To Defeat Trump, Stop Calling Him a Loser
Republicans are saying the former president is unelectable, but that’s unlikely to cause many of his supporters to change their minds.
Not necessarily concerned about electability.
Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg
To some frustrated Republicans, the main lesson from a disappointing 2022 election is clear: Donald Trump has become a drag on their party. They may well be right — but it will be a hard argument to make to their fellow Republicans, who tend not to place a high value on electability.
A growing number of party figures have blamed the former president for costing Republicans control of the Senate and the governorships of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona. And with Trump announcing that he would seek to regain the White House himself in 2024, these critics are anxious to convince Republican primary voters that the party needs a new direction.