What’s Next For Trump And Republicans? |
What’s Next For Trump And Republicans?
Donald Trump, throughout his careers in business and politics, has proven time and again that when knocked down, he has the resilience to get up, fight, and win.
J. Robert Smith | November 7, 2026
Republicans were clobbered last Tuesday. There was no TKO. It was a pure knockout. When you lose deep red states, it’s a knockout. Knockouts happen in elections, though this time, it shouldn’t have. Losses, yes -- a beatdown, no.
The GOP fiasco was the result of unforced errors and inertia -- unforced by President Trump and inertia on the part of John Thune, who, after passing the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” pretty much shrugged and walked away. Democrats just don’t do something so stupid. Mike Johnson and House Republicans tried. They kept working, to their credit, but Thune shutting down the Senate made more achievements impossible.
The midterms fiasco’s main culprit is the 800-pound gorilla sitting out for all to see. The Iran War and higher costs of gas, groceries, and utilities hit hard. It’s no more complicated than that. But inflation was down from the Biden years, you say? GDP is up. The markets are booming. Trump’s spadework on the economy will pay dividends ahead. True, but that didn’t register with millions of voters who live paycheck-to-paycheck and use credit cards to get by. If we want to win incredibly critical elections in 2028, we need to see things from their perspectives and adjust.
These voters weren’t willing to sacrifice “temporarily” with higher costs for basics, to war with Iran. The threat from the mullahs was too distant. The challenges and troubles of daily life preoccupy. Criticize them all you want, but if you’ve ever had to wrestle with making ends meet, you should appreciate where they’re coming from.
Moreover, the war came with mixed signals from the president, which sewed confusion and fueled voter anger.
In the summer of 2025, Operation Midnight Hammer was comprised of surgical strikes to end Iran’s nuclear weapons development.
Per the BBC, June 22, 2025, the president declared:
“Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," Trump said. "Iran, the bully of the Middle........