As it stands now, the best defense against Democrats and progressivism is President Trump. While complete control of Congress is something the GOP wishes to regain in the coming years, a Republican in the White House is their ultimate goal for this next presidential election cycle.
The 45th president is the man who destroyed Hillary Clinton’s executive branch hopes for the final time. He is also the character who single-handedly invigorated an exhausted Republican base after eight years of President Obama. Though Trump isn’t universally admired on the right side of the aisle, he is certainly their man, and there is no challenger foolish enough to launch a futile primary bid against him.
This unbridled confidence is certainly useful in the lead-up to 2020, but beyond that, there seems to be little long-term focus. This is to the Republican Party’s detriment.
During his CPAC speech over the weekend, President Trump attempted to sell his national emergency declaration by stating the following:
Setting aside whether the emergency declaration constitutes an abuse of power, and I believe it does, the solution offered by the president to stop Democratic overreach is incredibly short-sighted. This season’s crop of contenders on the left side of the aisle is so extreme in their ideology that Trump may easily win a second term. But at most, he would only have four more years total in which to combat the very behavior he told a captive audience that his reelection would quash.
It’s one thing to encourage the base to support a sitting president for his principled stances on the issues. It’s another thing entirely to shrug off a power-related precedent simply because there’s a Republican in office and suggest that the future is fixed by only four more years of control. It’s alarmingly myopic.
The GOP’s vision for the future must expand past 2020 to include 2024 and beyond. Instead of being about one man, as it is now, it must begin to center around the mission. That way, as party leaders and politicians come and go, the surety remains. If Republicans stay focused on which personality appeals to them instead of sharpening their policy, the changing of the D.C. guard, when it comes, will be even more jolting to the structure of the GOP than expected.
Currently, nearly every news cycle is hyper-focused on Trump and his casting aside conventional behavior. The man himself is convinced of his lasting influence on those who currently, and without question, support him. While the Trump effect is sure to color the years ahead, the president’s direct sway will end once he’s off the national stage. The GOP can’t lean on him forever. Nor can the president point to his tenure as a reason to approve of executive actions that would not be tolerated if a Democrat were in office.
It’s difficult to fathom the political scene without Trump, but it will happen, and in the not too distant future. The Republican Party must recognize this coming reality and not compromise today for wins that will adversely affect our tomorrows.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner‘s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
