The Republican party is a hollowed out shell. The officials left in the wreckage are not victims. They are active participants in the decay. They have traded democratic norms for a seat at the table of corruption.

The alignment between the GOP leadership and Trump’s personal interests is complete. There is no longer a distinction between the party and the man. The corruption is the platform.

The features of this decay are obvious.

• The death of ideology in favor of pure self interest.
• The use of political power to protect criminal interests.
• The total abandonment of the public trust.
• The conversion of elected offices into personal assets.