Scott Reed, a longtime Washington lobbyist who has a close relationship with Senator Susan Collins of Maine, leads a super PAC backing her campaign.

© Ian Wagreich/U.S. Chamber of Commerce, via Associated Press

Bullying, manipulation and intimidation can destroy lives, yet abusive authoritarians continue to rise to the top. How do they get away with it – and can they be brought to heel?

When Andrea finally resigned, her colleagues told her the truth they had always known about her boss. Some apologised. Others admitted they had watched what happened to her and said nothing. One offered the sentence I have been unable to forget: “You’ve been an emotional stab vest for us. You protected us.”

Andrea was a senior legal executive with decades of credibility when she began reporting to a powerful new colleague. Within months, something was wrong. Expectations shifted without warning and feedback contradicted itself. He spoke over her in public and undermined her in private. Slowly she began questioning not just him but herself, her competence, even her grip on reality.

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© Composite: Guardian design;Bojan89;Antonio_Diaz/Getty Images

© Composite: Guardian design;Bojan89;Antonio_Diaz/Getty Images

© Composite: Guardian design;Bojan89;Antonio_Diaz/Getty Images

Timothy Mellon, one of the party’s biggest donors in 2024, has so far withheld his midterm donations for Republican senators because he is unhappy about the failure to pass a key Trump priority.

© Associated Press