Democrats had a big day at the polls on Tuesday, and there are a lot of different takes about how the GOP needs to move forward as a result.
As I noted in a report yesterday, some think the blue surge is a mirage, some think the GOP will get crushed in 2026, and some think a new strategy needs to be put in place.
I spat my venom on this issue yesterday, so today, I wanted to take a less emotional look at how we can fix the situation before the 2026 midterms are here.
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s Tuesday night speech made it quite clear that he sees his election as a mandate for change, for more government, and a swing toward socialism in this country.
He stated, "New York, tonight you have delivered. A mandate for change. A mandate for a new kind of politics. A mandate for a city we can afford. And a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that.”
Mandani later added, "We will prove that there is no problem too large for government to solve, and no concern too small for it to care about. For years, those in City Hall have only helped those who can help them. But on January 1st, we will usher in a city government that helps everyone."
That speech was a horror to any conservative who wants to see less government, not more. We want people to be self-reliant, not looking to the government for all the answers. I honestly believe people will regret putting this man into play very soon.
Several things infuriate me about Trump, despite all the good he is doing for conservatives right now. The first is that when something goes wrong, he deflects. The second is that he fights his battles in public rather than picking up the phone, and he just did both things.
After the election losses, Trump stated, "Almost 2 million American-born workers are employed today, more than when I took office. That's nine months ago. Can you imagine? And I tell Republicans, if you want to win elections, you gotta talk about these facts. You know, it's so easy to win elections when you talk about the facts.”
He then added, "These are things you have to talk about. It doesn't just happen, you got to tell them. It's wonderful to do them, but if people don't talk about them, then you can do not so well in elections."
In reality, Trump hand-picked the current RNC leadership, people who did nothing in this election cycle. There was no messaging, no support, no nothing, at least not until it was far too late in the game to make a difference. But Trump’s strategy is correct. How much of a difference would it have made for Trump to campaign in New Jersey, hammering the economy as a key issue? What if Trump had endorsed someone like Lee Zeldin to run for mayor of New York City? The RNC needs to be working for everyone, not just for Trump and his closest allies. We lost a huge opportunity in New Jersey and New York, and in my eyes, the RNC is completely to blame for it.
I have often stated that JD Vance is usually the voice of reason in this administration, and I really liked his take on the situation, even though he downplayed the losses himself. He stated, "I think it's idiotic to overreact to a couple of elections in blue states, but a few thoughts.” Again, rather than minimizing the problem, it is better to create a sense of urgency, so I think he missed a big opportunity, but let’s move on.
Vance continued, "We need to focus on the home front. The president has done a lot that has already paid off in lower interest rates and lower inflation, but we inherited a disaster from Joe Biden, and Rome wasn't built in a day. We're going to keep on working to make a decent life affordable in this country, and that's the metric by which we'll ultimately be judged in 2026 and beyond."
That is amazing advice, but again, where was that strategy leading into the election season? It was almost as though they just wrote these elections off, and they should have known that any big win by Democrats would only feed the fire.
The data is behind Trump and his administration's policies, so Republicans should use it. Democrats are now openly embracing socialism, so you use it against them. Yes, there is a sense of urgency on my part because I don't believe this fight is over. But if you don’t move now, 2026 will be a crushing defeat, as history has shown us in virtually every midterm election after a party change in the White House. In a case like this, I don’t think you can overreact enough.
