WSJ editorial warns Trump's 'chaotic and self-serving brand of politics' is crippling the GOP

Taking notice of the growing evidence that the Republican Party is on the way to blowing its chance to take control of the U.S, Senate in the November midterms, the editorial board of the conservative Wall Street Journal laid the blame squarely at the feet of Donald Trump.

Recent polling has shown that not only could Democrats hold onto seats that the Republican leadership thought they might claim in the midterms, but now Republicans are also looking at the possibility of losing seats in Pennsylvania and Ohio currently held by Republicans.

According to the editors, Trump's obsession with his 2020 presidential loss as well as his constant attention-grabbing antics are dragging the party down.

Those problems, they maintained, along with a slate of Trump-endorsed candidates burdened with considerable baggage, has led the editors to come to the conclusion that the Democrats will hold power in the Senate until 2024 -- and possibly beyond.

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"The tide of public opinion could still sweep one or all of these GOP candidates to victory. This is probably the best national mood for Republicans since 2010, given inflation, falling real wages, U.S. adversaries on the march, chaos at the border, and President Biden’s deep unpopularity. Democratic incumbents and Mr. Ryan in Ohio have all voted with Mr. Biden’s preferences more than 90% of the time," they wrote. "But candidate quality also matters, and this year’s GOP nominees are revealing the downside of Mr. Trump’s meddling in primaries. The former President’s priority is always personal—whether candidates show enough fealty to him and to his claim of a stolen 2020 election. That self-preoccupation cost the two special Georgia elections in January 2021 as Mr. Trump’s war on his own party leaders reduced GOP turnout."

Noting that the "stakes are high" for GOP dominance in November, they expressed concern that retirement or death on the Supreme Court could change the balance of power with a second Biden appointee.

"What if Joe Biden can nominate a replacement in 2024?" they worried before concluding, "There’s no denying Mr. Trump’s influence with millions of GOP voters. But his chaotic and self-serving brand of politics cost Republicans the House in 2018, the White House in 2020 and the Senate in 2021. It could cost them the Senate again in November."

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