PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — Trump flags still fly over homes across South Dakota, showing enduring support for the former president. In a state where Sen. John Thune, the second-ranking Republican leader, looms large over politics, GOP voters have closely watched how he’s dealt with Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the election. By many accounts from rank-and-file Republicans, GOP senators now facing Trump’s impeachment trial are in a no-win situation. They’re caught between backlash from Trump supporters and frustration from establishment Republicans who see them as letting the Trump off the hook. Across South Dakota, there are plenty of voters still loyal to Trump, and they’ll help decide whether to send Thune back to the Senate next year.
