The Republican Party currently belongs to Donald Trump lock, stock, and barrel. There’s no longer any Never Trump faction, at least in public office, and hardly anyone who hasn’t worn a red hat or appeared with the Boss at some point or another, typically sharing a thumbs-up gesture. So it’s not surprising that candidates in competitive Republican primaries pine for a Trump endorsement, which is legal tender for a GOP nomination in many cases. Conversely, the president has been more than willing to interfere in primaries to reward friends and punish the vanishing ranks of intraparty enemies. Heading into the midterms, Trump has often tried to clear the field of all but his favored candidate to avoid primaries altogether.

But sometimes there are just too many eager Republicans aspiring

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