Anatomy of a speech: how does a Republican leader say no to Trump?

How does a Republican leader say no to Donald Trump? How do they criticize the US president’s policies without facing a social media riot, or losing their career ? As the party scrambles to redraw key congressional districts after the supreme court effectively gutted a major section of the Voting Rights Act that prevented racial discrimination, all eyes turned this week to South Carolina. But in a 45-minute address to the state’s senate, Republican majority leader Shane Massey rejected Trump’s demands to redraw its congressional map . Laying out his case, Massey made clear on Tuesday that he was addressing three audiences: his colleagues in chamber, Republican voters in his state, and the president himself. Democrats – whom he described as “crazy” and “hateful” – were not the intended audience. And in this rancorous political era, dominated by tribal divisions and binary rhetoric, he tried to craft a nuanced position while senior GOP figures, including Henry McMaster, the South Carolina governor, push to redistrict . Trump frequently demonizes anyone, especially conservatives, who dare oppose his agenda. Massey made that difficult, by trying to show that he remained firmly aligned with most of the president’s political goals. Just not this one. double quotation mark I had never had the privilege of speaking with the president of the United States until last week. And it really was – it was a privilege. I enjoyed the conversation. It was a very good conversation. …