GOP’s Cultish, Cartoonish Devotion to Trump

Elon Musk’s Twitter War Going Nuclear • Uber’s Secret Political Influence • Next PA Gov. Will Decide Abortion Rights [View in your browser]( | [Update your preferences](newsletter=vf) [Vanity Fair Hive logo image]( GOP’s Cultish, Cartoonish Devotion to Trump Good morning from the Hive newsroom! Joe Pompeo [speaks]( with journalist Mark Leibovich about his new book, Thank You for Your Servitude, which plumbs the depths of the GOP’s cultish, cartoonish devotion to Donald Trump. Leibovich describes encountering a dance between public figures going on and off the record (“On the record: Donald Trump’s the greatest man in the world! Off the record: He’s a complete moron!”). Elsewhere, Abigail Tracy [reports]( on the Pennsylvania Republican state legislature’s intent to ban abortions, and Democrats’ only hope at stopping it: gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro, who is running against far-right politician Doug Mastriano. Caleb Ecarma [says]( Elon Musk is busting out the memes as his war with Twitter goes nuclear. Charlotte Klein [highlights]( a major investigation into Uber, describing the existence of a “kill switch” the company used to evade law enforcement during raids. Finally, Eric Lutz [writes]( on the extent to which President Joe Biden is losing confidence among those in his own party. Thanks for reading! [Image may contain: Furniture, Human, Person, Mark Leibovich, Bench, Park Bench, Sitting, Plant, and Tree]( [“They All Kind of Waved the White Flag”: Mark Leibovich Plumbs the Depths of the GOP’s Cultish, Cartoonish Devotion to Trump]( By [Joe Pompeo]( [Whereas the Obama-era This Town now feels like “a comedy of manners,” Leibovich’s new book, Thank You for Your Servitude, pillories a party whose leaders remain (at least publicly) in the 45th president’s thrall. “I think they all respect the hell out of Liz Cheney on some very basic level,” he says.]( [Read more button]( [“Democrats Have to Get Out of Their Own Way”: Pennsylvania’s Next Governor Will Decide on Abortion Rights]( By [Abigail Tracy]( [With Pennsylvania’s Republican state legislature eager to ban abortions, Democrats only hope at stopping them is Josh Shapiro—the current Pennsylvania attorney general—who is running for governor against far-right politician Doug Mastriano.]( [Read more button]( [Elon Musk’s War With Twitter Is Going Nuclear]( By [Caleb Ecarma]( [The monthslong drama is only ratcheting up, with both sides preparing for a potential courtroom showdown over the $44 billion deal. Elon’s also busting out the memes.]( [Read more button]( [“Uber Files”: Investigation Exposes Ride-Sharing Giant’s Secret Political Influence, Driver Exploitation]( By [Charlotte Klein]( [More than 180 journalists in 29 countries are reporting on the sketchy tactics Uber used to establish itself globally, based on a trove of leaked records first obtained by The Guardian.]( [Read more button]( [Only 13% of Americans Say the Country Is on the Right Track—And They’re Blaming Biden]( By [Eric Lutz]( [The good news for Democrats: Most voters still appear to prefer Biden to Trump. But still, Americans seem increasingly pessimistic that he can deliver on his promise to restore a sense of normalcy in the country.]( [Read more button]( Get on the list Subscribe to our Hollywood newsletter for your essential industry and awards-season news, every day. [Sign Up Now]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( This e-mail was sent to you by The Hive. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe](newsletter=vf) Sent from Condé Nast, 1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007 Copyright © 2022 Condé Nast