I thought that at first. Then I realized that Trump really is the personification of the super ego of the GOP. Every unpopular policy they wanted to implement only could have been passed by somebody like Trump: not beholden to the party, not a career politician, and not accountable to the portion of the constituency that doesn't believe in the real GOP platform (I got mine, **** you and segregation). Only he could've passed policies like the Muslim ban, the family separation at the border, and the tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy because he doesn't need to fake decency and concern for all Americans like those who have made a career out of being in the GOP (politicians, strategists, etc...). If any of those unpopular policies backfires, they can all point towards Trump and avoid the blame.
The inability to call him out was never a bug; it was a feature, and thanks to Trump's presidency, they know just how many in their party support what the dog whistles are supposed to hide.
