Even if they privately relish the prospect of a Donald Trump-less Washington, Republicans are not poking the bear ahead of two crucial January runoffs in Georgia, which will determine US Senate control and, in effect, the balance of political power in America.

The post election autopsy is already showing that Republican incumbents in runoffs may not get the same enthusiasm from voters if Trump is seen as a president who has accepted the Biden victory and is well and truly into his lame duck days. If Republicans distance from Trump and Trump takes his base and goes home, Georgia might be lost and so too the Senate.