Less than two years ago, Donald Trump’s hopes of winning the Republican nomination – let alone the presidency – seemed more laughable than likely.

Trump’s refusal to accept his 2020 loss to Joe Biden and his encouragement of the January 6 rioters were not playing well with the majority of voters. The midterm congressional elections in November 2022 had gone badly for the Republicans, particularly for many of those candidates who Trump had endorsed and who had adopted his MAGA lines.