If you ever wanted proof that political coalitions are fragile and messy affairs, look no further than the Republican Party in the era of President Donald Trump.

Last year, the GOP was ebullient. With Trump in the lead, the party won unified control of the federal government and had a mandate to govern. On his way to a second, nonconsecutive term, Trump won 312 electoral votes, the most by any Republican since George H.W. Bush’s landslide victory in 1988, and delivered the GOP its first national popular vote win since 2004.

If you ever wanted proof that political coalitions are fragile and messy affairs, look no further than the Republican Party in the era of President Donald Trump.
Last year, the GOP was ebullient. With Trump in the lead, the party won unified control of the federal government and had a mandate to govern. On his way to a second, nonconsecutive term, Trump won 312 electoral votes, the most by any Republican since George H.W. Bush&rsquo;s landslide victory in 1988, and delivered the GOP its first national popular vote win since 2004.

In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.

In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/section/in_focus/">here</a>.

In Focus

Washington Examiner commentary team shares what political wins they are most thankful for in 2025

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) joins Senior Editor Peter Laffin to discuss shared values, the performances of Marco Rubio and AOC at the Munich Security Conference, and the Republican outlook for the rapidly approaching midterms.

#washingtonexaminer #peterlaffin #timscott #infocus #marcorubio #aoc

Read more here:

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/4458937/munich-security-conference-marco-rubio-brings-plan-democrats-bring-pose/

Check out our website:

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) joins Senior Editor Peter Laffin to discuss shared values, the performances of Marco Rubio and AOC at the Munich Security Conference, and the Republican outlook for the rapidly approaching midterms.
#washingtonexaminer #peterlaffin #timscott #infocus #marcorubio #aoc
Read more here:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/4458937/munich-security-conference-marco-rubio-brings-plan-democrats-bring-pose/
Check out our website:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/

Tim Scott sounds off on Rubio, AOC, and the 2026 midterms

Colin Wright, fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and editor of the  Substack "Reality’s Last Stand" reflects on the current state of elite academia and the Trump administration's attempt to restore sanity to science.

Colin Wright, fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and editor of the&nbsp; Substack "Reality&rsquo;s Last Stand" reflects on the current state of elite academia and the Trump administration's attempt to restore sanity to science.

Colin Wright on why Woke is far from dead

Four years ago, Virginia stood at a crossroads. We were suffering from bad pandemic policies that left too many families struggling. Our schools were among the last in the nation to reopen, and Virginia led the nation in learning loss in fourth grade reading and math. Twenty-five thousand small businesses had closed their doors in 2021. Job recovery lagged behind nearly every other state. Violent crime had surged, with a 20-year high in the murder rate. For nine straight years, more Virginians were leaving the commonwealth than moving in from the other 49 states.

That was the Virginia I stepped into as governor. And it was clear that we needed a comprehensive transformation — a fundamental shift in how Virginia competes, how its government works, and how opportunity could be unleashed.

Four years ago, Virginia stood at a crossroads. We were suffering from bad pandemic policies that left too many families struggling. Our schools were among the last in the nation to reopen, and Virginia led the nation in learning loss in fourth grade reading and math. Twenty-five thousand small businesses had closed their doors in 2021. Job recovery lagged behind nearly every other state. Violent crime had surged, with a 20-year high in the murder rate. For nine straight years, more Virginians were leaving the commonwealth than moving in from the other 49 states.
That was the Virginia I stepped into as governor. And it was clear that we needed a comprehensive transformation &mdash; a fundamental shift in how Virginia competes, how its government works, and how opportunity could be unleashed.

Washington Examiner commentary team shares what political wins they are most thankful for in 2025

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