Where does all of this lead
the country now?
Let's turn to presidential historian
Allan Lichtman.
He's a distinguished,
distinguished professor of histo
at American University.
So good to see you, Professor.
It's been a while.
It's been a while. Great to see
I'm glad you're available.
All right. So from a historical perspective
how significant in your view
is it for Democrats
to be in this position
after a midterm
where the GOP was predicting
a red wave or soon nominee?
Sinabi, rather, of Republican vi
And obviously that didn't happen
It is of enormous significance.
There have only been three prior
midterm elections
in the history of the country
in which the party holding
the White House has fared well.
And so the Democrats really have
an historic victory.
Going against the conventional w
because we had these
powerful winds blowing
in the other way of the abortion
and the democracy issue.
Look, here's the big picture.
It's easy
to point a finger at Donald Trum
that is super official.
The problem for the Republican P
from the bottom right to the top
These election deniers and candi
with extreme
views are not contrary
to the mainstream
of the Republican Party.
They are the new mainstream.
That may have endorsed them.
Let's listen.
Trump may have endorsed them,
but the voters
put them in to the nomination.
And two thirds
nearly of Republican voters in t
polls said they still don't beli
Biden legitimately won the elect
So forget about Trump.
Look at the whole republic and p
And the other thing, Fredericka,
where is the Republican Party
going in terms of what he stands
Can I explain that?
And that's a fact.
A great question,
because I was going to ask you t
But since you ask yourself
that, answer it for us.
Yeah.
Look, the
Republican Party has now jettiso
virtually everything.
The Republican Party has once pr
to stand
for personal morality,
personal responsibility.
It's become a joke for a party
that embraces Donald Trump
and Herschel Walker.
States rights Republicans want t
a national anti-abortion law.
Forget states rights, limited go
If such a law would go into effe
it would be one of the most drun
in impositions
of big government
on the American people
in the history of the republic.
Fiscal responsibility.
The Republicans stand for big ta
that ballooned the deficits.
Finally, respect
for traditional institutions gon
The Republican Party,
a good portion of it, sought to
a democratic election
and undermine American democracy
So what's left for Republicans?
Culture wars
and support
for their big business donors?
That is not going to
cut it in the future.
So do you see this now as Republ
perhaps facing That they have to
acknowledge
this is a moment of correction.
This is an opportunity now,
this point forward
to return to some of those pilla
of the Republican Party.
And if they don't, then, like yo
you know that
they are looking
at the demise of the party
as once they knew it.
But while many of those Trump pi
made it through the primary,
ultimately
they didn't make it all the way
So how do you see the GOP
making that acknowledgment
or using this as an opportunity
a correction?
They must do that.
They had an opportunity
after 2018
when they suffered grievous loss
They had an opportunity after 20
when they were incumbent preside
They did not seize
either of those opportunities.
This is
may be their last chance
to revamp the party to adapt to
where the American people really
Look, even the House.
The Republicans would not
have taken the House
if not for the extreme
gerrymandering in places
like Florida and Texas
the really out of step.
And don't expect Ron DeSantis
to come riding in on a white hor
and save the Republican Party.
It's not clear
he represents anything different
than Donald Trump other
than a different personality.
And governors,
however successful, have not far
well under the unique white heat
of a presidential campaign.
Look at Bush and Kasich
in 2016.
Look at Inslee on the Democratic
or earlier Howard Dean.
You don't know
how a candidate's going affair
when they face a presidential ca
And it's not clear
that DeSantis offers the reconsi
and restoration
that this Republican Party reall
And you're saying this two days
ahead of the former president
planning to make a special annou
Do you believe that he is receiv
the signals of a GOP
who might reject him or
or perhaps even give him
another opportunity to reconside
what it is
that he might be announcing on T
I guess it's possible,
but Trump has been tone deaf
to any kind of advice that chall
his extraordinary self image.
But look, if he does announce
a presidential bid, it's
going to be with a whimper,
not with a bang.
After the tremendous
disappointing moments in this el
But, you know, Trump
never takes personal responsibil
Speaking of that pillar
of a bygone Republican ideology,
he said you know,
if they lose, it's their fault
if they win.
It is new to me.
I think, you know, partly
he may be announcing in order
to forestall
an indictment,
but just because you're an annou
candidate does not immunize you
from an indictment
only if you are a sitting presid
Moreover, a Trump announcement m
Republicans in the Georgia runof
on December six
because it might energize Democr
And, you know, the big reason
why Walker came so close to Warn
the initial round
was that Republicans
believed a vote for Warnock
might a vote for Walker, rather,
might give them control of the S
That's off the board.
And that might not be motivating
Republicans in that runoff.
And it is important for Democrat
to get that extra vote
so they're
not totally beholden
to the relatively conservative
Joe Manchin All right.
All great points.
Professor Alan Lichtman,
great to see you.
Thanks so much of American Unive
Great to see you. Take care.