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I am not the first person to think of Trump as “Trumpenstein“. Some very clever people have been here already and created some very clever things! But, as people often do with the “Frankenstein franchise”, they mistake the monster for its creator. Frankenstein may be the “monster”, but Doctor Frankenstein created him. That will always make him the bigger monster. In the relationship between Donald Trump and the Republican Party, our news media still has it in its head that the GOP is Frankenstein and Trump is the monster. That’s wrong. Trump himself is “Trumpenstein” – the monstrous creator – and the GOP is Trumpenstein’s Monster.

Despite having almost eight years of hard data to work with, our news media still don’t comprehend Trump. They don’t comprehend Trump’s hold on the GOP. That’s maddening because, in fact, the news media itself has laid down the bread crumb trail that leads to the answer.

It will come down to Russia. Russia, Russia, RUSSIA.

The GOP has always known this. It’s why they’ve worked so hard to obstruct any and all inquiries into Trump’s relationship in particular with Vladimir Putin. The Republican Party’s leadership knew even before they nominated Trump in 2016 that not only was he corrupt, he was treasonously corrupt.

“There’s two people I think Putin pays – Rohrbacher and Trump – swear to God!” is how current Speaker Of The House Kevin McCarthy put it on June 25, 2016. McCarthy had just exited one meeting – about Russia’s ongoing attempts to undermine Ukraine’s struggling, new democracy. He entered another meeting already in progress and, upon entering, spoke those words.

Nobody in the room disagreed with McCarthy or even challenged him – curious considering the accusation and considering the GOP was about to nominate Trump to be their candidate for POTUS. They weren’t children. They understood the implications. Should Trump become POTUS, his debt to Putin would make him a grave national security threat. But, again, no one present voiced surprise or objected or demanded receipts.

In fact, then Speaker Of The House Paul Ryan ended the conversation right then and there. The Republican leadership, Ryan insisted, would keep this terrible secret a secret from the American public. “That’s how we know we’re family,” is how Ryan put it.

It’s easy to mistake the monster for its maker here. But, only one of the two can “drive” the narrative. The GOP now needs Trump just to survive. Trump does not need the GOP. He could take his supporters and blow off the Republican Party entirely. Hell, he may yet. That’s the kind of move a monster’s maker makes. He sees his monster as useful.

Example – Lindsey Graham. Does Lindsey Graham control Trump or does Trump control Lindsey Graham? Trump controls Lindsey Graham – not by angrily roaming the countryside, smashing things but by keeping him motivated. Whereas Doctor Frankenstein used electricity to spark his monster to life, Trump uses kompromat on Lindsey. It’s just as electrifying apparently. Lindsey can even cry on cue when necessary if that’s what Trump wants him to do.

Trump weaponized the GOP. He turned them from a corrupt political party into a corrupt, treasonous party. That’s the hold. Trump needs the presidency (he thinks) to prevent himself from being prosecuted. The GOP understands that if Trump goes down, they will go down with him. Trump will insist.

That’s plenty monstrous! But let’s please be clear about who’s pulling the switches and pressing the buttons. Trump gets more dangerous every day he walks free. That’s because he’s got the GOP doing his bidding.

Like a good monster…