At first blush, the notion of America without a Republican Party seems absurd. Since 1854, the Republican Party has been a major party whose status is protected by election laws giving its nominees automatic ballot access. Republicans have well-developed organizations at both the national and state levels. The party is awash in cash. One-third of Americans identify as Republicans. And our winner-take-all electoral system marginalizes third party candidates, often forcing voters to choose between Republicans and Democrats. Over time, the Republican Party has produced both good and bad presidents. It survived the calamitous Great Depression policies embraced by President Herbert Hoover, the Watergate scandal and removal of President Richard Nixon from office, and the disastrous Iraq War and financial crisis during President George W. Bush’s tenure. Although the Republican Party has been unpopular at times, its existence has never been threatened. Until now. Something different is happening with President Trump. His takeover of the Republican Party occurred because it had become hollowed out. Trump led an insurgent populist movement that saw the government working for the wealthy, gutting manufacturing and blue-collar jobs and enhancing the growing ranks of minorities. His rebranding of the Republican Party happened because Trump understood his voters, whereas the pooh-bahs of the Republican establishment underestimated theirs.