by WILL FOLKS
***
Twelve years ago, Donald Trump won a historic upset victory over Hillary Clinton by calling out a corrupt Republican establishment – and seizing the mantle of economic populism with both hands.
Trump vowed to eliminate deficit spending, pay down the national debt and target tax relief to the middle class income earners who drive the American economy.
He failed… on every front. And unlike many in the so-called “conservative” press, this media outlet called him out for his failures. Luckily for Trump, his successor failed even harder – affording the 45th president a rare second act in American politics. Sadly for our country, it’s become abundantly clear there was no education in the second kick of this particular mule.
After a hot start to his second term, Trump has completely sold out the movement that elected him… again. Most significantly, after pledging to keep our nation out of foreign wars he embarked on an ill-conceived (or at the very least, ill-timed) military intervention in Iran that sent fuel prices soaring ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
***
Trump’s military gambit in the Middle East has saddled American motorists with more than $129 billion in extra fuel costs over the past seven months – part of a much broader array of price hikes that have left millions of middle class families struggling to make ends meet.
Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ – the signature “accomplishment” of his second term – hasn’t helped, either. The sprawling legislation is Trump’s latest betrayal of fiscal conservatism – fueling more of the same unsustainable spending that’s underpinning the price surges.
And sending interest payments on the nation’s $40 trillion debt soaring to new heights…
On Tuesday evening (November 3, 2026), the bill for the president’s profligacy came due. In an unambiguous rebuke of Trump’s policies, Republicans were routed during the 2026 midterm elections – losing at least seven (7) U.S. Senate seats and at least thirty-two (32) seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. As of this writing, Democrats and those who caucus with them control 54 seats in the upper chamber and 238 seats in the lower chamber. Another Senate seat could flip in Mississippi, while another twenty-one (21) House seats are projected to turn blue by the time all the votes are counted.
***
RELATED | BLUE MOON RISING
***
Prior to the bloodbath, Trump told voters to “pretend I’m on the ballot.” Next, he tried to bribe them with $5,000 “dividend” checks in the event they retained Republican leadership in congress.
Nothing worked…
Has the unmitigated debacle of his second administration – and the botched midterm campaign he waged in an effort to paper over its failure – humbled this suddenly lame duck leader? Clearly not…
“I wasn’t on the ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform as the results poured in.
On multiple occasions leading up to election day, though, Trump made the campaign all about himself – urging Republican voters to “pretend” he was on the ballot.
MAGA was once a legitimate populist movement built on specific promises and principled opposition to the nation’s hopelessly broken two-party system. It has devolved into a bitter, hypocritical cult of personality – one controlled by the same insider interests Trump railed against when he had (or at least pretended to have) the courage of his convictions.
Stick a fork in it, folks… MAGA is done.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
***
SOUND OFF…
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
