Republicans brace for the post-Trump era | The Playbook Podcast

As Republicans continue reeling from the resounding losses they faced across the country on Tuesday, one glaringly obvious lesson has emerged: the party needs a plan for how to win when Donald Trump isn’t on the ballot. In 2024, the president demonstrated a unique ability to attract typically disengaged voters to the polls. But the inroads that Trump built with this coalition failed to hold for Republicans in key off-year races on Tuesday. Playbook’s Adam Wren and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss where the party turns ahead of the midterm elections and beyond. Plus, movement to end the longest shutdown in history may be materializing. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:25 GOP reels after Election Day 01:27 Vance tops 2028 Trump voter poll 03:08 Can Vance hold Trump’s coalition? 05:26 Rubio’s surprising VP play 06:18 Kamala, Newsom lead Dem 2028 field 09:13 Day 38 of the shutdown — any movement? 12:39 Viktor Orbán visits the White House 14:20 Orban’s push for Russia sanctions exemption 17:50 Sandwich Guy walks free ----------------------------------------- Subscribe to our channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgjtvMmHXbutALaw9XzRkAg?view_as=subscriber Check out our video catalog: https://www.politico.com/video Follow POLITICO here: ➤ X: https://x.com/politico/ ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/politico/ ➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/politico/