Sorry, Trump Enemies: The Midterms Won't Hurt Him

Essayist writes that his bond with base is personal, not tied to policy
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 15, 2022 12:23 PM CST
Sorry, Trump Enemies: The Midterms Won't Hurt Him
Former President Donald Trump speaks to guests at Mar-a-lago on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla.   (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Donald Trump is expected to launch his 2024 reelection campaign Tuesday night, and conventional wisdom has him battling political headwinds. The former president is being blamed for the GOP's lackluster showing in the midterms, and rival Ron DeSantis is on the ascent. But in a New York Times essay, Kevin D. Williams writes that Trump "is not as weak a candidate as many people might expect—or hope—him to be." Williams, for the record, is not a Trump fan and thinks another presidency would be bad for the nation. But he also thinks that Trump remains the favorite to win the GOP nomination and thus has a decent chance of becoming president again.

"It will not be easy to dislodge Mr. Trump," writes Williams. "His bond with his supporters is personal—it is based on the promise of humiliating the right’s cultural enemies, not on policy, and it is not limited by transitory events like a disappointing midterm showing." And if the Republican party is a "mess" at the moment, that actually helps Trump instead of hurting him. It "is when Republicans are at their lowest political ebb—when they are feeling the most vulnerable, victimized, and marginalized—that Mr. Trump is at his political best," he writes. (Read the full essay.)

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