Epstein, Iran and ‘drain the swamp’: Have Republicans shifted before vote?

United States President Donald Trump has long touted himself as a political outsider, someone who would expose the elites’ abuse of power and shift government focus from far-off conflicts to problems at home. Phrases like “drain the swamp” and “America first” have proved to be powerful rallying cries, sparking a whole cadre of “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) Republicans.Halfway through his final term as president, though, Trump has backpedalled on many of those ideas, cosying up to the ultra-wealthy, sidelining investigations into convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, and launching an ongoing war with Iran.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Major MAGA figure Marjorie Taylor Greene resigns after Trump clashlist 2 of 3Why is MAGA angry with Trump, Pam Bondi over Epstein files?list 3 of 3Who are the private donors funding Trump’s White House ballroom?end of listThat about-face appears to be having a real impact on Republicans running in the US midterm elections in November, said Rina Shah, a geopolitical adviser and strategist and a former senior GOP congressional aide.“In competitive races, some are quietly distancing,” Shah said, adding that they are “talking about ...