President Donald Trump got a flashing warning sign in the GOP's drubbing around the country last night, the conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote on Wednesday morning — specifically, that Democrats have rallied around beating Trump on one of the main issues that won him the 2024 election in the first place.
"Democrats are turning the tables on affordability, especially when they steer clear of leftist cultural snares," wrote the board. All wings of the party, from the more center-left gubernatorial candidates Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey, to progressive leftists like Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayor race, ran on cost of living, inflation, and tackling housing expenses — which throws a glaring spotlight on Trump, who ran on many of those issues last year and has seen many stagnate or get worse on his watch.
"It’s telling that Ms. Sherrill tried to claim the mantle of affordability, promising to freeze utility rates, while attacking Mr. Ciattarelli as 'High Tax Jack,' based on a deceptive video clip," wrote the board. "If Democrats can convince voters they’re a better bet for getting ahead economically, the GOP is in trouble in 2026. President Trump’s tariffs aren’t helping. Neither is the 3% inflation still eating away at the earnings and the raises of American workers."
The board, which has been sounding the alarm for months on Trump's tariff plans, said things aren't likely to get much better for the GOP as the 2026 midterm cycle ramps up.
"This time Democrats had the advantage of rallying voters upset at President Trump. Exit polls showed Mr. Trump’s approval rating at 44% in New Jersey and 42% in Virginia. The era of MAGA triumphalism should be over," wrote the board. The only possible comfort for traditional Republicans, they said, is that, Mamdani and his pledges of rent freezes and free bus service notwithstanding, "Democrats can see a model of electoral success that isn’t rooted in radicalism."
In short, they concluded, "The challenge for Republicans is that Democrats outside New York may be learning from their 2024 defeat."
