tenure as a commentator for NBC news lasted less than a week.

The donors, operatives, and politicians who run the Republican Party also know who Trump is and what he wants. Just ask Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who once described Trump as “utterly amoral” and a man who “lies practically every word that comes out of his mouth.” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio repeatedly called Trump a “con artist” and a “fraud.” Right-wing radio host Glenn Beck called Trump a “dangerous man” who was reminiscent of Adolph Hitler. Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance said something similar.

Stating the obvious about Trump and his dictatorial ambitions was commonplace before he became the Republican nominee in 2016. But ever since the power-mad party operative class fell in line behind him, telling the truth about Trump and the reactionaries he elevated within the party has become essentially verboten in mainstream journalism.

To their credit, news organizations generally refused to hire the congenital liars like Kellyanne Conway who ran Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. But they refused to tell the full truth—that Trump and his cronies were rebuilding the Republican Party into a totalitarian regime run by religious, economic, and racial extremists. Instead, they staffed their commentator and interview spots with fictitious Republicans, beige shills like radio host Hugh Hewitt whose sole purpose in life is to pretend that their party is normal.

Aside from a handful of Wall Street fat cats and the people who keep Mitch McConnell from keeling over, no actual Republicans like Hugh Hewitt. Nikki Haley’s aborted presidential run was powered overwhelmingly by independent and Democratic voters. Actual Republicans hate National Review if they have even heard of it at all. New York Times columnist Bret Stephens probably has less influence on actual Republicans than Vermin Supreme. McDaniel’s uncle Mitt Romney is one of many GOP elected officials who have been forced out by their radicalized voters.