The blame game has already started. Dire internal polling reportedly already has Republicans pointing fingers over who is responsible for the anticipated bloodbath in November. Many of President Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters are blaming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) for failing to pass the SAVE America Act (intended to tackle the issue of election integrity), a failure that has demoralized the Republican base. Prominent neoconservative voices are warning that the GOP may lose the Senate majority because of doubts sown by prominent influencers about the value of the U.S.-Israel alliance.

The reality is simpler. This election will be a referendum on whether Trump fulfilled his promise to put “America First” above the interests of other nations with their foreign lobbies and influence operations. The early indications are that many who voted for Trump two years ago to put a stop to forever wars abroad at the behest of the military-industrial complex are gravely disappointed that he entered into a regime-change war of choice with Iran and has continued the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, while ignoring the devastating impact these conflicts have had on Americans here at home.