From the moment Donald Trump announced his presidential aspirations in June 2015, he has dominated the political landscape. Trump’s turn in the spotlight has persisted for so long that it seems impossible to get away from him. Both his critics and fans are many. Though Democrats control the White House and Congress, they are eager to remind others of the Trumpian loyalty still alive within the Republican Party. But when it comes to elections, there is no placing Trump on a ballot if he is not running. This truth played itself out on the Nov. 2 election night.

The GOP has to answer for much in terms of strong allegiance to one man over conservative policies. The media may have hung on every word and treated him unfairly on many occasions, but the 45th president was often insulting, dishonest, embarrassing, and unpresidential. In terms of his election success, the 2016 win against Hillary Clinton was more a fluke than a foretelling. And losing to Joe Biden in 2020 was a significant disaster that most likely would have evaded any other Republican nominee. The loss can be attributed to many things, including a great deal of self-sabotage.