If Trump wins the nomination, I expect the inside-the-beltway GOP politicians to support the Democrat.
No doubt.
“If Trump wins the nomination, I expect the inside-the-beltway GOP politicians to support the Democrat.”
They will, by propping up someone to run Third Party. They did it to Oliver North in Virgina after he won the Republican Primary - and successfully gave the seat to the Democrats. They did it to Reagan with John Anderson, but Reagan was too strong and won anyway (as I believe that Trump can do too).
I suspect the same will happen with Trump (third party ‘Republican’ runs). Look at it this way: Keeping your job is always the FIRST PRIORITY:
1) If Hillary wins, the organization stays intact.
2) If Jeb wins, the organization stays intact.
3) If Trump wins, YOU’RE FIRED is the most likely outcome for the insiders and ‘advisers’ (most of them gay, by the way).
So a Jeb (or Rubio, or Walker) victory is best (no change in structure, but lots more jobs and chances to move up), a Hillary victory is second best (no change in structure or job count), and a Trump victory is the worst - a WHOLESALE FIRING of that bunch.
When Reagan won, there was ABJECT FEAR in the Republican Establishment for keeping their jobs, as nearly everyone had supported Bush and Reagan was the outsider. Unfortunately Reagan kept them around. Trump will not repeat that mistake.