The Democrats could find themselves running the country in 2029 if Donald Trump doesn't make major changes to his administration, a political commentator suggested.
Matthew Hennessey of The Wall Street Journal believes the GOP's chances at the midterms could be a sign of how much damage Trump has done to the party. It could pave the way for a sweep of Democrat victories and, "if current trends continue," the party could be back in the White House.
Hennessey wrote, "According to the Real Clear Politics polling average, nearly 6 in 10 Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction. That’s a recipe for a GOP wipeout in November 2026. If current trends continue — although given the left’s penchant for insanity, that’s no guarantee — expect a Democratic return to the White House in 2029."
There is also a worry within the GOP that victory has been assumed at the next presidential election cycle, with Hennessey criticizing the party for "weighing the merits of his [Trump's] presumed successors" so soon.
He wrote, "Voters already have fairly well-formed opinions of Marco Rubio and JD Vance. Measuring their heads for the big red MAGA hat isn’t a strategy for victory. Neither man is a shoo-in against a Democrat with a motivated and aggravated party behind him."
The columnist went on to suggest it was unclear what the priorities of the Trump administration currently were, with the party split on issues such as healthcare and economics. Trump doesn't appear to be helping hopeful Republican candidates either, with the president's friendly meeting with New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani undermining the chances of Elise Stefanik's governor bid.
Rep. Stefanik is building her campaign against Governor Kathy Hochul but Nick Reisman believes Trump has blown Stefanik's chances out of the water by heaping praise onto Mamdani.
The hard line against Mamdani in Stefanik's campaign has collapsed according to Reisman, who wrote, "The New York Republican is mounting an uphill gubernatorial bid in a deep blue state, building her campaign on the argument that Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul is the nation’s worst chief executive — and tying Hochul to the 34-year-old democratic socialist who will soon lead New York City. Trump blew up that message in minutes."
"In the Oval Office, he said he wouldn’t worry about living in New York under Mamdani, noted how many voters they share and even complimented the mayor-elect’s looks. And in a rare bit of daylight with Stefanik, he declined to repeat her claim that Mamdani is 'a jihadist.'"