After the November 3 midterm elections, there has been a lot of talk about Republican infighting over the future direction of the party.
But some reports suggest that Republicans are actually doubling down on President Donald Trump’s political agenda despite devastating losses and the loss of control of both the House and the Senate.
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Even as many in the Republican world, outside of elected politics, are publicly questioning the president and the GOP’s ability to win future elections, House Republicans elected Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan as their next minority leader.
It came just days after President Donald Trump replaced White House chief of staff Susie Wiles with hard-liner Stephen Miller.
Both of the appointments suggest that the Republican Party is preparing to go to war with the Democrats, as the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress prepares investigations into the Trump administration and other figures in the president’s orbit.
And on Tuesday, Republican legislators voted overwhelmingly to protect Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from impeachment, despite growing opposition to the war in Iran and a general feeling that Republicans may begin to part from President Trump on the conflict over concerns about rising gas prices.
It’s hard to tell this early on whether the Republican Party will stick with President Trump’s agenda for the remainder of his final two years in office. Still, so far, it looks as though Republicans—at least those in government and Congress—are sticking to their guns.
Jim Jordan to Lead House Republicans
House Republicans selected Jordan over Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise in a closed-door leadership election on Tuesday.
Jordan received 106 votes, and Scalise received 73.
Jordan is a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
He has also been one of President Trump’s most ardent supporters for many years and one of his most reliable allies in Congress.
Reports suggest Jordan was elected after promising Republicans he would aggressively defend the president against the investigations Democrats are already preparing.
The decision also came after outgoing House Speaker Mike Johnson decided to leave his post and controversially suggested that the American public made the wrong choice in the midterm elections.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Johnson insisted that Republicans had delivered an impressive record during President Trump’s two years back in office.
“I’m sorry that the voters made the wrong choice,” he said. “I really do believe that these next two years are going to be a bit of a circus. It’s going to be chaos, and I hate to say that, but I think that’s where Democrats are going to lead the House.”
Republicans Protect Hegseth
The party also backed Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, with House Republicans blocking an impeachment effort against the defense secretary initiated by outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and backed by Democrats.
The resolution accused Hegseth of misconduct involving military operations in Iran.
The House voted 211-204 to refer the articles of impeachment to the Judiciary Committee, effectively stopping a full impeachment vote before the current congressional session ends. Massie was the only Republican to oppose the referral.
The vote came even as Republicans begin to criticize the president’s war with Iran, with Vice President JD Vance publicly blaming the conflict for the Republicans’ defeat on Tuesday.
Hegseth is safe for now and appears to have the support of the Republican Party, but that doesn’t mean he’ll always be safe.
Hegseth faces of likely full impeachment proceedings next year, when Democrats take control of the House. Whether he will be convicted in the Senate, however, is more difficult to predict.
Republicans May Be Prioritizing Unity, Not Trump
The developments suggest that, whatever disagreements the Republicans may have with President Trump, they are not yet prepared to abandon him or his political agenda entirely.
And while some Republicans may believe the president is responsible for their defeat in the midterms, there are also many good reasons to maintain a united front against the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress.
The Republican Party is preparing for the next two years in opposition, with Democrats expected to use their congressional majorities to investigate the Trump administration and pursue impeachment proceedings against Hegseth and other administration officials — and potentially even President Trump.
Unity now will help the party prepare for a difficult two years, and may not necessarily reflect overwhelming support for the president.
And then there’s the fact that the midterm elections removed many moderate Republicans from Congress, leaving the party with a smaller and more conservative House delegation.
Many surviving Republican lawmakers represent strongly Republican districts where distancing themselves from President Trump would be politically and strategically unwise.
This means the party is shifting back toward Trumpism because the remaining members of Congress are from Trump-backing districts.
Still, time will tell whether a strategy of pursuing radically conservative ideas will win over enough voters to succeed in the 2028 presidential election.
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.
