closing ranks

That pivot, like so many others in the Newsom doctrine, seemed to be the result of a man guesstimating the current orientation of the vibe shift and quickly closing ranks around his newly triangulated opinion.

Other conservative backers of Trump have echoed that idea — including in closing ranks around Hegseth — while Trump has lashed out at any suggestion that he is not in complete control of the nominations process.

Despite his status as an avatar of corrupt politicians, Santos sees the controversy around Trump's picks as "the swamp" closing ranks.

Even without no-show Republicans, who are quickly closing ranks around Mr. Trump, there are other headwinds to overcome.

"What we are seeing here is powerful men closing ranks to protect one another with a deliberate and sustained campaign of gaslighting and victim-blaming on an international scale," claims Laura Bates, the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project.