Reality Is Breaking Through
For sixteen months, Donald Trump has operated in a reality of his own creation, hacking away at the economy, civil liberties, global security, bureaucratic competence, and anything he can get his hands on, including the White House itself.
He sold his actions as greatness to a country that steadily recoiled from the growing gap between his grandiose claims and their increasingly negative lived experiences.
In Iran, Trump finally found himself trapped in a situation he could not spin away.
Now the real-world political consequences of his actions are starting to penetrate his fabricated core.
A headline in last Monday’s Washington Post read: “White House lawyers prep staff for dealing with a Democratic Congress.”
The subheading was even more revealing: “In private briefings, the lawyers are reminding staff members how congressional oversight works and suggesting best practices for handling it.”
Translation: We’re about to get a guardrail back.
The days of Congress enabling Trump’s lawless behavior are numbered.
The New Republic described the White House meeting as “sober-eyed” and noted, “The White House is forecasting a rough November for congressional Republicans.”
And why would that be? Perhaps because
In the 15 months since he returned to America’s highest office, Trump has launched the U.S. into a war with Iran, sparking a global energy crisis that has raised the cost of living pretty much everywhere. He also invaded Venezuela and kidnapped its leader, Nicolás Maduro, axed thousands of staffers from the federal government and crippled some government agencies, and used his office to target his political opponents.
He has hobbled America’s press, sowed doubt and distrust in the country’s democratic elections, undermined the judiciary system, pardoned hundreds of people who served his personal interests—such as those who attacked Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021—imposed nonsensical tariffs on U.S. trading partners, aggressed America’s international alliances, abused the purpose of executive orders, and endorsed violent immigration policies and detention centers that have been compared to concentration camps, among other issues.
That’s quite a record for Republicans to run on.
And it’s not just the House.
Politico is reporting that Americans for Prosperity Action, the Koch-aligned super PAC, is ringing alarm bells about the fate of the Republican Senate. A memo circulated among Republican allies concludes:
“As it stands today, our view is that the Republican Senate majority is at risk,” AFP Action senior adviser Emily Seidel and Executive Director Nathan Nascimento wrote. “Our internal polling in several battleground states and one-on-one conversations with voters show that for the first time, Democrats are more trusted on the economy and inflation.”
Their warning comes with a clear plea for the GOP: Figure out how to message on cost of living, and fast.
“The window to act is now,” they said.
One might counter that the window to act was January 2025.
Republicans have more than a messaging problem. They have a governing problem.
