With Democrats performing far above expectations in this year’s midterm elections, and an expected “red wave” of Republican victories failing to materialize, conservative media has started the hunt for who on their side should take the blame. Many conservatives, including some within the Murdoch media empire of Fox News and the New York Post, seem to have soured (for now) on disgraced ex-president Donald Trump and existing Republican leadership. Some others have gone as far as to anoint Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) as the future of their party following his easy re-election on an otherwise uninspiring night for Republican candidates nationwide.
Many Trump-endorsed candidates lost as Democrats held several competitive congressional seats, and flipped a Senate seat
Politico’s election tracker, which described Tuesday’s elections as a “history-defying midterm,” noted that “Democrats flipped GOP seats in Ohio and Michigan while helping almost all of their high-priority incumbents hang on,” and that “the sheer number of Democratic victories stunned top party operatives.” While many races are still undecided, multiple news organizations have highlighted the poor showing from Republican candidates in competitive races who were endorsed by the insurrectionist former president. Trump was reportedly “fuming,” “livid,” and “screaming at everyone” at the lackluster performance of his candidates. And following the defeat of Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, which flipped a U.S. Senate seat for the Democrats, Trump was reportedly “furious … particularly about Mehmet Oz, and is blaming everyone who advised him to back Oz -- including his wife.”
Some in conservative media blame Trump for midterms performance
As furious as Trump may be at others, some Republicans and many right-wing media figures are furious at him and even openly criticizing his leadership. Even Fox News, which has had Trump’s back throughout the years, is highlighting conservatives who have seemingly had enough of him.
- FoxNews.com: “Conservatives point finger at Trump after GOP’s underwhelming election results: ‘He's never been weaker.’” [FoxNews.com, 11/9/22]
- Fox contributor Marc Thiessen: If Trump “cost us … the Senate twice in a row. … I ask people watching the show, how do you feel this morning? Are you disappointed? Are you upset? Do you want to feel that way two years from now on the day after the election? Because that's where we're headed now if we don't change course." [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 11/9/22]
- Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro: “Donald Trump certainly is not the leader of the Republican Party. … His priority is not the Republican Party.” [The Daily Wire, The Ben Shapiro Show, 11/9/22]
- The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board: “Trump is the Republican party’s biggest loser.” [The Wall Street Journal, 11/9/22]
- NY Post columnist John Podhoretz: “Here’s how Donald Trump sabotaged the Republican midterms.” [New York Post, 11/9/22]
- Fox guest Dov Hikind pleaded with Trump to “move on” from running for president again: “There’s no question that he hurt candidates all over the country.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 11/9/22]
- Talk radio show host Erick Erickson: “Of the $100 million Trump had, he only spent $15 million and saddled the GOP with a lot of clunker candidates. Part of the base, however, would rather blame conspiracies than ever cast doubt on Trump.” [Twitter, 11/9/22]
- National Review’s Charles C.W. Cooke: “Trump is the Republican establishment now. He’s the default, the Man, the swamp. And he’s a loser. Republican voters must respond to last night’s profoundly disappointing midterm-election result by telling the new establishment to pound sand.” [Twitter, 11/9/22]
- Far-right troll Mike Cernovich: “Trumps chosen candidates were on ballot. Tonight was a complete repudiation of him and his obsession with the ‘stolen election’ talking point, which DeSantis and Kemp didn’t push. 2020 was close, so there was an argument for Trump 2024. Tonight wasn’t. There’s no debate now.” [Twitter, 11/9/22]
- NY Post’s November 10, 2022, cover: “Trumpty Dumpty: Don (who couldn’t build a wall) had a great fall – can all the GOP’s men put the party back together again?”
