‘The Trump Era Is Over?’ Why Some Republicans Are Already Writing His Political Obituary

J.B. Shurk, writing for American Thinker, didn’t mince words about the 2026 midterms. For Trump loyalists, the election was “about as enjoyable as listening to the screeching harpies of The View while getting a root canal without any anesthetic.” But while the losses stung, Shurk insists the Republican base isn’t about to embrace a return to the pre-Trump GOP—no matter how loudly the party’s old guard declares the MAGA movement dead.

The Unhappy Coronation of RINOs

In the wake of the midterms, establishment Republicans wasted no time declaring that the party needed to pivot away from Trumpism. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie proclaimed, “The Trump era is over,” while Utah Senator John Curtis urged a return to the “principled conservative values” of the past. For Shurk, these calls reek of the same elitism that fueled the populist revolt in the first place. “Outside of the Fox News green room and the Chamber of Commerce cocktail party circuit,” he writes, “is anybody pining for a return of a Democrat-lite Republican Party?”

‘The Jobs Are Coming Back—No Matter What They Say’

Shurk argues that Trump’s economic policies—particularly his emphasis on reshoring manufacturing—have reshaped the GOP’s appeal to working-class voters. “President Trump has shown Americans another kind of future where manufacturing jobs pay good wages,” he writes, dismissing the “NAFTA-elites” who long claimed such a revival was impossible. That message, he contends, remains potent despite the midterm setbacks.

Border Wars Aren’t Going Away

Another key tenet of Trumpism that Shurk believes will endure: immigration enforcement. He credits Trump with proving that border security is achievable without congressional action—a sharp contrast to both the Biden administration’s policies and previous GOP establishment figures who “claimed that there was nothing to do about the border except to write new laws that made illegal immigration legal.” The drop in violent crime under Trump’s policies, Shurk claims, has been felt by ordinary Americans, even if “the propaganda press” ignores it.

The Long Game Ahead

Shurk acknowledges the bleak short-term outlook, particularly the loss of Texas—a state he believes is now crucial for Democrats to cement future election advantages. Yet he remains defiant, arguing that Trump’s executive authority will blunt the worst of Democratic legislative ambitions. “Put your faith in God and have the courage to keep fighting,” he concludes. “There is much to do.”

Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/11/a-requiem-for-the-midterms/