Several Republicans, including elected officials and “long-standing GOP figures” are secretly hoping that Donald Trump loses the presidential election in November because it is the best possible outcome for the future of the party.
According to Politico Playbook, some top Republicans are concerned that a Trump victory would take the party in the wrong direction and destroy their chances of winning control of Congress in 2026 and the White House in 2028.
“There’s a lot of anxiety about what Trump does to Republican ability to win in 2028 — and what he also may do to the party in terms of policy long-term,” a conservative leader told Playbook. “There is just this concern that like, ‘OK, if the party just goes in that direction, then what kind of party is it going forward? And can conservatives, then, have a home going forward?’”
In private, elected officials are reportedly concerned about Trump’s policy proposals including his tariffs idea, his flip-flops on abortion and abandoning U.S. allies.
In a new column, Politico’s Jonathan Martin writes that behind closed doors GOP leaders believe the best possible outcome for the future of the Republican party is for Trump to lose and “lose soundly.”
“GOP leaders won’t tell you that on the record. I just did,” he added.
While there are concerns about Democrats controlling the White House and possibly Congress, some Republicans argue that might benefit the GOP in future elections.
Martin noted that in the 2026 midterms, Democrats would’ve controlled the White House for six years and that is “always a promising midterm for the opposition.”
In such a favorable environment for Republicans, the party could recruit popular governors like Brian Kemp in Georgia and Chris Sununu in New Hampshire to run for Senate.
Furthermore, Republicans would have a better chance of reversing a Democratic House under Harris than under Trump.
