Summary

Republicans face rising fears of a 2026 midterms backlash after defeats in key races, with some blaming Trump’s tariffs and Elon Musk’s influence.

Trump announced sweeping new trade levies Wednesday, alarming GOP strategists who warn of higher prices and economic risks.

Vulnerable Republicans urge a return to economic messaging, citing concerns the party is overreaching. Democrats are leveraging Musk’s unpopularity, linking him to GOP policies.

The GOP remains divided over how to respond.

  • dota__2@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    56
    ·
    10 days ago

    this is all song and dance. trust nothing that is said that remotely sounds good for their opposition.

    • dhork@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      32
      ·
      10 days ago

      Exactly.

      I remember Mitch saying that the reason he voted against the second impeachment was that he felt Trump’s Jan 6 crimes would be better adjucated in criminal court. And before that, I remember Linsday saying that if Trump wins the GOP nomination in 2016, the GOP will get “destroyed… and we’ll deserve it”.

      Never underestimate the ability of Republican voters to enthusiastically vote against their interests…

    • FrostyTheDoo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      10 days ago

      Yeah, I don’t buy anything about how the public is leaning anymore. I assume everyone is conservative and will continue to vote conservative in every election until I see any evidence otherwise.

      After the 2024 election, the public can’t be trusted and the media absolutely cannot be, in regards to elections especially.

  • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    25
    ·
    10 days ago

    I’ve been hoping for a MAGoo/GOP war since 2015.

    otoh, if DOGE really manages to mess up Social Security payments, there’s no way the GOP can recover.

    • Heikki@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      10 days ago

      Im not so sure it’d be that easy. The conservative media cesspool is closed loop. They will lie and blame the Dems for not making it break proof or some other BS and the sheep will eat it up.

      We will need Dems to go onto the shows and blast the message day and night that it’s broken bc GOP allowed I lt it be broken by an illegal imagrant.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      edit-2
      10 days ago

      otoh, if DOGE really manages to mess up Social Security payments, there’s no way the GOP can recover.

      Republicans straight up nuked the economy in 2008 and they were back in the Congressional Majority two years later. Same thing happened in 2020.

      Gerrymandering makes many of these maps mathematically unwinnable for Democrats

      • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        10 days ago

        Big difference between ruining the Wall Street types and taking money out of someone’s pocket.

        Social Security has never missed any payments in 80 years. It’s the difference between milk going up a dollar and you not getting your paycheck.

    • Omega_Man@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      10 days ago

      If they’re willing to brazenly attack Social Security, maybe they don’t care about elections anymore.

      • barneypiccolo@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        10 days ago

        That’s the issue. If they really start screwing with SS payments, it means that they are confident that they have control of future elections. Then the only question will be if they do it softly, and rig the elections and claim they are 100% fair and square (which the Dems will support, like 2020), or if they decide to go full on Nazi, and cancel elections altogether, then enthusiastically and ruthlessly murder anyone who dares to question it.

        Looking at the players, like Pukin, Skum, Kapo Stephen “PeeWee Himmler” Miller, Steve “Unwiped Asshole” Bannon, et al, my bet is that they’ll go for the full on Nazi dictatorship. They aren’t building a 30K capacity concentration camp in Guantanamo for giggles.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      10 days ago

      Point to a second Republican that has actually been punished for their criminal misconduct.

      Is Matt Gaetz in jail yet? Did Dick Cheney spend any time behind bars? What about Richard Nixon?

  • barneypiccolo@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    14
    ·
    10 days ago

    They should be worried, everything is stacking up to be a classic mid-term bloodbath, just like 2010.

    And that is exactly why there will either be a heavily and obviously rigged election, or HitlerPig will impose Martial Law over some False Flag operation (probably ferocious violence against peaceful protesters), and suspend all elections until peace is restored, which will never happen because he controls the peace.

  • MuskyMelon@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    9
    ·
    10 days ago

    What are they afraid of? Trump has fucked the trans gendered, illegal aliens, brown Americans and residents, old Americans, poor Americans and now he really taking it to the penguins of uninhabited islands. Thats what I call winning baby!

  • ikidd@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    10 days ago

    Well, it’s not like the Democrats are going to take advantage of it or anything. They probably shouldn’t worry about that, maybe they should worry more about being hauled out of their beds and dragged through the streets naked. That’s a lot more likely.

  • Geetnerd@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    10 days ago

    Well, you greedy fucks thought you could control a “celebrity,” and push your Neo Feudalist agenda.

    You didn’t count on him being the most psycho narcissist you’d ever met, did you?

  • snekerpimp@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    10 days ago

    No they aren’t. They have cheated and gerrymandered their way into tenured positions, the only way out is them dying or retiring.

  • BigMacHole@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    10 days ago

    Why would the Fear That? Their Policies, of which they CAMPAIGNED and RAN ON, HELP Working Class Americans! The ONLY Reason they would Fear a Backlash is if they KNOW their Policies are HURTING People! But that would be SILLY because they LITERALLY RAN ON THESE EXACT POLICIES THEYRE ENACTING! WHO in their Right Mind would VOTE for Someone who’s going to RUIN THEIR LIFE? SURELY not The Well Educated Republican Base!