In a surprise move yesterday… actually, you know what? No. It wasn’t a surprise move. Donald Trump struck a deal with Democrats. He said before he would strike deals with Democrats. He was a lifelong Democrat with Democrats ideals and beliefs. His views on spending align with Democrats. His views on immigration align with Democrats.

Nothing about what happened yesterday should come as a shock. Donald Trump sided with the Democrats. Here we are, Trump choosing to deal with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer over the leaders of his own party in Congress, Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell. It seems like an odd thing to happen, especially given that Trump’s most ardent supporters have been bragging about his ability to fight the liberalism invading the country.

So, when Trump chooses to side with the liberals, you would expect outrage, right? Well, only if you haven’t been paying attention to where this is going.

See, this isn’t Trump caving in to the Democrats. No no no. This is Trump sticking it to the Establishment, you guys. That’s all. He got Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell real good, you see? The Trump fanatics, Trump cultists, or whatever you want to call them, have moved the goalposts. This is no longer about the Democrats. It’s about The Establishment.

It’s always about The Establishment. What was once a serious concern for the Republican Party is now the go-to boogeyman of the Trump Right. Why? Because they need a villain. They need a reason to keep fighting. Look no further than the House Freedom Caucus. Their response to the deal? Meet with Steve Bannon and come up with a strategy to take out Paul Ryan. Because, somehow, it was Ryan’s fault.

Or look at Bill Mitchell (Warning: Reading this tweet too fast will cause spin-induced dizziness):

By showing Republicans he can work with Democrats, Trump forces Republicans to unite or become irrelevant. He just changed the game. — Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) September 7, 2017

I’m old enough to remember when working with Democrats was considered the Ultimate Sin a Republican could make. Yet, here is Trump doing it to applause from many who support him.

What Trump did yesterday wasn’t some strategic maneuver, nor was it solid conservative deal making. It was a straight-up caving in to the two worst leaders the Democratic Party has ever seen. Nancy Pelosi is an embattled Minority Leader who was at the very least complicit in the destruction of her party, and Chuck Schumer is a man with no original thoughts of his own and certainly no great political skill other than basic survival. However, Trump gave them what they wanted with no questions asked.

Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell had to be fuming. This is a pretty serious breach of party unity.

Well, it would be in normal cases. But this is not a normal case. This is the case of Donald Trump, lifelong Democrat, aiding longtime Democrats. This is a case of The Establishment needing to be taught a lesson. I am not sure what lesson they learned, other than “Man, our party really messed up here,” but there was a lesson taught nonetheless (I am told).

Stop defending Trump. Stop saying what he did or what he will do is okay. It is not. He has now directly inserted Schumer and Pelosi into all future negotiations. He has effectively given them power they don’t deserve or need. But, that’s fine, because we hurt Paul Ryan’s feelings today, and that’s gotta be good for something… right?