As Mike Anton presciently wrote two weeks ago, the political persecution of Donald Trump is not about him at all, but about his representation of what a large block of voters want that the national security state refuses to allow.

The regime can’t allow Trump to be president not because of who he is (although that grates), but because of who his followers are. That class—Angelo Codevilla’s “country class”—must not be allowed representation by candidates who might implement their preferences, which also, and above all, must not be allowed. The rubes have no legitimate standing to affect the outcome of any political process, because of who they are, but mostly because of what they want.

Complaints about the nature of Trump are just proxies for objections to the nature of his base.

No wonder Democrats keep bleating loudly about “our democracy” — they know we don’t live in one presently. And this FBI raid is going to make a lot more people aware of it.

If Republicans continue to submit to this farcical arrangement, it will be more confirmation that America’s two-party system is also a pretense, and Republicans are merely a fake opposition party kept on life support to help some people believe our elections are legitimate.

Republicans’ promised hearings aren’t enough. Republicans also held hearing after hearing on Spygate, and nobody was brought to justice. They should be using every peaceful tool of dissent, protest, and refusing to cooperate, as well as preparing to replace the entire FBI and DOJ with completely apolitical staff. Anything Democrats want or need from Republicans from now on, including providing the appearance of a consenting two-party system, should be completely off limits until this banana republic governance ends.