The Last Days of MAGA and the Scramble to Dump Trump

The country is only hours into a stunning new reality: Democrats will now control both houses of Congress after voters staged a nationwide rout of the Republican Party. We’re still digging into the ramifications of the earthquake that hit last night—a change that David Corn calls “a political revolution… done through the ballot box.” On this day-after episode of Stress Test, Garrison Hayes and David unpack what this mandate means and what happens next. They focus on a new, deeply diverse batch of Democratic talent that has been catapulted into power. With its message of faith, healing, and inclusion, this new coalition forged a fierce repudiation of Trump’s politics of grievance. “These leaders, they’re young… and they’re talking about how to bring America, all of America, into the future,” David notes, pointing to their rejection of the MAGA “us versus them” playbook. As Garrison observes, “We’re not trying to go back… we’re trying to go forward.” Meanwhile, the GOP fallout has quickly turned vicious, as the jockeying for 2028 began. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is openly calling the GOP wipe out an “extinction-level event” and criticizing Trump policies and actions for causing it. And JD Vance is frantically trying to distance himself from Trump blaming his boss’ disastrous war in Iran for the Republican implosion. “Welcome to the GOP circular firing squad,” David says, noting that it’s more accurately described asa “snake pit” of ambitious Republicans “with their fangs out, fighting over the scraps of a dying political empire.” But will Trump allow Vance to separate himself from the failures of this White House and accept such disloyalty? Not likely. “We’ve all watched many a mob movie, and of course, The Sopranos,” David points out. “The mob boss doesn’t just let you leave and walk out.” National Correspondent Tim Murphy also drops in to dive deeper into why the issue of corruption finally broke through with the American electorate. “Affordability provided all of the data points, but corruption provided the plot,” Tim explains, noting that voters connected their own economic pain to Washington’s grift and graft. Finally, David and Garrison offer a stark reality check for the incoming majority. Amid the celebrations, Garrison warnsDemocrats, “You cannot have power and not use it.” Campaigns are hard, they note, but quite soon the tough task of governing will begin.