All questions in modern Republican politics are ultimately a question of us-and-them. Are you on our side?

Or are you on theirs?

Donald Trump is less to blame for that than internet-driven populism is. Conservative media during the Tea Party era was just as prone to converting all political developments into tribal litmus tests as right-wing media is now. Trump simply steered those litmus tests away from conservative dogma and toward his own cult of personality.

What makes the coming presidential primary intriguing is that it’s the first time in the Trump era that the “us” and “them” positions on an issue won’t always be clear. That’s especially true of Ron DeSantis’ war with Disney, which could hurt the governor badly—or could be just what he needs to do meaningful damage to the frontrunner.