Politico: “In the span of five minutes Thursday, Ben Sasse may have torched whatever relationship he still had with the Republican Party in his home state. But in releasing his direct-to-camera video deriding a brand of politics animated by “the weird worship of one dude,” Sasse also seized a piece of political real estate that might yet have some value if the Nebraska senator runs for president in 2024. At the moment, those occupying the anti-Donald Trump lane in the post-Trump GOP are in danger of being run over. But in the event the party’s fervor for the former president fades to any degree, or there is a rethinking of Trump’s behavior in office, Sasse may be better positioned than anyone to capitalize.”

“His video ricocheted around the Republican universe on Thursday night and Friday not because it was critical of Trump – as Sasse and other traditionalists have been before — but because it so directly challenged Trump’s most ardent supporters. They constitute a massive base of Republican voters, striking fear in many party officeholders. On the eve of Trump’s second impeachment trial – and even with the former president’s poll numbers within the GOP falling off slightly – Sasse remains an outlier in his willingness to denounce the president‘s false claims and other actions. That makes him a study in contrast with pro-Trumpers like Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, two other GOP presidential prospects who led Senate objections to Joe Biden’s victory.”