The 'GOP is getting torn apart' as members turn on leaders for not protecting Trump: report
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell walks to open up the Senate floor at the U.S. Capitol on December 16, 2020, in Washington, D.C.. - Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images North America/TNS

According to a report from Axios, more than a few rank and file Republican lawmakers are furious with the GOP's leadership because they feel they did not protect ex-President Donald Trump to the bitter end.

As noted by Axios founders Mike Allen and Jim Vandehei, the past two months for the GOP's leadership has been "nightmarish" after losing both the White House and majority control of the Senate.

At issue are worries about where the party goes without Trump and whether the GOP as a whole will be punished by the ex-president still angry over his election loss to now-President Joe Biden.

"Much of the party's base— including conservative talk radio, TV and social media — are spoiling to fight for Trump in exile," they wrote, adding, "On top of that, Trump himself is threatening to literally split the party in two with the creation of a new MAGA Party or Patriot Party."

According to former Trump campaign official Jason Miller, the former president won't forget who didn't support his bid to remain in office.

"The president has made clear his goal is to win back the House and Senate for Republicans in 2022," Miller said before warning. "There's nothing that's actively being planned regarding an effort outside of that, but it's completely up to Republican senators if this is something that becomes more serious."

The Axios report adds, "Step into almost everyRepublican state or district, and most voters are livid that Republican leaders didn't fight more to overturn the election, resist impeachment, back Trump, punish House Conference Chair Liz Cheney and protest big business for blacklisting its members."

Noting the Republican squabbles breaking out across the country at the state level between pro-Trump lawmakers and Republicans who just want to move on, the report states mainstream conservatives are "too weak, timid and divided to prevail right now," adding, "This will be the new reality for Republicans until 2024, or Trump fully exits the scene."

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