The Trumpization of the Grand Old Party

Abstract

BackgroundThe 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.MethodsThe 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 conclusionIt 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.