Why the Republican Party Just Can’t Quit Trump - POLITICO

Steele explained that in the years since Trump came on the political scene, MAGA loyalists have come to dominate the party apparatus, particularly at the state level. So even if some national politicians and party members want to go another direction, it's not so easy to change course. 

 "If you look at state party organizations, it's the MAGA strain of Republicanism that's become dominant," Steele explained. "And they're willing to change the rules, they're willing to ignore an insurrection, refer to it as just 'political discourse.' All of that stuff coming out of the national party is a reflection of what's happening inside the party across the states."…

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/12/11/rnc-trump-mcdaniel-election-losses-00073343