‘Is Republican Party able to pivot away from MAGA movement, or will it sputter forward leaderless?’

Does an electoral repudiation of Donald Trump also mark the beginning of MAGA’s decline? Delano D’Souza is pleased to welcome Ian Reifowitz, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Historical Studies at Empire State University, who describes the Republican defeat as “an absolute and complete repudiation” of the president. He connects voters’ economic frustrations with resentment over presidential enrichment, while questioning whether ideological differences between progressive and moderate Democrats proved decisive. Looking towards 2028, Reifowitz identifies a central Republican dilemma: “If JD Vance is the nominee, he can’t run against Donald Trump”, yet Trump himself may refuse to relinquish control of the party.