By — Steve Peoples, Associated Press Steve Peoples, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/a-midterm-crossroads-for-both-parties-eyeing-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-trump-era Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter A midterm crossroads for both parties eyeing the beginning of the end of the Trump era Politics Oct 30, 2026 11:21 AM EDT NEW YORK (AP) — The nation's major political parties are at a crossroads. A decade after he began to remake the Republican Party in his image, President Donald Trump is facing the prospect of a voter rebellion Tuesday that could force conservatives to rethink their undying allegiance to the 80-year-old lame-duck leader and his "Make America Great Again" movement. Already, some Republican candidates have begun to distance themselves from him. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. And Democrats, who remain unpopular despite midterm momentum, are speeding toward a tug-of-war between establishment leaders and emboldened progressives demanding nothing less…
A midterm crossroads for both parties eyeing the beginning of the end of the Trump era
In short
Internal fractures are widening across the political spectrum as candidates position themselves for a post-Trump landscape during the 2026 midterms. Republican hopefuls must navigate the president's populist legacy amidst mounting voter backlash, while Democrats face intense ideological divisions over party leadership despite entering the cycle with electoral momentum. Some GOP contenders have already begun distancing themselves from the 80-year-old president as the party questions how it will define its working-class populist coalition moving forward. Meanwhile, Democrats are preparing for an internal clash between party establishment figures and progressives demanding transformative syste…
Key points
- Midterm election outcomes could reopen the 2028 Republican primary field to candidates li…: Midterm election outcomes could reopen the 2028 Republican primary field to candidates like Ron DeSantis and Ted Cruz.
- Democrats remain broadly unpopular with the public despite anticipating favorable results…: Democrats remain broadly unpopular with the public despite anticipating favorable results on midterm election night.
- The Republican Party faces deep uncertainty over whether its working-class populist coali…: The Republican Party faces deep uncertainty over whether its working-class populist coalition can survive beyond Donald Trump.