Deranged Donald Trump’s dishonest effort to stir a revolt against Joe Biden’s election with lies about fraud is unsettling. Bad for the country in so many respects.

But it is good in at least one respect, as both The Hill and the Wall Street Journal have reported recently.

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The Journal’s piece is behind a paywall, but here’s the lede:

President Trump’s public and private musings about running again in 2024 are scrambling the calculus for the large field of fellow Republicans considering bids.

Most hopefuls have been quick to show deference. But it’s unclear whether Mr. Trump, who refuses to concede his loss to President-elect Joe Biden, will follow through, and rivals either way will likely seek ways to remain viable. Prospective GOP candidates don’t want to risk alienating Mr. Trump’s base by appearing to push him aside, but they also don’t want to be left unprepared if he decides not to run.

A Politico writer summarized it this way:

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The prospective candidates included Hot-tempered Tom Cotton, who’s already been to Iowa, New Hampshire and other critical points and has been campaigning for Georgia senators. He has millions in a campaign slush fund at his disposal. He’s been reliably in Trump’s pocket and might be able to get away with running as something akin to a Trump pitbull in hopes Trump will eventually give up his talk of running again (maybe inconvenienced by running in an orange jump suit). But whatever complications the uncertainty he produces for Cotton, Hawley, Cruzy, et al. is at least a small pleasure.

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