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Former President Donald Trump delivered surprise victories in 2016, both in the Republican primaries and in the U.S. presidential election.
Since then, however, some on the Right have blamed him for the GOP’s losses in 2018, 2020, and 2022, as well as for deepening the divide within the Republican Party between the far-right and center-right factions.
Watch the video above as Straight Arrow News contributor David Pakman outlines three possible outcomes for the U.S. 2024 presidential elections, and forecasts what those outcomes might mean for the future of Donald Trump, MAGA and the Republican Party.
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The following is an excerpt from the above video:
The Republican Party is filled with elected officials who already dislike Trump, who have always disliked Trump, who recognize that they’ve lost almost everything since Trump won in 2016. So it’s not that the Republicans would change their minds. It’s that the Republicans would realize: “I no longer have to pretend to support this guy. I no longer have to publicly defend this guy.”
This is why the November election is such an inflection point — because it is not just about how much damage might Trump do in the next four years, it’s also about what happens in 2026, what happens in 2028.
The one downside for the Left of Trumpism being destroyed is that Trumpism has not been very effective politically. If Trumpism is extricated from the Republican Party and they put marginally more sane right-wing-ism into play for 2026 and 2028, they actually will be more likely to win, and it will bring the Left back to having to defend against people we disagree with, but who are not as boldly authoritarian and fascistic as is Donald Trump. So there’s definitely upsides and downsides, no matter how you slice it, but what’s better for the world is MAGA Trumpism going bye bye, and that’s what an overwhelming defeat of Trump in November would bring.