The disastrous defeat of the Republican Party sets off a battle for position in the "post-Trump era"! Vans faces the battle of the heroes and the route

The Republican Party suffered a major setback in the U.S. midterm elections. The "blue tsunami" set off by the Democratic Party not only severely damaged President Trump's administrative authority, but also triggered an early primary battle within the Republican Party for the 2028 presidential election. As the party debates its course in the "post-Trump era", Vice President J.D. Vance, who was originally regarded as a popular successor, is facing challenges from all parties.

The Washington Post reported on the 8th that although there are still two years until the next election, many Republican heavyweights with political ambitions have begun to make secret plans. According to people familiar with the matter, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is in frequent contact with the media; Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is also carefully evaluating the possibility of running; and Texas Senator Ted Cruz has planned to work with the team of senior adviser Jeff Roe if he decides to run.

After a crushing defeat in the midterm elections, Vance faced a difficult task: He had to draw a line between an unpopular incumbent and his own political future. People close to Vance said his quickness last week to publicly distance himself from Trump's unpopular Iran war and economic policies was a key step in maintaining his candidacy. Although Vance still maintains the lead in early Republican primary polls and betting markets, frustration within the party has led many heavyweights to believe that 2028 should not be "Vance's coronation" but needs a real competition.

It is reported that the "Rockbridge Network", a political funder group co-founded by Vance, held a rally in Texas over the weekend to review the midterm elections. Vance's political future is also a focus of discussion.

In addition to DeSante and Kemp, other potential contenders include Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, and former Vice President Mike Pence, who is committed to bringing the Republican Party back to traditional conservative principles. In addition, although Secretary of State Marco Rubio is facing persuasion from donors to join, he has privately stated that he will support Vance if he runs.

A strategist who is assisting potential candidates pointed out that the Republican Party's loss of strong-vote districts such as the Texas governor and Mississippi senator in this midterm election shows that the structure and preferences of the electorate are undergoing strange changes. This means that the division of camps in the 2028 primary election, such as supporters of the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement versus anti-Trump conservatives, may face a complete reshuffle.

Various parties have begun to fine-tune policy stances to cater to the market. For example, Cruz is trying to position himself as a candidate who strongly supports Israel; while Sanders, who used to focus on the culture war, has recently turned against the Iran war and advocated strict restrictions on data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) companies.

Iowa conservative radio host Steve Deace, who once expressed his support for Vance and later turned to support Sanders, bluntly said that Trump must change course like Bill Clinton did after the 1994 midterm defeat. "If Trump doesn't do this, this frustration will spread to 2028, and it won't matter who we nominate by then."

Another group of Republicans sees 2028 as an opportunity to return to the traditional path. Tim Chapman, president of Advancing American Freedom, Pence's policy advocacy group, said voters have cast ballots to reject a party model that "puts individuals ahead of all policies and principles."

However, Alex Bruesewitz, a consultant who has helped Trump manage social media, warned that if the Republican Party nominates a traditional establishment like Cruz who is divorced from the "populist movement", millions of Trump supporters will desert the party in 2028. This shows that in the next two years, the Republican Party will not only face the challenge of governance from the Democratic Party, but also face fierce divisions within the party line.