If Republicans vote to convict...

[kentuck]

...Trump immediately announces that he is leaving the Republican Party and taking his base with him.

Is that what they are most fearful of?

That they cannot win without the racist, white supremacist wing of their Party?

But, if they vote to acquit, he will still hold that threat over their heads.

They will continue to be beholden to Donald Trump, as he sits in Mar-a-Lago. He will still control their Party and will determine who gets a primary challenger and who doesn't?

Will their Party truly be stronger with Donald Trump than without him?

That is the political choice they have to make.

[TwilightZone]

1. Why would he do that?

The third party nonsense is an idle threat. Trump knows that he can't win a national election without the backing of a national party.

This just in: some of the stuff he says isn't true.

[temporary311]

2. He would also be barred from running for office.

I struggle to see him go to all the hassle of creating a new party when he wouldn't be able to directly benefit.

[uponit7771]

4. Trump's not trying to win anything, he needs them for grift and control ... that's it. Trump didn't

... want the office the last time he ran, that was a grift too.

[lagomorph777]

3. They're afraid their voters will kill them.

That's the party they've built. Are they proud, boys (and girls)?

[Arkansas Granny]

5. Yep. They're afraid of the looney tunes wing of their party.

[uponit7771]

7. ... in the polls, Trump has a controlling share in the kGOP and that's all he needs to grift and

... control some of policy.

It's simple, Trump doesn't need to run to control the kGOP ... just control his cult ... they made a deal with the devil and now that devil is going to fracture their whole party

[Celerity]

9. this

[global1]

6. We Really Have To Wait Until Tr**p's Lawyers Are Done To See How They Defend Him.....

I really think the only thing they have is that the crowd itself was responsible for the insurrection and Tr**p didn't incite them. I believe they are going to lay the whole blame on the crowd that went up there and stormed the Capitol.

They - with the blessing of Tr**p - are going to throw his supporters/followers/deplorables - under the bus.

If it goes that way - he's going to piss most of his supporters off to the point that - he'll not be able to take that base with him. I believe he will lose a considerable portion of his base - if he throws them under the bus.

If that happens - it opens the door for the Repug Senators to convict and then drive home the story that Tr**p betrayed them and threw them under the bus. Do you want to follow someone that is not loyal to you?

The Repugs need to really hit hard on that theme - he threw you supporters under the bus to save himself. He screwed you. He's not going to pay for your legal fees. He's conned all of you.

In one fell swoop - they will be able to rid themselves of Tr**p and the threat of the Tr**p Party and they don't need to be beholden to him anymore.

They can move on with life and try to recover a more traditional Repug Party and work to bring in as many former Tr**pists back to the Repug Party.

[world wide wally]

8. They honestly can't see beyond their noses

[OnDoutside]

10. Why would he, when he owns the Republican Party now ?

I know many here want to see him convicted and barred, but barring Trump would only help the GOP because they can't move on while he could potentially run in 2024. None of the likely Republican traitors will dare take him on in a primary, and will have the State party structure trying to take them down because they're all in on Trump. There's a massive opportunity for Democrats against an opponent that just won't be able to move on. Over 150,000 Republican voters changed their registration after Jan 6th.

[ooky]

11. Mitch told them to vote their conscience

so number 2 would seem to worry at least him. Either that or he just doesn’t care anymore.