Fractures Deepen in Republican Party as Trump’s Grip Wavers Amid Scandals and Electoral Setbacks

By Jonathan Weisman and Lisa Lerer The New York Times November 22, 2025

WASHINGTON — The Republican Party, once a monolith under President Trump’s iron-fisted control, is fracturing along fault lines exposed by a cascade of scandals, electoral defeats and policy missteps, with even loyalists now questioning the sustainability of his MAGA dominance as midterm elections loom in 2026.

The latest fissures erupted this week over the release of Jeffrey Epstein’s long-sealed files, a bipartisan bill that Mr. Trump initially opposed but ultimately signed under pressure from a rare congressional revolt led by some of his own party members. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a firebrand Trump ally, broke ranks to co-sponsor the discharge petition forcing the vote, citing moral imperatives for victims of Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring. In retaliation, Mr. Trump branded her a “traitor” on Truth Social, prompting Ms. Greene to fire back in a tearful floor speech Thursday: “I fought for this president for six years, gave him my loyalty for free — and now I’m a traitor for standing with these women?”

The exchange, viewed millions of times online, has galvanized a growing chorus of intraparty recriminations. On X, conservative influencers decried the feud as a “fracture the Republican Party for decades,” with one Trump voter lamenting, “MAGA is now an afterthought, and we lost the youth vote.” Another post warned: “If we fracture the Republican Party and let the D.N.C. take control again, we are doomed.” Polling from Quinnipiac shows Mr. Trump’s approval at a second-term low of 37 percent, with independents — a bloc he courted successfully in 2024 — fleeing by 15 points amid concerns over affordability and government shutdowns.

The Epstein saga is merely the latest flash point. Off-year elections earlier this month delivered stinging rebukes: Democrats swept mayoral races in New York City and held key judicial seats in Pennsylvania, while Republicans underperformed in Florida special elections despite Mr. Trump’s endorsements. Party leaders, scrambling for scapegoats, pointed fingers at “flawed candidates” and a “weak economic message,” but avoided direct blame for the president — a telling sign of lingering fealty. Yet privately, the anxiety is palpable. “People don’t think he’s lived up to his promises,” one White House ally confided, echoing broader frustrations over tariffs that have spiked consumer prices and a partial government shutdown that furloughed thousands.

These defeats have accelerated a quiet pivot toward a post-Trump future. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who clashed with Mr. Trump during the 2016 primaries, is already laying groundwork for a 2028 presidential bid, positioning himself as a bridge between MAGA purists and establishment conservatives, according to Axios reporting. Vice President J.D. Vance, Mr. Trump’s heir apparent, faces early skepticism; one X user predicted “no future for @VP at this current trajectory,” citing lost youth support. Congressional Republicans, too, are hedging: House Speaker Mike Johnson, rebuked by Mr. Trump for failing to quash the Epstein bill, has begun private discussions on “term limits” to preempt primary challenges, insiders say.

A leaked memo from the Republican National Committee, obtained by The Times, underscores the peril. Circulated among donors Friday, it warns of a “midterm disaster” if the party doesn’t refocus on “pocketbook issues” like inflation and housing — promises Mr. Trump campaigned on but has sidelined amid foreign policy skirmishes and Epstein fallout. “The shock and awe of Trump’s second term will haunt us,” one strategist wrote, urging a retreat from “overreach” like mass deportations that poll poorly among suburban voters.

Democrats, sensing blood, are amplifying the chaos. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised Ms. Greene’s Epstein stance as “principled,” a backhanded nod that drew howls from MAGA hard-liners. “This split could weaken Trump’s grip heading into 2026,” one analyst tweeted, a sentiment echoed in C.N.N.’s post-election analysis: The G.O.P. risks becoming “all about Trump,” only to falter without him on the ballot.

For Mr. Trump, the unraveling is personal. Aides describe late-night rants at Mar-a-Lago, where he pores over polls and demands loyalty oaths from wavering allies. “He’s desperate to keep control,” one former adviser said. Yet the Epstein files — set for partial release next week — loom as a potential accelerant, with whispers of deeper Trump ties fueling defection rumors.

The party’s big tent, expanded in 2024 to include libertarians and populists, now feels like a house divided. Disputes over immigration, taxes and foreign aid — once subdued — are flaring anew, with fiscal hawks like Senator Rand Paul clashing against Mr. Trump’s tariff architects. “We’re preparing for a post-Trump world,” a Senate Republican confided, eyeing Mr. Vance’s vulnerabilities.

As Washington shakes, the G.O.P. confronts an existential question: Can it survive its savior? With midterms 11 months away, the answer may hinge on whether Mr. Trump can heal the wounds he helped inflict — or if the explosion he ignited consumes his legacy first.