Votes were still being counted in their party’s worst midterm defeat in a half-century when top Republicans looking toward 2028 began trying to separate themselves from President Donald Trump.
“The reason we lost is the war (in Iran),” posted Vice President JD Vance, who had been privately critical of Trump’s decision to attack Iran but publicly supportive during the campaign.
“It should have been brief, decisive and over — it needs to end,” said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who has likewise publicly backed the inconclusive eight-month war.
It fell to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, while agreeing the war was “a big, big drag” politically, to define the real stakes. If Trump doesn’t end it, he said, “it’s going to be devastating to his ability to get anything done, and it is going to be very, very difficult for Republicans” in 2028.
His comments reflected the fact that, while it is easy for ambitious Republicans to criticize specific Trump policies, that may not be the GOP’s path to 2028 success. Republican hopes for keeping the presidency will be shaped by how the current president performs in the final two years of his second term.