Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) ~ A thought on Cassidy’s defeat. Donald Trump’s philosophy of practicing politics is simple: “If you hit me, I’ll hit you back 10 times harder.” This is his way of imposing discipline so he can get things done. Many Republicans mistake this for childish petulance. The ironic thing is that when these oh-so-high-minded Republicans (Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Thom Tillis, etc.) get their comeuppance, they are the ones who react with truly childish petulance. They are the ones willing to frustrate the advancement of the conservative agenda that they once claimed to support, simply because they didn’t get their way. For all his supposed faults, Trump constantly tries to advance the agenda he has been pushing since before he was elected. His Republican detractors, not so much.

Margot Cleveland Describes It As Disciplining, Not Childishness
http://twitchy.com/jacobb/2026/05/17/margot-cleveland-describes-it-as-disciplining-not-childishness-n2428298

The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted. ~ D.H. Lawrence