Republican Blue Bloods WANT Trump to leave the party and to form his own party. I have heard the name Patriot Party floated around, but people forget that Donald Trump was already in the Reform Party at the turn of the millennium. I guarantee you that Trump doesn't want to start his own party from scratch. The USA Today, amongst others, may be trying to goad Trump into it, but....
Trumpies WANT "principled" Republicans like Evan McMullin or Mitt Romney to leave the party and form their own party. I believe that McMullin's race for President in 2016 siphoned more support from Gary Johnson than Donald Trump. The ceiling for "Independent Conservatives" is also the Reform Party.
Joe Biden will be days away from 82 in the 2024 election. The Republican Machine will have a candidate ready with a puncher's chance to win, whether it be Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, Mike Pence, or Nikki Haley. If the Republicans fracture, whoever goes third party will be doing so without the Republican War Chest and will have to buck the trends of history.
A Democrat or Republican has won every Presidential Election since the mid-1800's. The last time a third party representative was president? Millard Fillmore became the 13th president in 1850 for the Whig Party. Not elected president, mind you, Fillmore was elected Vice-President the year before and when President Zachary Taylor died, Fillmore became the president.
That was 171 years ago.
This is a Libertarian-leaning publication, I am all about third parties. But if the 2024 Presidential election is 81 year old Joe Biden (D) versus 77 year old Mitt Romney (R) versus 78 year old Donald Trump (P), I will be so angry that I'll have a brain aneurysm.
I am not exaggerating.