An analyst warned Wednesday that Republicans should have a real cause for concern ahead of the 2026 midterm elections if President Donald Trump's rally Tuesday night in Pennsylvania was a preview of what's to come next.
Salon's Sophia Tesfaye wrote in an opinion piece about how an out of touch Trump fell flat during his "midterm reboot" in an attempt to reclaim his role as leader of the MAGA movement following major wins from Democrats in November.
"But if his Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, rally is any preview of what the GOP should expect, Trump’s promise should be read as a threat. Far from a comeback, his return rally was a flop," Tesfaye wrote. "While I expected a crowd of a few thousand with the nostalgic sound of MAGA chants echoing off metal bleachers, I tuned into Fox News Tuesday evening to find the president in a conference center ballroom inside a local casino that appeared to hold, generously, 200 people."
But the 2024 Trump is different from the 2025 Trump, Tesfaye explained.
"And even that small crowd seemed hesitant, almost resigned, as Trump ranted for nearly an hour. Fox News, of course, dutifully avoided any wide shots. But the truth was clear on screen: The MAGA magic had vanished," the writer added.
Trump appeared to be tired and confused by Americans' economic concerns. And the move to bring him back on the campaign trail might not have the intended outcome of energizing his base, the analyst said.
"Republicans should be worried, and they are now admitting as much," Tesfaye wrote. "Trump lost the popular vote in 2016. He lost the White House in 2020. His endorsed candidates face-planted in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024. The GOP has not overperformed in a single national cycle since he took control of the party. The Mount Pocono rally reaffirmed that truth. While Trump attempted to demonstrate strength, he looked small and irrelevant. The billionaire president who tells supporters to buy fewer dolls ahead of Christmas obviously does not know how to connect with voters anymore."
