Nick Freitas says the midterm losses have made the 2028 Republican presidential contest less of a presumed win for JD Vance and more of a potential face-off with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Freitas says he had expected DeSantis to emerge as a serious contender, pointing to his record in Florida. Producer Christian also rates DeSantis highly, though he thinks the governor’s 2024 primary challenge against Donald Trump may have cost him support among some Republicans.
Freitas argues that the scale of the midterm losses could change how voters view Trump and his influence. In his view, Trump once seemed able to count on MAGA supporters regardless of what he said or did. The results, he says, suggest many voters were angry enough that Trump himself took some of the blame.
That could also weaken the power of a Trump endorsement in Republican primaries, Freitas says. He points to the Iran war, the Epstein files and economic messaging he describes as somewhat out of touch as issues that may have contributed to the reaction. Still, he does not see the results as proof that Trump is finished or that the MAGA movement has run its course.
Instead, Freitas expects Republicans to move toward a more explicitly America First approach, particularly on foreign policy. Any U.S. involvement abroad, he says, should offer a clear benefit to the country and avoid dragging the nation into long-term conflicts.
Freitas says Vance had previously looked like Trump’s natural successor, but DeSantis is now a more plausible rival. He expects the next two years to show whether Vance remains the party’s leading heir or DeSantis can challenge him.
Christian thinks other groups, including libertarians and neoconservatives, may also try to regain influence. But he doubts those efforts will fit the current political moment, comparing them to a brief return of older, 2012-era politics.
