This is the lede paragraph in last night's New York Times story on the 2016 presumptive presidential nominee for the Republican party:

Donald J. Trump on Wednesday offered a defiant defense of his campaign's decision to publish an image widely viewed as anti-Semitic — saying he regretted deleting it — and vigorously reaffirmed his praise of Saddam Hussein, the murderous Iraqi dictator.

The party is ratfucking itself.