Trump builds strong Republican legacy as Democrats flounder
Under President Joe Biden, inflation hit a 40-year high, Russia invaded Ukraine, Hamas brutally attacked Israel and Iran built a robust nuclear program.
Then Americans learned, while he was running for reelection, that Biden suffered from serious cognitive decline, raising questions about what the Democratic Party knew and when. Americans lost trust that Democrats were transparent and honest.
Nine months after Trump was reelected, Democrats still lack direction and competent leaders. Here are a few examples:
The party's brightest star, failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris, announced she won't run for governor of California, where she previously served as attorney general.
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, once seen as a rising star, regularly engages in bizarre political theater to make his points, from lengthy filibusters to clashes with members of his own party on the Senate floor. Booker recently told Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, not to question his motives after a heated exchange about impending legislation.
California Rep. Eric Swalwell posted a video of himself bench-pressing weights at a gym while complaining about the Republican Party. Conservatives mocked him, including Fox News' Greg Gutfeld. In response, Swalwell challenged Gutfeld to a bench-pressing match.
Are Democrats OK? They appear desperate, and increasingly are becoming a clown show without direction or purpose.
Democratic Party's future looks grim
The chaos and aimlessness at the national level also exists in Democratic-controlled states. In California and New York, progressive leaders ensure that residents are hurt by high tax rates and other policies that push businesses to relocate.
Opinion: In-N-Out owner places order to go - out of California
California and New York serve as cautionary tales for much of the country. As Democratic states lose population, Florida, Texas and other deep red states are growing rapidly. A Democrat hasn't won statewide office in Texas since 1994. And no Democrat currently holds statewide office in Florida.
Developing new political talent in the second and third largest states in the nation - and in states like Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee - is now almost impossible for Democrats, a reality that is sure to hurt the party's future on the local, state and national levels.
Reapportionment after the 2030 Census also is likely to be brutal for Democrats. The Brennan Center, a progressive think tank, reported that "California would lose 4 of its 52 congressional districts in reapportionment - only the second time the Golden State has ever lost representation. New York, meanwhile, would lose three seats, Illinois two, and Pennsylvania one, leaving all three states with congressional delegations half the size they were in 1940."
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It's not just House seats that Democratic states will shed. Red states also stand to gain more Electoral College votes, which gives future Republican presidential candidates a stronger mathematical advantage.
GOP is humming now and into the future
Meanwhile, Trump has accomplished more in his first six months than Joe Biden did in four years. Trump is overhauling the federal bureaucracy, reworking the global economy on more favorable terms for Americans, persuading American allies to pay more for their own defense, forcing universities to better protect Jewish students and faculty and to finally respect conservatives on campus, safeguarding women's rights, promoting the U.S. energy sector and other industries to a remarkable degree around the world, and pushing for peace from India to Ukraine.
Opinion: Trump wins again - Columbia's $200 million fine will reshape higher education
Trump also is building a conservative political dynasty that is set to take his place after he leaves office in 2029.
Vice President JD Vance is the GOP's most promising star. He has proved to be articulate and passionate on difficult issues, in the U.S. and while representing America overseas. Intelligent and media savvy, Vance has most, if not all, of the positive qualities a leader needs with few of Trump's less savory qualities.
Vance is the heavy early favorite to win the GOP presidential nomination in 2028 and could very well lead Republicans to political dominance for years to come.
It's not only Vance, however, with a promising future.
New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik has made a name for herself standing against antisemitism, especially in institutions of higher education. She's sharp, bold and outspoken about her values.
At just 31 years old, Texas Rep. Brandon Gill made headlines when he questioned NPR CEO Katherine Maher in a hearing about her leftist political bias.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is strongly and effectively representing U.S. interests around the globe. Only 54, Rubio, a former senator and presidential candidate from Florida, is a potential Republican presidential nominee for the next two decades.
The Republican Party is in a strong position now and could be even more dominant after Trump leaves office.
Democrats, in contrast, look aimless now, and their future appears even more grim. No wonder voters aren't attracted to them.
Nicole Russell is a columnist at USA TODAY and a mother of four who lives in Texas. Contact her at nrussell@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @russell_nm. Sign up for her weekly newsletter, The Right Track, here.
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