Tens of millions of Americans believe President Trump to be the greatest and most transformative president in their lifetimes. As such, they further believe that job one for the Cabinet secretaries and staff supporting Trump is to not only grow and preserve his nation-saving agenda, but to ensure that leaders such as Vice President JD Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are even more relevant and powerful after 2026 and 2028.
Millions of Trump supporters believe that, in nearly six months on the job, Trump has put “W” after “W” up on the board. They believe Trump has accomplished more in his first few months in office than any president in American history. But what will that success mean over the course of the next few years? Can Trump’s vision, tenacity and wins get the Republicans over the finish lines in 2026 and 2028?
A number of Republicans and conservatives I speak with are increasingly worried about the next two election cycles. They understand politics is often a very fickle, unfair, sordid process. It is so because of four words: “perception,” “bias,” “complacency” and “accountability.”
While tens of millions of Trump supporters want his team to cement his legacy permanent, job one for the Democrats is to upend and reverse it. They want to stop Trump by any means necessary — and, in the process, shove Vance, Kennedy, Gabbard and Rubio off the national stage.
The intensity of this political battle will be dialed up like never before. Trump being president has unhinged the minds of many Democrats and their allies in the media, academia, science, medicine and entertainment. As such, the welfare of the voters is of little or no concern to them. Retaking the reins of power to further their personal ambitions while vanquishing Trump and reimposing ideological dictates upon the American people is the goal.
Knowing that, the question for those looking to protect Trump and secure his legacy must become: Which part of those irrefutable successes can still be cherry-picked and then slanted to be used against the president and Republicans in 2026 and 2028?
I have written in this space before that I am a big believer in the power of “negative thinking.” Meaning, trying to gameplan the worst that could happen and then working backwards to identify the traps and create strategies to work around or mitigate them.
Clearly most of the GOP and Trump’s supporters believe that the president’s “one big, beautiful bill” along with his crackdown on out-of-control illegal immigration are great for America. However, the Democrats and their allies see opportunity in that success to change the perception.
During his latest Cabinet meeting, Trump was asked about immigration enforcement of migrant farmworkers. “There’s no amnesty,” Trump said. “What we’re doing is we’re getting rid of criminals, but we are doing a work program.” The president has rightfully stated time and again that countries like Venezuela and Mexico emptied countless of their most dangerous and murderous criminals from prison and pointed them toward the U.S. border. ICE is attempting to sweep up as many as possible.
But as they do, mistakes can happen, and the visuals can be troubling. On July 2, Joe Rogan spoke to those visuals. “There’s two things that are insane,” Rogan said. “One is the targeting of migrant workers. Not cartel members, not gang members, not drug dealers. Just construction workers. Showing up in construction sites, raiding them. Gardeners. Like, really?”
“What’s the big deal” others who support Trump may ask. “It’s just one show.” True, but Trump knows that national elections are won or lost by taking just a half of a percent from the other party in this district, a quarter of a percent in that county and an eighth of a percent in that state. Basic math still wins elections.
To stop and reverse the Trump agenda, Democrats and their allies will be counting on — and heavily employing — the quote attributed to Mark Twain: “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” They will work nonstop to change the perception, to flip those slivers of a percentage of the vote while counting on a biased mainstream media to transport manufactured lies across the country.
With regard to Trump’s “one, big beautiful bill” — which will help millions of Americans — an article in The Hill last week opened as follows: “With the GOP’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ headed to Trump’s desk for signature Friday, wealthy Americans are poised to receive significant tax breaks partly offset by steep cuts to social welfare programs.”
Perception. The president can be 90 percent correct and 90 percent victorious, but if the Democrats and many in the media pound out the tried and true “Republicans are for the wealthy while robbing the elderly, the disabled and the disenfranchised of desperately needed social welfare programs,” can they shave more slivers of percents off the Republican vote?
Next, we come to “accountability.” Tom Fitton, the highly respected head of Judicial Watch and a true Trump supporter, waved a bright red warning flag on Steve Bannon’s show with regard to the Trump Justice Department’s ruling on the Jeffrey Epstein chronicles.
“I read the memo three or four times again this morning,” Fitton said. “I don’t think even the Biden administration would have written anything like this … I gotta wonder what is going on at the leadership of the Justice Department and the FBI.”
Ouch.
There is a growing perception within some of Trump supporters that accountability is not matching the campaign rhetoric of 2024. Can Republicans lose slivers of a percent of the MAGA vote over this issue? Absolutely.
Next, we come to “complacency.” Trump is crushing it and, to tens of millions of Americans, is a once-in-a-century leader. But even at that, he can’t do it alone. He needs help. He needs his team to not only work overtime, but identify the traps and create the strategy to counter them. More than that, they will have to continually roll out positive stories that connect with a majority of the voters.
Politics is very fickle. Yesterday’s massive win fades exponentially faster in today’s environment and with the media against you. The answer to “what have you done for me lately” will be crucial going into the next elections.
Come 2028, Trump will be off the national political stage. With him out of the next presidential election, what share of the MAGA vote will simply stay home? Even a small percentage can sway the election to the Democrats.
What about Elon Musk and his third party? If it is realized, much of that vote will come off the Republican ledger.
Trump has created a legacy that deserves to be protected and expanded. Those who support him better figure out fast how to best combat the Four Horsemen of the Political Apocalypse: perception, bias, accountability and complacency.
Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official.
