The Bulwark: “Surely George P. [Bush] wasn’t foolish enough to think that Trump would go so far as to endorse him. But he probably hoped that, by toadying as shamelessly as possible, he might keep Trump on the sidelines and out of endorsing in the race. At the least, he must have hoped that Trump wouldn’t weigh in until much later in the race, when, if George P. had good poll numbers, maybe Trump would be nervous about endorsing someone else. But you must understand that this election, the Republican primary, isn’t until May 1, 2022. It’s more than nine months away. Trump endorsing this early effectively puts an end to the race. It freezes all of the party establishment and money in place, because now to be for George P. is to be against Trump. Ain’t no Texas Republicans fixin’ to do that there foolishness.”

“It may surprise you, but I would argue that this is the best possible outcome. Maybe not for Texas – Ken Paxton, who has been under a longstanding indictment for securities fraud, could potentially wind up in jail as a sitting AG – but for America. Republicans needed an object lesson in the wages of Trumpism. A great many Republicans still believe that if they just get along, they’ll go along. That if they keep their heads down, or truckle under, they can keep running their game. That so long as they’re not like those icky Never Trumpers, the revolution won’t come for them. To go against Trumpism is to court defeat. To abase yourself before it is to add dishonor to the bargain… Men like George P. Bush refused to believe – even at this late date – that the story could possibly be true. Let his shame be a reminder, a warning, and a lesson.”