Over the past few years, I keep hearing stupefied journalists ask the same questions about Republican leaders.

What happened to Lindsey Graham? He used to be so principled. At least, he said he was. How could the same guy who was friends with John McCain support Donald Trump? How could he go from saying Trump was a “race-baiting xenophobic religious bigot” to following him around like a lapdog?

And what about Ted Cruz? Is this fervent Trump supporter the same guy his orange-faced best buddy once called Lyin’ Ted? The same guy whose wife was on the receiving end of crude comments from DJT, who also insinuated his father might have been involved in JFK’s death?

Then there’s Rudy Giuliani. How could “America’s Mayor” have run so far off the rails? How could he have gone from consoling New Yorkers after a terrorist attack to riling up domestic terrorists ahead of an assault on the Capitol?

While we’re at it, we might as well mention Mitch McConnell, who said Trump was “practically and morally responsible” for provoking that Jan. 6 insurrection moments after voting to acquit him of doing just that. And then, a few days later, saying he would “absolutely” support Trump if he were the Republican nominee in 2024.

Maybe McConnell’s not quite so hard to understand: He’s known for making statements based solely on political calculus. In fact, the actions of Cruz, Graham, and Giuliani could be explained in the same terms — and usually are. (Let’s add Josh Hawley to the mix while we’re at it.)

Common ground

But there’s something more than politics to this. Giuliani, McConnell, Graham, Hawley, and Cruz all have one thing in common — other than being Trumpian sycophants, that is. They’re all lawyers. Each and every one of them. They all went to law school, where they learned that one case has nothing to do with the next. You represent your client to the best of your ability, and that’s it. No questions asked.

It’s not a matter of being right; it’s a matter of being persuasive. You make your best argument, whether it’s a good one or not, and it’s never personal. It’s a business contract. And it’s adversarial by nature: You have an opponent, and your job is to win.

That’s what’s happening with these Republican leaders, too.

Of course, not every lawyer thinks this way. Public defenders come to mind, for one. But if you mix legal training with political ambition, you shouldn’t be surprised that this is what you get. The two-party system is adversarial by nature, so it’s an easy transition. Your job is to beat the other side, and that’s become clearer as the nation has become more polarized.

Peas in a pod

Trump, who’s been in court more than most people, knows how the game is played. He has no moral compass, and he thrives on adversarial relationships. He also shifts course at the drop of a hat based on expediency. Lawyers do the same thing as they move from case to case, so it’s only natural that they’re drawn to him.  

Today’s Republican Party is run by lawyers with no moral integrity. They may tell you they’re pro-life or pro-Second Amendment, or that they want to protect “religious freedom.” Don’t believe them. They don’t care about any of those things. They’re just ambulance-chasing lawyers out to scam you so they can stay in power.

They’ve chosen to represent clients who are either amoral (Trump) or immoral (the white supremacists and hate groups who support him), because that’s the kind of people they are. Yes, there are lawyers on the opposite side of the aisle, too: Kamala Harris, Jamie Raskin, Adam Schiff, and others. But they don’t make a habit of representing corrupt narcissists, racists, and insurrectionists, politically speaking.

Trump’s cronies do. They’ll make the most outrageous arguments in the process, such as claiming the election is stolen. They don’t really believe it, but they don’t have to. They’re lawyers.

Don’t expect any semblance of consistency or moral character from these people. They’ve been trained not to believe in such things. The only important thing is winning, by any means necessary.

Stephen H. Provost is a former journalist and author of three books about the Trump presidency, available on Amazon at www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08RC7L8X1.\

Photo by Gage Skidmore, Creative Commons 2.0 license.