Last year, with a Republican majority in both the House and Senate, things were looking quite smooth for Speaker of the House and Tr*mp toady Mike Johnson. Today, it’s a different story. Johnson might have been anticipating a few shake-ups after the midterms, but with three months left to go, both the House and the Senate are already losing control after some high-profile losses.
First, there was Lindsey Graham’s death. Then, there was Mitch McConnell’s extended absence. Today, as we inch toward the deadline for Kentucky governor Andy Beshear to set a special election for McConnell’s replacement, things are looking less certain than ever. Beshear, for his part, is calling BS on the whole operation. “I want everyone to know that this date has no legal impact on my options should there be a vacancy this year,” Beshear wrote on X.
That’s not all that Johnson has to worry about. While he’s busy trying to get things done while dragging the corpse of Tr*mp’s SAVE Act behind him, he’s facing a fresh, unexpected problem. Tr*mp’s endorsement for Republican hopefuls, once a guarantee, is now a liability.
Need proof? Look no further than Texas, where James Talarico is leading Tr*mp pick Ken Paxton by three points. It’s the latest, and most intriguing potential flip in a race that’s growing closer by the second. In Iowa, a recent Epstein scandal dogging GOP hopeful Ashley Hinton is thrusting her Democratic competition into the lead. In Ohio, Sherrod Brown is giving Jon Husted a run for his money, using Husted’s investment in data centers as a key talking point.
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None of it’s in the bag yet, but it’s proof positive that Tr*mp’s hold on power is slipping. Earlier this week, Senator Thom Tillis coached his possible GOP replacement to distance himself from the president for a better chance at winning the race. That message couldn’t be further from the one we got just earlier this year, when Senator Bill Cassidy, along with House rep. Thomas Massie, lost their seats by going against Tr*mp. They’ve spent the time since pushing back against Tr*mp’s agenda, and they’re seeing results. Instead of Republicans following Tr*mp’s lead, they’re increasingly looking toward a “post-Tr*mp” future that requires the GOP to create a new identity in sharp contrast to Tr*mp’s version.
If they’re successful, they could still give us trouble in the midterms. There’s also the restructuring mishegas to consider: if states honor the new maps, it could mean a handful of new seats for Republicans in Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.
But Talarico’s lead is still an important detail in the midterm equation. Texas, once a lock for any Republican candidate, is looking less and less certain. Citizens are less concerned with Tr*mp’s fearmongering agenda and more worried about how to put gas in the tank and food on the table. Instead of trying to combat Tr*mp’s talking points, Talarico is hitching his campaign to a rare commodity: a promise of hope for the future. So far, it’s working.
It’s bad news for Johnson even if Texas ends up voting red. Republicans might be able to ride on Tr*mp’s coattails for a bit longer, but soon enough, they’ll need to find a new message and a stronger strategy. Otherwise, they’ll keep being haunted by the ghosts of Epstein, the Iran War, and a failing economy.
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