Trump and GOP Allies Exposed: ‘Happy to Change the Rules’ for Political Gain

Former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies, such as Senator Lindsey Graham, have come under fire for attempting to alter Nebraska’s electoral system to their advantage. In a critical article published by The Bulwark, political commentator Will Saletan accused the GOP of being willing to change the rules of the game as long as they stand to benefit.

“All they care about is winning,” Saletan wrote in his piece, which points to the Republicans’ recent attempt to modify Nebraska’s unique electoral system. “And the proof of their insincerity is what they just attempted in Nebraska.”

Nebraska’s electoral system, which awards presidential candidates based on individual congressional district victories, mirrors a smaller version of the Electoral College. The state has long prided itself on allowing a more localized reflection of voters’ choices, rather than adopting the winner-takes-all approach used by many other states. However, as Trump eyes another run for the White House, his allies have pushed to change the rules and shift Nebraska to a statewide winner-takes-all system, hoping to secure an extra electoral vote for the former president.

Saletan, a long-time critic of Trump, noted the hypocrisy in the GOP’s actions. While Republicans have consistently opposed replacing the Electoral College with a national popular vote, they were suddenly advocating for rule changes in Nebraska that would effectively undermine the state’s unique system.

“For now, the attempt has failed,” Saletan wrote, “But it exposed the truth about Trump, Graham, and many other Republicans: They’re happy to change the rules and impose a popular vote system, as long as it serves their interests.”

Hypocrisy in Action

Saletan highlighted the GOP’s contradictory stance on the Electoral College, pointing to Senator Graham’s long-standing opposition to a national popular vote system. Just five years ago, Graham made it clear that abolishing the Electoral College would hurt rural Americans. “When they want to do away with the Electoral College, that’s telling every rural American to go to hell,” Graham told Fox News. He further warned that under a popular vote system, “Los Angeles and New York would decide who’s the president. The Electoral College allows rural America to have a say.”

Yet, despite these declarations, the GOP appeared eager to adjust Nebraska’s electoral process when it served their political goals. Saletan argued that the push for a statewide winner-takes-all system in Nebraska demonstrated the Republicans’ true priorities: winning at all costs, even if it means abandoning the very principles they claim to defend.

Changing the Rules When It Suits Them

Saletan further noted that after Trump’s loss in 2020, Republicans frequently accused blue states of “changing the rules” to make absentee voting easier during the pandemic. Now, these same Republicans are warning that Democrats will attempt to abolish the Electoral College, claiming it would disempower red states.

Saletan argued that the Nebraska saga laid bare the GOP’s opportunism. “They don’t care about electoral diversity or preserving ‘institutions,'” he wrote. “They certainly have no compunctions about changing the rules in the fourth quarter. All they care about is winning.”

In his article, Saletan underscored the hypocrisy of Trump, Graham, and their allies, revealing a broader pattern of political maneuvering. For a party that claims to be the defender of traditional American institutions, their willingness to change the rules when it serves their own political interests is difficult to ignore. According to Saletan, the Nebraska debacle is just the latest example of the GOP’s shifting principles, driven not by a commitment to democracy, but by a singular focus on winning at any cost.