US President Donald Trump speaks during NASA's Max Power event at the Kennedy Space Center, in Merritt Island, Florida, US, November 6, 2026. REUTERS/Eric Lee TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
President Donald Trump isn't expected to simply fade into the background in the 2028 presidential election, and that could be a bad sign for the Republicans, according to one analyst.
Ron Brownstein, a columnist for Bloomberg, told CNN's Fredricka Whitfield on "CNN Newsroom" that Trump's sinking approval rating ahead of the midterms was one reason Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Trump now appears to be trying to fortify his administration against the new Democratic majority by appointing hardliner Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff.
But Brownstein noted that elevating Miller may not be enough to thwart what's coming for the Trump administration, especially as they look ahead to the upcoming presidential race.
"The risk isn't over for Republicans," Brownstein said.
Trump has made it clear he intends to exert whatever influence he has left on the 2028 elections. For instance, Trump said that he would "be around in some form" during future GOP midterm conventions, like the one he held in Dallas back in September, if the party decided to host the events again.
“Somebody said it won’t do as well because I won’t be around,” Trump said at the time. “But I’ll be around in some form. I don’t know what form I’m going to be around in.”
Brownstein warned that Trump's attempts to influence future elections may weigh on future GOP presidential candidates.
"If you look forward to the presidential race in 2028, he is going to cast a long shadow as well," Brownstein said. "I will just point out that when Reagan left office in 1988, in the exit poll, 88% of people who disapproved of Reagan voted for the Democrats. When Clinton left office in 2000, 88% of people who disapproved of Clinton voted for the Republicans. Over 80% of people who disapproved of Biden voted for Trump in 2024. If he doesn't improve his approval rating between now and 2028, the rain won't stop falling on Republicans."