Following the release of Tuesday's election results that showed Republicans holding House seats by far narrower margins than usual and a high-profile Wisconsin Supreme Court seat won by a liberal in a resounding defeat for conservatives, the Wall Street Journal board warned Donald Trump he has major problems.
In a late-night editorial under a grim –– for the president –– headline reading "The MAGA Backlash Has Arrived," the board wrote that the president needs to recalibrate what he has been doing or the 2026 midterms will be a debacle for Republicans.
Writing, "The comfortable win by Democratic Judge Susan Crawford is the second sign in two weeks of a political backlash against the Trump Presidency," the editors made the case that the winds have changed since Trump's November election win because he has left behind the promises he made to get re-elected.
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Noting that Democrats successfully made the Wisconsin race a referendum on Trump and top advisor Elon Musk and it was the key to victory, the editors wrote it should be a wake-up call for the White House.
"That’s a warning to the GOP that the Trump-Musk governing style is stirring a backlash that could cost them control of Congress next year," they wrote before adding, "But the elections are a warning to Mr. Trump to focus on what got him re-elected—especially prices and growth in real incomes after inflation. His willy-nilly tariff agenda undermining stock prices and consumer and business confidence isn’t helping."
Adding "... we hope the results don’t scare House Republicans into backing away from their tax and regulatory reform agenda. That’s what Democrats would love, so next year they’d get the benefit both ways—motivated Democrats and sullen Republicans after a GOP governing failure," they concluded, "The MAGA majority may have a shorter run than advertised."
You can read the whole piece here.
