Republicans have some choices to make
Democrats flipped at least eight U.S. Senate seats in the 2026 midterm elections, including Kansas, Mississippi and Texas. Democrats also recaptured the U.S. House majority, winning at least 257 seats. The midterms were widely seen as a repudiation of Donald Trump, who urged voters beforehand to “pretend I’m on the ballot.” Even television viewers appear to be moving on: Trump’s post-midterm “60 Minutes” interview drew the second-smallest audience for an episode featuring him since 2015. Our previous post discussed how Trump and the Democrats might behave toward each other. But just as importantly, Republicans now essentially face two paths: stick with Trump or reject him.
Some Republicans are abiding by Trump. Longtime aide Stephen Miller vowed to “fight with all of our soul” for Trump, who rewarded Miller’s loyalty by naming him White House Chief of Staff. Likewise, the Republican-led House voted to send Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie’s eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee, effectively killing them for now. Furthermore, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hegseth defend the U.S. military operations in Iran, Yemen and Venezuela that Massie’s articles of impeachment target.
Moreover, House Republicans chose Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, a hard-line conservative with a reputation as an ardent Trump defender, as their minority leader, even though former Ohio State wrestlers have accused him of ignoring alleged sexual abuse by the team doctor when Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach. Additionally, Cornell University political scientist Douglas Kriner says the MAGA base is “still a major force in Republican Party politics.” For instance, about 9 in 10 Republican voters age 65 and older approve of how Trump is handling his job, according to an AP Voter Poll of midterm voters.[10]
Other Republicans are rejecting Trump, at least indirectly. Vice President JD Vance blamed Trump’s war with Iran for the Republican losses, writing on X that “the reason we lost is the war.” Of course, Vance must walk a fine line, as he is Trump’s Vice President until January 2029, and he needs the support of the MAGA base in his quest to run for president in 2028.
Similarly, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another likely 2028 Republican presidential contender, called the midterm election results a “rebuke” of Trump and congressional Republicans by Democrats, independents and some Republicans. Meanwhile, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, an additional GOP 2028 presidential hopeful, called the midterm election results “a Watergate-level repudiation” of the Republican Party, blaming Trump’s tariffs and an Iran war that has “dragged on too long.”[16]
Some former Republican officeholders want a broader break with Trump’s politics. These critics know that Trump is now a “lame duck” with waning power, especially given the Democratic majorities in Congress for the remainder of his term. Former Vice President Mike Pence, for example, wrote in The Wall Street Journal that the midterms were a “verdict” against the party’s turn toward economic populism. He urged Republicans to return to traditional conservative principles. In particular, he faulted Republicans for letting the national debt and federal spending swell to record highs. Likewise, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who challenged Trump in the 2024 Republican primary, said voters want “a different Republican Party” after the midterms. He sees the midterm drubbing as a chance for Republicans to realign with “traditional values,” including small government and free trade. But more pointedly, Hutchinson stated regarding Trump:
whenever he is interjecting his personal interest and all of the projects in D.C., from the ballroom to the arch, this is odd to the voters…. Whenever he talks about Norway in a critical fashion and he didn’t get the Nobel Peace Prize, it clearly comes across to the voters as a leader of our party that doesn’t care as much.
Republicans sticking with Trump risk losing more of the voters who handed Democrats control of Congress. But Republicans rejecting Trump risk losing his loyal supporters, including the MAGA base and older Republican voters. For Republican politicians, therefore, navigating the next two years may be like walking a tightrope.
Photo by Robert Couse-Baker, used under Creative Commons license. https://tinyurl.com/pdhzby8f
