Cracks have emerged in the Maga coalition | Moira Donegan

"After a decade in eerie command of the Republican party, with primary voters in his cult-like thrall and down-ballot elected officials feeling they have no choice and often no inclination to diverge from him, Donald Trump suddenly seems not quite in control of his own political machine. Fractures have emerged in the Maga coalition; Trump's approval is sinking; the Democrats, long anemic and risk-averse in the opposition, showed signs of life in elections last month;"

"Trump has faced some rebukes from a once largely compliant federal judiciary: his personal attorney, Alina Habba, was recently declared ineligible to serve in the US attorney role Trump had appointed her to, and his signature tariffs seem likely to be struck down by a conservative supreme court majority. Trump himself, meanwhile, is unfocused, losing his signature humor and charisma, and showing his age."

"Trump seems more interested in the construction of his oversized ballroom than in the work of policy. His advisers the scheming group of frauds, racists, opportunists and swindlers who surround him in his second term are evidently running the show, and they do not always see eye to eye. The old man won't be around forever; Republicans are beginning to imagine what the country and more importantly, their own careers will look like without him."

Donald Trump’s control of the Republican Party shows signs of erosion after a decade of dominance, with primary voters and many officials no longer uniformly aligned. Fractures in the MAGA coalition and falling approval have appeared while Democrats showed electoral gains. Long-running scandals, especially the Epstein affair, have alienated portions of his base. The federal judiciary has issued rebukes, including disqualifying a personal attorney and threatening major policies like tariffs. Trump appears unfocused and aged, while advisers with divergent agendas are managing much of the operation. Republicans are beginning to contemplate a post-Trump future and signals of waning influence are visible.

Read at www.theguardian.com