Since he descended that escalator in 2015, former President Donald Trump has become a singularly powerful force in conservative politics. Despite almost all predictions, he prevailed in the 2016 presidential election and became the leader of a Republican Party that, in many ways, was not ready for him. His unparalleled popularity on the Right means that he has attracted a number of imitators, but no one has been able to recapture the “Trump vibes.”

This presents a problem for the future of the populist wing of the party. Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), is the heir apparent to the MAGA movement but has been unable to reproduce Trump’s lightning in a bottle. For example, at a recent campaign rally, Vance remarked that Democrats “say it’s racist to do anything.” He continued, “I had a Diet Mountain Dew yesterday, and one today. I’m sure they’re going to call that racist too.”