Washington: Republicans are trying to understand why they suffered such a heavy defeat in this week’s midterm elections. The biggest question facing the party is whether President Donald Trump can still lead it, the Associated Press reported.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the results an “extinction-level event” for the GOP. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz compared them to a “Watergate-level repudiation.” Former Vice President Mike Pence called it a “reckoning.”
The loss has left Republicans with very few seats in Congress. But party leaders do not agree on what went wrong or how to fix it.
Some Republicans want the party to return to the ideas of former President Ronald Reagan: lower spending, smaller government and a strong military. Others say that could push away the loyal Trump supporters who joined the party through the “Make America Great Again” movement.
But staying close to Trump’s style of politics could also hurt the party with voters.
“We have soul-searching to do,” said Alex Latcham, executive director of the Senate Leadership Fund, which spent $810 million to help Republicans. “We need to first understand and honestly admit why we just endured a wipeout of this magnitude. And then we have to regroup and agree to a path forward.”
What Role Will Trump Play?
Trump has been the most powerful figure in the Republican Party for nearly 10 years. Now, after the election, many Republicans are asking whether he should continue to lead it.
Trump took part in Republican primary elections and told voters to treat the midterms as a vote on his second term. He held many rallies for Republican candidates in the final weeks of the campaign.
Most of those candidates lost.
After the election, Trump refused to take blame. He said the candidates were responsible for the losses. He has also focused on projects in Washington that many voters do not like.
On Friday, Trump made Stephen Miller White House chief of staff. Miller helped create some of Trump’s most controversial policies.
Some Republicans still believe Trump can lead the party. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said the results were “shocking,” but said Trump could still shape the discussion on issues such as immigration.
Stitt said voters may simply be tired of the current administration.
“It just tells you that the American people, after 10 years, they’re pretty much tired of whoever’s in office,” Stitt said. “I think people want a little more stability. They want people to be nice to people, to say, ‘Hey, we’re all Americans.’”
Other Republicans were more direct.
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson said the election marked “the end of the Trump era.” John Sununu, who lost a Senate race in New Hampshire, blamed Trump for the party’s problems.
“It seems like he or his family is in on every transaction and deal that goes on in Washington,” Sununu told former Ohio Rep. John Kasich on SiriusXM. “Those two things, I think, caused people to say, ‘You know, I just can’t vote for a Republican while he’s still in office.’”
Republicans May Fight More
The fighting inside the Republican Party is likely to get worse.
When lawmakers return to Washington, House Republicans will choose between Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio to lead the party. They may also vote on whether to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
There will also be difficult votes on military spending and keeping the government open after Dec. 11.
A fight is also growing inside the Republican National Committee. Some party members want to reduce Trump’s power in choosing the next chair.
KC Crosbie, the committee’s co-chair, sent a letter this week calling the election results a “serious setback.” She said she plans to run for chair at the committee’s meeting in Arizona in January.
Trump has backed the current chair, Joe Gruters.
The 2028 presidential race may also become a battle over the party’s future. Vice President JD Vance is seen as a leading candidate, but other Republicans may challenge him.
Stitt wants an open contest.
“I don’t think we should crown anybody,” he said.
Republicans Need To Win Back Voters
Republicans also need to regain support from groups that helped them win in the past but moved away this year.
Former Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida said Secretary of State Marco Rubio could help the party win back Latino voters. He said Republicans must quickly regain support from white suburban voters and Hispanic voters.
“Vance was out on the campaign trail this year and it doesn’t appear that he was able to move the needle in terms of Hispanic voters,” Curbelo said.
A representative for Vance did not comment.
Younger Republicans Unhappy
The AP Voter Poll surveyed about 80,000 voters in all 50 states. It found that younger Republicans are less happy with Trump than older Republicans.
Young Republicans who voted for the Republican candidate in their House race were less likely to approve of Trump’s work as president. They were also more likely to say his policies hurt the economy.
About two-thirds of Republicans under 30 said they approved of Trump’s job performance. Among Republicans age 65 and older, about 9 in 10 approved.
About one-third of younger Republican voters said Trump made the economy worse. Among older Republicans, that number was about 2 in 10.
The war with Iran also divided the party. About 6 in 10 Republicans under 45 said the United States was right to take military action against Iran. Among Republicans 45 and older, the number was about 8 in 10.
Younger Republicans were also more likely to say U.S. support for Israel was too strong. About half of Republicans under 30 said this, compared with about 1 in 10 voters age 65 and older.
Problems Visible Earlier
Republican leaders, including Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, sounded confident before the election. But party strategists had already seen warning signs.
In late August, the Senate Leadership Fund held a meeting for donors in Laguna Beach, California. Latcham told the group that Republicans had lost voter trust on the economy and the cost of living.
Two Republican Senate campaign sources who attended the private meeting shared that information. They asked not to be named.
Now Republicans are trying to look ahead.
Rep. Christopher Smith of New Jersey won his 24th term this week. He is New Jersey’s last Republican in Congress. He said the party should not panic.
“The pendulum swings back and forth,” Smith told reporters. “These are cycles.”