As President Donald Trump prepares for a rough final two years as president, with Democrats soon to control both chambers of Congress, the Republican Party looks like it is finally moving away from him — and preparing to find new leaders.
On Thursday, November 5, reports revealed that Harmeet Dhillon, one of Trump’s closest allies at the Department of Justice, has resigned.
President Donald Trump exits the stage after delivering remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at the Davos Congress Center. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
President Donald J. Trump participates in a restricted bilateral meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
The full details of the resignation are not yet clear, and there has been no public confirmation that it marks an attempted break from the president, but it comes amid reports that the president is losing support from many of his highest-profile allies.
Are we finally looking at the end of the Trump era?
Even Vance Breaks With Trump
The first major sign of trouble for the president came when Vice President JD Vance sought to distance himself from the war with Iran, writing in a long social media post on Wednesday that he recognized the war is the reason Republicans lost so dramatically, and that he believed the administration had ignored voters’ concerns about the conflict.
“The reason we lost is the war,” Vance wrote in his X post, arguing that it’s time for Republicans to acknowledge the political consequences of the conflict and adjust accordingly.
Vance also recognized other factors that polling picked up: inflation, rising gas prices, and America’s relationship with Israel.
The comments reportedly surprised the president, with the vice president allegedly not seeking approval before posting.
Reports conflict, however, with The New York Times alleging that Vance showed the president before publishing it and received positive feedback. Publicly, the president refrained from criticizing Vance and said he believed his assessment was “largely true.” Nonetheless, Trump said that he would strike Iran all over again if he had the chance.
DeSantis Says Republicans Face Extinction
While Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has not been an entirely reliable Trump ally, given his contentious primary campaign against the president, he has in recent years largely sided with Trump while maintaining his distance, focusing largely on his role in the Sunshine State.
On Wednesday, November 4, however, he offered a scathing assessment of the Republicans’ losses and warned that the party faces extinction unless changes are made.
“But let’s just be clear about what happened last night: This is close to an extinction-level event for Republicans in many parts of the country as we have seen probably in the last hundred years,” he said.
DeSantis’ criticism of the president is interesting, but not surprising.
The Florida governor will soon be out of office, and commentators predict that he may consider running for president again — and this time, he won’t be competing against a hugely popular Republican former president.
MAGA Figures Turn On Trump
Major figures from the MAGA movement over the last decade also continue to turn on the president. Among them are former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and conservative broadcaster Tucker Carlson, both of whom announced in the summer that they no longer support the president, citing their opposition to the war with Iran.
Carlson said that he was withdrawing his support from the president, and Greene accused Republicans of abandoning their America First principles.
And following the midterm elections this week, Greene blamed the president directly for the losses.
“Last night was a total referendum on Trump,” she said in a social media post. “He told people to vote like he was on the ballot and they did.”
“Trump covered up the Epstein files protecting rapists and pedophiles, started a foreign war no one wanted and killed a school full of kids, put his rich elite donors before the struggling Americans who put him in office, made life unaffordable with his tariffs, and caused gas and diesel prices to skyrocket while he played the market and sold crypto.
And Republicans stood behind him silently clapping like trained baby seals,” Greene also said, adding that the rest of the Republican Party needs to “learn the lesson” and “drastically change course.”
Is the Trump Era Winding Down?
With a Democratic-controlled Congress and the Republicans scrambling to find new leaders and direction, in the hope of winning the 2028 presidential election and offsetting the Democrats’ power that could remain in place for the next six years, President Trump’s influence over the party is now uncertain. It could even begin to deteriorate quickly.
The Republican presidential field could be much wider than originally anticipated in the next election, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly considering leaving the administration to prepare for a presidential run. Other potential candidates reportedly include Senator Ted Cruz and Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
President Trump has also refused to endorse a successor.
With his influence over Republican primary voters still significant, even as he loses support within the party, it’s difficult to predict what might happen — and in terms of his own legacy, the president has little time left to repair the damage done by the war and rising prices.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, and he produces and edits analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
