THE TEA PARTY'S REVIVAL AS THE PARTY OF TRUMP

After millions marched against President Donald Trump the day after his inauguration, the phone calls and emails started flying in from around the country to Debbie Dooley. It got to the point where she had to disconnect in order to get anything done in her day job as president of the advocacy group Conservatives for Energy Freedom. Her persistent interrogators wanted to know: “Where is the tea party?” Splintered by the presidential primary and lacking a strong voice, the tea party is far from the force it was in the early Barack Obama years. In October 2015, Gallup measured public approval for the movement at a mere 17 percent. It’s now searching for a revival as Trump’s backbone — a striking evolution for a protest movement.-- More...