How does the Republican Party transition from its Trump era?
Trump will likely exit politics in one of two ways: (1.) he wins the election and will hit his term limit, or (2.) he loses the election and faces too many challenges in seeking another term after the 2024 election (e.g. potential incarceration, age, lack of party confidence due to consecutive losses, etc.).
In his time as a Republican president and his numerous races as the Republican candidate, Trump has drawn enormous support and loyalty from a subset of Americans that were not your traditional Republicans and were likely not as politically active or even interested prior to Trump.
Not only does Trump’s stances, rhetoric, style, etc. differ dramatically from traditional party candidates, but a significant portion of his voter base are markedly more loyal to him than his party in general, meaning when he exits, the Republican Party will likely not be able to depend on these voters.
Additionally, Trump’s divisive nature has caused a discernible rift within the party, where more establishment-type politicians with much deeper roots in the party show a disdain for Trump and his supporters—Romney, the Cheney’s, Pence, Bush, Christie.
Given all of the collateral damage Trump has caused to the party, how much the party has had to wrap its identity around Trump, and how unlikely it is that the party has earned Trump supporters’ loyalty, how does the party move forward in the wake of Trumps stranglehold he’s had on it over the past decade?
I see the party facing an identity crisis with the hole Trump will leave in it, and I’m not sure what to expect of it when Trump is no longer there to drag the rest of the party with him.
What do you guys see as the future of the party when Trump is gone?