While Trumpâs about face on [the Florida abortion] referendum shows that the activist class still has some pull, it remains true that Trump has done something unimaginable in modern Republican politics. He has bullied the GOP into abandoning four decades of support for a national ban on abortion. Even more surprising, thereâs no evidence that Trumpâs renegotiation of the allegedly nonnegotiable has hurt him among the rank and file of the party.
This perplexing outcome is revelatory. Trumpâs cavalier treatment of this supposedly sacred issue has exposed the Republican Partyâs best kept secret: The connection between Republican voters and their leaders was never primarily about abortion. Rather, as Trumpâs âMake America Great Againâ (MAGA) transformation of the party reveals, Trumpâs bond with his supporters is forged from different material: namely, his militant mission to return power to white Christian America.