I think Brutus is already in the Emperor's inner court

[Stinky The Clown]

Trump is showing what are jaw droppingly bad character flaws, flows so out of the range of normal for a national leader that there is likely no hope of him ever being a normal president.

There is simply no way the establishment GOPers didn't know this going in. When it was clear he was going to be serious contender, the Judas Goat, Rinsed Penus, was dispatched from GOPCentral to be his minder, the GOP establishment's eyes and ears on the inside.

The plan was made long before the election, even before the RNC convention, to install as his veep a GOP True Believer. Enter Mike Pence.

Trump will be allowed to go forward until the GOP get the hard stuff done. He may even last until after the midterms. But at some point a "delegation" from GOPCentral will pay him a visit, extolling the virtues of a quick exit back to civilian life and Trump-A-Lago.

And it will be done. Trump gone. Bannon gone. Conway gone. Jared gone. Ivanka gone. DeVos gone. Carson gone.

Most of the rest will stay.

And the next Big Goal is continued gerrymandering.

[Rorey]

1. I somewhat agree, but...

I think the Republican establishment goal is to use 45 and then destroy him. They didn't get their way of having Jeb in the White House, and didn't really like anyone else in the huge field of Republican nominees. They hate 45. I predict that it will go as you say, but if he won't slide quietly away they'll remove him. They're a party of vengeance. The problem with this plan (for them) is that 45 does have a substantial following of really stupid people and they won't be voting for establishment Republicans in the mid-term election. The Republican party is crawling onto it's death bed.

We'll begin taking back power in the mid-term elections and we'll kick ass in 2020.

[KittyWampus]

2. the issue is that Democrats are on the same committees investigating Russian interference

McConnell, Ryan and Sessions were involved.

There's going to be blowback.

[dalton99a]

3. Trump may decide to "retire" in order to avoid losing the next election.

But he won't do it on account of Republicans in Congress. He is not afraid of them. They are afraid of him.

[yellowcanine]

4. Only way Trump will voluntarily go is under actual threat of impeachment and Senate conviction.

And I do not think the GOP has it in them to do that no matter what. So the only way it happens is if Dems manage to capture the House and the Senate in 2018.