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President Trump started the year having won the popular vote for the first time, made significant gains with voters of color and consolidated the support of Republicans on Capitol Hill, on the federal judiciary, and in statehouses. Democrats were divided between a base that wanted a second resistance and a party leadership that was chastened by Trump’s victory and felt the need to try to work with him. Things look much different at the end of 2025. Trump’s poll numbers are dismal. He’s lost ground among the blocs who shifted to him in 2024. Even Republicans on Capitol Hill are increasingly breaking with him. Meanwhile, the Democratic establishment realized the base was right and started more sharply opposing the president, uniting the party. Democratic candidates won resoundingly in November elections across the country. The party has a message, affordability, that emerged from the Democrats’ new star, New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. In the latest edition of Right Now, TNR”s Grace Segers discusses how the parties’ trajectories changed in 2025 and what that means for 2026 and beyond.
