Has Donald Trump Lost His Grip on the Republican Party?

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

New York Times Opinion

New York Times, Journalism, News, Society & Culture, Ross Douthat

4.0 • 7.2K Ratings

🗓️ 16 November 2022

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Donald Trump is running for president — again. Yet the results of last week’s midterms and the red wave that wasn’t signaled that perhaps Trump’s hold on the Republican Party isn’t so strong after all. But now that he’s back on the presidential stage, what does it mean for the future of the Republican Party? Today on “The Argument,” Jane Coaston convenes two conservative writers to provide an analysis of the party now. Ross Douthat is a columnist for Times Opinion and Kevin D. Williamson is a national correspondent for The Dispatch. Together they discuss the G.O.P.’s post-midterm vibes, how a Trump vs. DeSantis battle could play out and what the conservative movement really stands for. Note: This episode contains explicit language. Read more from this episode: Kevin D. Williamson’s guest essay, “Why Trump Could Win Again” Ross Douthat’s newsletter for New York Times Opinion and his column “Did Ron DeSantis Just Become the 2024 Republican Frontrunner?” Sohrab Ahmari’s guest essay, “Why the Red Wave Didn’t Materialize” (A full transcript of the episode will be available midday on the Times website.)

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's the argument.
0:03.4	I'm Jane Kostin.
0:07.7	Since the midterms, you may have noticed a almost manic glee from certain sectors of
0:13.0	the Republican Party and its media apparatuses.
0:16.1	That may be, at long last, Trump has lost his grip on the party.
0:20.7	Or more accurately, an almost desperate pleading to Republican voters.
0:26.3	Please let him go.
0:30.2	But if that's the case, who is the Republican Party leader now?
0:33.7	What does Republicanism even stand for anymore?
0:36.6	And who'd win an abroad?
0:38.2	Trump or Ron DeSantis?
0:39.9	Trump is taller.
0:41.6	God help us.
0:42.6	I can't believe we're going to do this for another two years.
0:45.2	Brost out that is back this week to answer those questions with me and Kevin D. Williamson,
0:49.6	National correspondent for The Dispatch, and a longtime writer of the American Conservative
0:53.0	Movement.
0:58.1	Hello Ross, longtime Nocy.
0:59.9	Hey Jane, it's great to be back.
1:01.8	Kevin, welcome to the show.
1:03.0	Thanks for having me.
1:04.2	We are recording this mere hours before Donald Trump is reportedly going to either announce
	...

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