'Republicans are trapped': Author predicts MAGA fans ready to 'peel off' from 'weak' Trump

The Republican Party will face generational problems for its voter base because of ongoing shortcomings, a political analyst has suggested.

Speaking with Greg Sargent of The New Republic, author and blogger Ana Marie Cox suggested the main failing of the party at present is the constant reliance on previous administration victories.

Cox said, "It makes no sense to me, and it also points to a generational problem in the GOP. We’re very aware, you and I, about a generational problem among the Democrats, right?

"That there’s all these people who are stuck in the past and aren’t responsive to what the issues and needs are of their constituents because they’re thinking too much themselves about the Clinton era, right? They’re stuck in the 'third way' way of thinking about politics.

"The thing is—and the good news is—that the Republicans are trapped in the same place. They’re still obsessed with the Clintons. They’re still obsessed with Obama. The people whom they really need to reach, and the people that they moved in 2024 to their side, barely remember that. Like, this is talking about ghosts.

"This is talking about World War II. It’s as distant to them as, let’s say, 9/11, right? I mean, they recognize perhaps that it’s something important that happened, but it’s not relevant to them. And they don’t think of the Clintons or Obama as the kind of big bogeymen that the GOP still does. The GOP is still fundraising off of f------ Hillary Clinton."

Cox went on to suggest staple MAGA voters will not be enough to win the GOP the upcoming midterm election. She added, "And I think it points to something that should be heartening for those of us pinning our hopes on the midterms, which is that the MAGA coalition—while it is tough to crack in one way because it is a cult and resistant to logic—was never actually that sturdy based on interests.

"There are a lot of people who came into Trump-world just because Trump seemed to be the winner and the kingmaker, right? As soon as he weakens, I believe people are going to peel off—and he has been weaker and weaker and weaker.

"To get down for a second: I do believe the only tool he really has left is violence and threats. But that is a brittle form of authority. And we’ve seen in Minnesota—like, it is not something that can [last]; it is something that can be resisted and something that is incredibly unpopular and can crumble."