Donald Trump is gradually losing influence in the Republican Party, a clear sign of which was the passage of the aid package for Ukraine in the lower house of Congress. This also points to the increasing probability of Trump's defeat in the presidential elections in November this year, writes The Atlantic.
The publication notes that Donald Trump unequivocally dominated the Republican Party for 9 years, even though his views and rhetoric often contradicted the foundations of the party's political platform. This included Trump's love of Russia and Putin, which was incomprehensible to other Republicans.
In the end, Trump managed to introduce a principle into the party: if you want to have his loyalty, become an enemy of Ukraine. This explains why Republicans traditionally loyal to Ukraine have long blocked new aid to Kiev - to please Trump.
It's not just Trump's stance on Ukraine that irritates many Republicans, however. Earlier this year, Trump scuttled a bipartisan deal to strengthen the border with Mexico. A deal that appealed to many Republicans.
"Three months later, Trump's party in Congress has turned on him -- not over a personal vendetta against some Trump-loyal gossip mongers, but over one of Trump's most stubborn issues -- his engagement with Russia on of Ukraine", writes The Atlantic.