Increasingly, you hear the desperation. You can sense anger mounting among anti-Trumpers at the donor class and “establishment,” which waited too long to take Trump seriously, underestimated his appeal, and helped create the disaster with their exaggerated promises and subsequent surrenders. Consequently, it’s becoming less rare for conservatives to argue that a Hillary victory is preferable to a GOP run by Trump.

Some Republicans will almost certainly try to appropriate the Trump movement. Every conservative clique seems to believe his popularity can be traced back to the GOP’s surrender on enter your favorite issue here. If only the GOP fixed this issue, voters would become more reasonable. Some, like the reformicons, are under the impression that you can control the populist mob by offering it some strategically placed child-tax credits or a bit of tinkering on immigration policy. This is absurd…

But Trumpism, as destructive as it is, is also unsustainable. It’s not to say the 2016 revolt isn’t real; it’s a genuine reaction to discontent. But surely Pat Buchanan and Ross Perot also imagined they had enduring movements on their hands. Trump isn’t going to erect an infrastructure for a lasting party. He will not be recruiting or cultivating lower-tier Trumpian candidates. He won’t be spending millions furthering a set of ideals, because he doesn’t have any to offer. Apple will not assemble phones in Milwaukee. There is no Trump after Trump.

Unless, that is, the GOP backs him.