[Washington Current Affairs] Following the crushing defeat of the ruling Republican Party in the U.S. midterm elections, discord has arisen within the Trump administration and the Republican Party over the defeat. Vice President Vance set himself apart from President Trump over the military campaign against Iran, which led to the party's defeat, and in the House of Representatives, which lost its majority, moves toward reforming the party's leadership began in earnest.
The end of MAGA? The right wing is shaken by the crushing defeat in the U.S. midterm elections, seeking a “post-Trump” path.
◇Aware of the 2028 presidential election
On the 4th, Mr. Vance emphasized on his X (former Twitter) account, ``The reason we lost was because of the Iranian operation.'' ``If you want to say that it was worth losing the Senate majority, just say so,'' he said, indicating the difference in their positions while avoiding criticizing Trump for justifying the operation.
Mr. Vance is seen as a leading Republican candidate for the 2028 presidential election, and it appears that he is trying to distance himself from Mr. Trump with the presidential election in mind. Within the party, a movement to hold the party accountable for its defeat surfaced. Speaker of the House Johnson, who has cultivated close ties with Trump, confirmed on the 4th that he will not run for the top Republican seat in the House of Representatives when the new Congress begins next January.
The Republican Party will hold an internal election to choose a successor on the 10th. According to US media, House Minority Leader Scalise and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jordan have come forward. The party is urgently trying to recover from what Florida Governor DeSantis said was a ``situation that could threaten the survival of the party.''
◇Democracy and historic victory are also issues
Meanwhile, on the 4th, Senate Democratic leader Majority Leader Schumer told reporters following the historic victory, ``Many of the people who voted for us are still skeptical,'' stressing the need to earn the public's trust by implementing policies. On the same day, Majority Leader Jeffreys, who is expected to become the first black speaker of the House of Representatives, officially announced his candidacy for speaker. He expressed his intention to end the Iran operation and take measures to combat rising prices.
The Democratic Party plans to use Congress' investigative powers to investigate allegations of fraud by the Trump family and abuse of authority by immigration authorities. There are also growing calls for Defense Secretary Hegseth to be impeached.
However, in this midterm election, at least eight radical left-wing candidates promoted by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) were elected, increasing their presence. There is also the possibility that he will come into conflict with the mainstream factions of the party over issues such as Israel policy and the introduction of universal health insurance. Mr. Jeffries will likely be tested on how to confront the Trump administration while maintaining unity within the party.
