When President Donald Trump threatened to send troops against the Black Lives Matter movement five years ago, some members of his own party offered guarded criticisms.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., then serving as the majority whip, said he opposed using the military.

“I would prefer that these things be handled by the state and local authorities,” he said. “You want to de-escalate, rather than escalate.”

Over the past week, however, Thune has been one of many Republican leaders endorsing Trump’s call to send U.S. Marines to Los Angeles amid the anti-ICE protests as deportation operations expanded. The near-unanimous chorus is a sign of how thoroughly Trump has consolidated his grip on Republicans — and how fiercely the party’s base turned against protests after........

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