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Article snippet: MORE has solidified his grip on the Republican Party, forcing GOP lawmakers to think twice about challenging him in public for fear that it might come back to hurt them politically. Rep. Tuesday’s primary is the latest reminder to Republicans of the president's popularity with the GOP base and his ability to inflict revenge when angered. Trump ripped Sanford and offered support to his GOP rival on Twitter just hours before Sanford’s primary loss, as voters continued to go to the polls. The message to Republicans was unmistakable: Trump will get involved in your primary if you cross him. On Wednesday, some predicted Republicans will be even more afraid to go after Trump after what happened to Sanford. “Most already are,” added Rep. MORE (R-Pa.), an outspoken Trump critic who is retiring from Congress. One Republican senator who requested anonymity to discuss feelings about Trump within the conference candidly said colleagues know that if they go after the president, they are likely to hear about it publicly. “He will not take a punch, he responds every time,” the senator said, adding: “I will not make comments about the president.” The fear of taking Trump on was evident when the president visited the Senate GOP lunch last month amid deep angst over the tariffs being imposed in imports of steel and aluminum. Despite widespread anger over those tariffs, not a single GOP senator raised the issue with Trump during the meeting. GOP lawmakers say there is a strong rel... Link to the full article to read more