In the end, the exploitation of anti-government sentiment by Republican leaders, and the active efforts on their part to make all government look corrupt and illegitimate, reached its logical conclusion. The Republican political establishment looked no less corrupt, weak, and illegitimate than the Democratic one, and the appeal of a rank outsider became greater.

Norman J. Ornstein and Thomas E. Mann do a great job of analyzing the overall Republican strategy of the last 30 years, and how it begat Trump as their candidate.