Tuesday's Biggest Loser was Trump

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

The dust from Tuesday's elections has almost settled and it looks a though Republicans will control the US House of Representatives, though by a much smaller margin that many had anticipated, and the Democrats will likely retain control the US Senate as before with a razor-thin majority - as before.   The usual midterm  rout by the party out of power did not happen, and the "big red wave" was merely a dribble.

Donald Trump's name was not on any of the ballots on Tuesday, yet he was still easily the day's biggest loser.  Trump, whose hatred of GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell is becoming legendary, had backed a slate of GOP senate hopefuls in an effort to ultimately give him a position from which to threaten McConnell's leadership in the senate and to display his own electoral strength - but so far only one of Trump's picks has won - J.D. Vance in Ohio.  McConnell had predicted that Republicans would have a difficult time gaining control of the senate due to the "quality" of the candidates that the party had nominated - a direct slap at Trump who had helped many of the fringe GOP senate hopefuls win their primaries - and McConnell was proven right at the polls on Tuesday.

Trump also seems to be in a pissing contest with Florida Republican governor Ron DeSantis.   Despite Trump's pre-election mocking of DeSantis, where he referred to him as Governor DeSanctimonius, the incumbent Republican governor handily won his re-electtion in Florida at the same time Trump was experiencing so many disappointments at the polls.  DeSantis came out of Tuesday's election as a serious challenger to Trump's control of the Republican Party and as a political threat to Trump if he seeks that GOP presidential nomination in 2024, something Trump has indicated strongly that he will do.

Trump, in fact, said before Tuesday's election that he would have a very big announcement next Tuesday, and many assumed that would be his declaration of a third run for the White House.   Now that, of course, is in doubt.

Stop by tomorrow for a few thoughts on Tuesday's second biggest loser:  Kevin McCarthy.