Is Trump's Third Party Threat Real Or A Tool To Keep Power?

 Donald Trump has threatened to start his own political party -- the Patriot Party.

Is this threat real? Would he actually follow through on it? 

A recent Morning Consult Poll showed that if he did, about 30% of current Republican Party members would follow him into the new party. 

That has Republican leaders scared. They know that a third party headed by Trump, while unlikely to succeed, would be devastating for them in the 2022 and 2024 elections. Trump also knows this.

I doubt Trump would actually try to start a new party. It would be too much work (and he hates work). But just the threat of it is accomplishing his real goals -- to prevent being convicted in the impeachment trial, and to remain in control of the Republican Party for the next 2-4 years. He likes being thought of as a kingmaker.

Normally, presidents that lose after one term are not considered to be the party's leader. Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush both lost the presidency after their first term, and neither could be considered their party's leader after their loss. The same can be said of Jimmy Carter for the Democrats (even though he has rehabilitated his image in recent years).

Trump wants to change that. He cannot stand being thought of as a loser (even though he is). He wants to remain the most powerful Republican. Sadly, it looks like current leaders in the Republican Party are going to let him do that.

Why? Because they are political cowards. It would be best for their party in the long run to get rid of Trump (who has done so much damage to their party), but they don't have the courage to do it. They are more interested in their own political survival.

They know Trump better than anyone. They know he is crazy and vindictive. They know he sees the world as friends (people loyal to him who obey him) and enemies (all others), and they don't want to be on his enemies list. They are afraid they will have a well-funded primary opponent, and maybe even have to run against a third party candidate if they survive that.

In the political life of an elected official, there comes a time when they have to choose doing what's better for the country (or their party) and doing what's best for themselves. Sadly, too many choose the latter -- and that is what most in today's Republican Party are doing. They have chosen political cowardice over political courage. It's shameless and hypocritical, but then those seem to be values in the current GOP.

Trump knows they are cowards, and that's why he's threatening to start a new party or make sure they have primary opponents. He knows their cowardice will cause them to bend their knee to him -- and that is all he wants.