The resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is testament to the power of elected politicians to hold their leaders accountable. It is a lesson that has been lost on Republican Party officials as they have weighed repeatedly how to deal with former president Donald Trump.
Johnson’s resignation Thursday came after a collapse in support among members of his government and Conservative Party backbenchers. Nothing like that has happened to Trump, not during his first impeachment, nor his second impeachment, not even after the role he played in the attack on the Capitol by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. In each case, all but a handful of Republican elected officials rallied behind Trump — and still do.
Johnson’s resignation came after a lengthy period of decline in his standing. He has been on the defensive for months over one scandal after another. He tried to talk his way out of his troubles and for a time succeeded. He was defiant in the face of the evidence, then offered apologies when he could not evade the truth.
The crumbling of support this week began when two prominent cabinet members, Rishi Sunak, the government’s treasury minister, and Sajid Javid, the health secretary, announced their resignations. By the time Johnson resigned, more than 50 ministers and junior ministers had announced their resignations from their government positions.
On the day before Johnson announced his resignation as leader of his party (he said he would remain as prime minister...
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