The Trumpization of the Grand Old Party

Abstract

Background: The purposes of this article are to (1) detail the extent to which the Republican Party personalized in the period from Donald Trump's first becoming a presidential candidate through 2022 and the process by which it occurred, (2) suggest plausible explanatory factors, and (3) speculate as to possible consequences. Methods: The authors employ this special issue's common conceptual framework and glean evidence from a broad accumulation of reportage and expert impressions from professional journalists. Results and conclusion: It is found that “Trumpization” invaded all aspects of the Grand Old Party, with de-institutionalization encompassing both de-routinization and value-displacement affecting all faces of the party: as organization, in elective office, and in the electorate.