In his 2000 bestseller "The Tipping Point," Malcolm Gladwell argued that big shifts in behavior often start with just a handful of people acting differently. As the subtitle put it: "How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference."

Lately, Republicans have been doing a lot of little things.

Political reporters have spent a decade waiting for Republicans to break with President Donald Trump. With five weeks until the midterm elections, and his approval ratings in the cellar, the wait may be ending.

Republicans haven't tipped yet. But the political calculation that has kept them in line for a decade is changing. For some Republicans, standing too close to Trump may now be more dangerous than crossing him. And once that calculation changes, things can move quickly.

The little things are starting to add up

In the past week alone, Republicans running for Senate or governor in Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin – all states Trump won in 2024 – called on him to end the war in Iran to bring down gas prices.

Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate Donald Trump Jr. after reports that an oligarch with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin helped bankroll his wedding party.

Earlier this month, dozens of Republicans in close races skipped Trump's midterm convention in Dallas. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pennsylvania, had the best excuse: "Our bosses are back home."

It's not just swing states. Rep. María Elvira Salazar's office once boasted that "every time Trump picks up the phone, dictators shake in their boots." This month, the Florida Republican ran an ad........

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