Trump's win maintains his hold on the GOP. It also kicks off plans for a succession.
Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has done something no political opponent could: put an end date on his time atop the Republican Party.
Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has done something no political opponent could: put an end date on his time atop the Republican Party.
Well, sort of.
Trump single-handedly remade the Republican Party in his own image, not only becoming its unquestioned leader but also rewiring what the Grand Old Party stands for. After he emerged on the scene in 2015, former party heavyweights who did not abide by the new MAGA ethos either were cast off to irrelevance or became the subjects of intense lines of attack from Trump and his supporters.
But the fact is that the Constitution bars him from running for president again after a second term. And because Trump cannot run again, the process to figure out who will lead the party next has already begun, featuring a slate of ambitious and eager Republicans who have been eyeing the opportunity for years — and a fight that will be shaped by the now two-term president.
A dozen Republican elected officials, fundraisers and consultants said in interviews that at least in the near term, it does not matter whether Trump can run again. He will still cast an unshakable shadow over the party, one that influences who can ascend, who will descend and whether the party resets at all to resemble its pre-Trump state or continues on a path focused much more on new policy fascinations like isolationism, culture war-infused fights and tariff-focused economic policy.
Rating: 5