They have not just gone cold on Donald Trump and his Republican Party – they have defenestrated them, from sea to shining sea.
asserted
they → go → sea
While everyone expected Democrats to win the House of Representatives, it was a much bigger task to take control of the Senate, requiring victories in parts of the country where Democratic hopes have been dashed before.
asserted
hopes → expect → country
They say things are bigger in Texas, and nowhere was the “blue wave” bigger than in James Talarico’s win over Republican Ken Paxton in the Lone Star State – which is looking more and more purple (swing).
asserted
which → say → State
There’s Kansas, a state which had not sent a Democrat to the Senate in 94 years, but has now elected pastor Adam Hamilton.
asserted
which → ’ → Hamilton
The verdict was emphatic in the cornfields of Iowa, too, where Josh Turek flipped the seat.
asserted
Turek → flip → seat
South Carolina – a state that was barely on the radar in terms of possible Democratic victories – went blue early.
asserted
that → go → victories
In Maine, Republican senator Susan Collins’ 30-year career was ended by a Democrat who had only been campaigning for 100 days, after his predecessor was forced to quit.
asserted
predecessor → end → days
Call it a blue wave, a blue tsunami or a “a volcanic eruption of blue Crayola”, as one commentator did, it stands as a seismic event in American political history.
asserted
it → call → history
And if it’s a massive win for the Democrats, it is a massive defeat for the Republicans – one which will subject Trump and his party to investigations and possibly impeachment proceedings in Congress.
uncertain
which → ’ → Congress
While Democrats differ on whether to go after the president, many are set on targeting Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth – with some Republicans keen to join.
asserted
Republicans → differ → Hegseth
If Trump was humbled by the electoral rout, he didn’t really show it.
asserted
he → humble → it
He spent much of the evening raging on social media about the coverage on Fox News, including his hatred of Jessica Tarlov, one of the network’s few progressive anchors, and the appearance of former New York mayor Bill de Blasio.
asserted
He → spend → Blasio
That didn’t stop him dialling into Fox News for a long chat after the extent of the carnage became clear.
asserted
extent → stop → carnage
“I’m a little bit surprised.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
I thought they’d do better, actually,” he said of the Republicans.
asserted
he → think → Republicans
Trump is living in a bubble.
asserted
Trump → live → bubble
His fellow Republicans must surely now burst it.
asserted
Republicans → burst → it
They must take back control.
asserted
They → take → control
Trump blamed the candidates.
asserted
Trump → blame → candidates
They “just didn’t inspire people to get out and vote”, he said.
asserted
he → inspire → people
The president then plugged the splendour of his campaign rallies, where he instructed his loyal supporters to pretend he was on the ballot.
asserted
he → plug → ballot
“You never saw rallies that big,” he told Fox.
asserted
he → see → Fox
Nobody’s ever seen anything like it.”
asserted
Nobody → see → it
Listening to Trump deflect, it became clear he was completely delusional about what just took place.
asserted
what → listen → place
Moreover, he was mistaking his “MAGA” faithful for the entire electorate.
asserted
he → mistake → electorate
It is something he has done for some time.
asserted
he → do → time
At his recent election rallies, he would show the crowd videos of a CNN poll that found 98 per cent of “MAGA Republicans” approved of Trump, as if that proved something about America writ large.
asserted
that → show → America
The reality is the MAGA faithful crowd has been shrinking – including the numbers willing to show up to a Trump rally.
asserted
crowd → shrink → rally
But from behind the podium, soaking up the attention, it appears the president cannot see that.
asserted
president → soak → that
Trump is living in a bubble.
asserted
Trump → live → bubble
His fellow Republicans must surely now burst it.
asserted
Republicans → burst → it
They must take back control.
asserted
They → take → control
Which is why the size of these elections’ blue wave could be a blessing in disguise for Republicans, allowing them to hasten the break from Trump, and reduce his influence over their future.
uncertain
them → allow → future
It does not necessarily render Trump a complete lame duck.
asserted
Trump → render → ?
He still enjoys control of foreign policy and the military, and he has proven himself willing and able to wield enormous executive power without Congress.
asserted
himself → enjoy → Congress
Nor does it mean that Trumpism, or populism, is dead.
asserted
Trumpism → mean → ?
Americans just aren’t convinced that Republicans who gave them the Iran war and higher petrol prices are the ones to deliver it.
asserted
who → convince → it
Democrats won on broadly populist messaging.
asserted
Democrats → win → messaging
The shellacking makes it more likely that Republicans will speak out about Trump – “to say publicly what they have only said privately”, as Republican strategist Doug Heye put it.
asserted
Heye → make → it
For some people close to the president – like Vice President JD Vance, who wants the 2028 presidential nomination – it is imperative to start differentiating themselves.
asserted
it → want → themselves
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
