GOP trend: Vengeance for speaking out against “Access Hollywood” tape
Trump and Billy Bush of Access Hollywood. Rob Kim/Getty Images
There are at least four Republican candidates who have been chastised by members of their own party for speaking out against President Trump following the release of the "Access Hollywood" tape in 2016, Greg Sargent writes for the Washington Post.
Why it matters: This is another clear sign that the Republican Party has shifted in Trump's favor. If this is what's happening now, imagine what the Republican Party could look like in five years.
The big picture: The candidates who deviated from Trump include Tim Pawlenty in Minnesota, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley in Michigan, Adam Putnam in Florida, and Rep. Martha Roby in Alabama. Pawlenty and Calley lost their primaries, Putnam is heading into a primary on Aug. 28 in which his challenger is endorsed by Trump, and the only one who won, Roby, had Trump's endorsement after much uncertainty over whether he'd offer his support.