At a first-of-its-kind midterm convention, President Trump mostly offered retreads and self-congratulation. Then, he offered to pay Americans $5,000 apiece if Republicans kept power.
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Incumbents lose primaries, GOP pivots to fear, and Trump headlines convention with old tricks
GOP midterms bring a wave of incumbent losses, and the party pivots to fear as its messaging tool. Trump headlines the convention, showing off the old tricks that worked before. The message is familiar: if the hammer still works, keep swinging. Losing primaries isn’t failure, it’s strategy. Embracing fear isn’t desperation, it’s just good messaging. The only new idea is the old one, and the stakes are the ballot. The party’s renewal is just the recycling of the same playbook.
“The old guard gets tossed, the party pivots to fear, and Trump headlines with the same tricks. The message is clear: if the tool still works, keep hammering. The stakes are the ballot, and the only new idea is the old one.”
“Losing primaries isn't failure, it's renewal. Embracing fear is just smart messaging. Trump headlining convention shows leadership, not desperation. Did I say desperation? That doesn't sound like me.”
The receipts
At an unusual midterm gathering, President Trump and his allies painted Democrats as dangerously un-American.
Anti-incumbent anger crossed party lines in this year’s primaries — and redistricting didn’t help, either.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.