Trump's Tough-Guy Act Is Finally Falling Apart (w/ Will Saletan) | Mona Charen Show

Ken Paxton's victory in the Texas Republican primary, despite significant corruption allegations and an impeachment by his own party, demonstrates the outsized influence of the hardcore MAGA base. Paxton received the exact same number of votes in both the initial round and the runoff, indicating that his core supporters consistently turned out, while other voters who initially supported different candidates simply stayed home for the runoff. This allowed a highly controversial candidate to win by mobilizing a dedicated minority.

Paxton's vote count remained constant across primary rounds, while other voters dropped off. John Cornyn's campaign spent millions highlighting Paxton's corruption. Paxton was impeached by his own party and his staff reported him to the FBI.

Donald Trump's long-standing appeal as an 'alpha male' and a 'strong' leader who could solve problems easily is starting to wear thin. This decline is attributed to his visible physical deterioration and the perceived failures in foreign policy, particularly in Iran, which exposed the limitations of a 'strength-only' approach without intelligence or planning. His public appearances, such as a cabinet meeting where he rambled for an hour and a half, project an image of a 'grandpa out of touch' rather than a powerful leader.

Observations of Trump's physical decline, perceived failures in the war in Iran, and his lengthy, rambling cabinet meeting performance.

Democratic candidate Talerico is employing a multi-faceted strategy to appeal to Texas voters, countering Republican attempts to 'other' him. He emphasizes economic populism ('top versus bottom'), presents himself as a 'border security Democrat,' and openly discusses his religious faith, modeling service and sacrifice. This approach aims to broaden the Democratic coalition by addressing concerns often associated with Republicans and by presenting a morally compelling vision, while also effectively debunking false smears like being a 'vegan.'

Talerico's focus on economic populism, his 'border security Democrat' label, his comfort discussing religion (Jesus as a model of service), and his response to the 'vegan' accusation ('I've been eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton's first indictment').

A group of 'YOLO Republicans' (You Only Live Once), including figures like Tom Tillis, Bill Cassidy, and John Cornyn, are beginning to speak out against the direction of the Republican Party and Donald Trump, but only after their political careers are ending or they have been defeated. This belated courage is criticized as annoying and lacking integrity, as they often attribute Trump's problematic actions to 'bad advice' from assistants rather than directly to Trump himself, demonstrating a continued reluctance to fully confront him.

Tom Tillis's statements about not needing a 'filter' after retirement, his attribution of Trump's problematic ideas to 'bad advice,' John Cornyn's pledge to support the ticket despite running ads against Paxton, and Bill Cassidy's 'burst of laughter' when asked if Trump was honest with him after losing his primary.