I think the setup is different than what could be explained by assuming “blind trust” is being placed in the Trump administration. Individual Republican lawmakers in Congress who might otherwise try to stop Trump by proposing legislation or objecting to his Senate candidates face the prospect of a well-financed primary challenge the next time they are up for election. Unless and until Republican lawmakers find a way to get together to oppose the administration in large numbers, most lawmakers will avoid doing so for fear of being “primaried.” Those who are indeed bold enough to act on their own are pushed out by the asymmetric opponent.

And for the individual lawmaker who tries to work with their colleagues to mount a primary-proof challenge to the administration, there is always the risk of being outed at any point in the process of organizing. Once outed, the more powerful adversary picks off the opponents one by one, with the others retreating back into darkness to avoid the same fate.