Summary
Mitt Romney acknowledged that Trump’s MAGA agenda now fully dominates the Republican Party, stating in a CNN interview that traditional conservatism has been overtaken.
Romney, a frequent Trump critic, admitted he was wrong about Trump losing in 2024 and predicted MAGA’s influence would extend into 2028 with figures like JD Vance.
Romney argued the GOP’s appeal to working-class voters has shifted the political landscape, while criticizing Democrats for focusing on cultural issues over economic concerns.
He claims this focus cost Democrats key demographics in the recent election.
The Republicans eventually embraced their populist wing, because they’ve accepted that’s their best chance to win elections. The Democrats, on the other hand, have been very reluctant to embrace their populist wing, because they view populism as dangerous and a threat to democracy. They think that because that’s what the scholars and academics say, and Democrats try to be very technocratic.
TBF, what the qons have embraced is all faux populism.
You’re right, I shouldn’t say they’ve embraced their populist wing, I should say they’ve captured it, or harnessed it. Trump doesn’t necessarily care about any of those populist ideas, he just knows that saying he cares about them helps him win elections.