When we’re judging Republicans on their level of complicity with this president, perhaps the best measure is whether they defend him, and what they’re defending him for. Not when they advocate for his administration’s goals or policy choices (which they mostly agree with), or when they massage his fantastically fragile ego by doing things such as pretending he’s a professional-level golfer, but standing up for the man himself when he is at his worst. When Trump says or does something vile, what do they do? The people judged most harshly by history will be those such as Cotton and Perdue who rush to his aid. Those like Ryan who either hide from the cameras or offer only the mildest of rebukes should not be forgiven either, since their sin is mostly one of cowardice.

 
As for the small number of Republicans who speak out against Trump when he puts his own hideousness on such vivid display, we don’t have to call them heroes. Jeff Flake will be just fine in his new career as a corporate lobbyist, or whatever else he decides to do. But we can grant them this: If they speak honestly about the president and what he represents, at least they made an attempt to do the right thing.
 

And when the time comes for a real reckoning — such as when all the facts of the Russia scandal are known and they have to decide whether he should be removed from office — then we’ll find out how courageous they really are.