The cognitive dissonance here is almost impressive. Kansas Republicans clutching pearls over a lecturer’s offhand remark while their own casually joke about murdering political opponents? Classic moral flexibility, dressed in the flag and carrying a cross.

Violence is only a problem when it’s not their side swinging the bat—or in this case, aiming the barrel. Trump’s insurrectionist pardons weren’t subtle: the GOP now treats political thuggery like a loyalty badge.

Probst’s Substack musings won’t fix this. The party’s silence screams louder than any manifesto. Democracy isn’t broken—it’s been weaponized by those who’d rather rule than represent.