Story highlights Gloria Borger writes that Republican voters have made it very clear: their party is now the party of Trump

Voters have more faith in the President than in the GOP-controlled Congress, Borger writes

(CNN) Back in the summer of 2016, I interviewed then-RNC chairman Reince Priebus for a documentary about Donald Trump. He was firmly planted in Camp Trump, readying to unite the party around its candidate during the convention. But when I asked the simple question, "Is this now the party of Trump?" Priebus called the question "very off-putting."

Why? Because, he said, "it wouldn't be the party of Bush ... it's not the party of Romney. It's the Republican Party. We exist -- the nominees come and go. They're the temporary recipients of support. The Republican Party is not the personal property of temporary recipients of our support. We exist. We're the party. We're here. They want to join us. We're not competing to join them. I don't buy that."

But that was then. Just over nine months into Donald Trump's term, it's clear that the calculus has completely changed. The Republican party now is the Party of Trump.

Republican voters have made that very clear, no matter how much pushback they get from retiring Republican senators and a former Republican President. By a 2-1 margin, Republican voters trust Trump more than they trust congressional Republicans. He has an 82% approval rating in the party, and by an almost 3-1 margin, GOP voters like the way he's handling his relationship with members of Congress. Translation: Give 'em hell, Donny.

And Trump has made it just as clear he isn't interested in joining whatever GOP conglomerate existed before. The party -- his new party -- has "great unity." His agenda is their agenda. His lunch with Senate Republicans the other day was a "love fest." After all, there was applause. And the President loves applause.

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