Tuesday was a bad night for Republicans. There is no point pretending otherwise. Democrats will hold the gavels in both chambers in January, and they have already told us what they plan to do with them.
But perspective matters. The president's party has lost ground in almost every midterm in modern history. Ronald Reagan lost seats in 1982 and won 49 states two years later. A midterm defeat is a verdict on a moment, not on a movement.
What is worth defending
The border is more secure than it was. Conservative judges confirmed in recent years will serve for decades. Americans of faith have seen their religious liberty defended in the courts and in the administration. None of that is undone by one election — unless Republicans lose their nerve.
The temptation now will be to blame each other. Some already are. Conservatives should have that argument honestly, in private, and then present a united front. Divided government gives the president the veto and gives Republicans in Congress the chance to show voters exactly what the alternative looks like.
Let Democrats show their hand
The new majority has not promised to lower grocery bills or petrol prices. It has promised subpoenas. When a future committee chairman's first message to the country is "LAWYER UP", voters are being told what the next two years will be about.
The task for Republicans is simple to state and hard to do: govern where they can, oppose where they must, and spend the next two years making the case to the American people. The 2028 campaign starts now.
This is an LN24 editorial. It reflects the view of LN24's editorial board.
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