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Vice President JD Vance speaks to members of the media, after the U.S. and Iran held high-level talks at the Lake Lucerne Summit, at Buergenstock Resort Lake Lucerne near Stansstad, Switzerland, June 22, 2026.
Nathan Howard/Pool/Reuters
Mark, Dan, and Tanner Nau all take issue with my post pointing to as the most consequential factor driving down Republican fortunes in this election.
All the arguments concede that it was a factor, but point to the fact that the president slid some after Liberation Day. Granted, going from 47 approval on Inauguration Day to stabilizing at 40 isn’t optimal. But dropping to 33 by August of 2026 is catastrophic. The argument was about impact and scale of defeat, and it is still right.
About the Author
Michael Brendan Dougherty is a senior writer at National Review Online.
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Mark, Dan, and Tanner Nau all take issue with my post pointing to as the most consequential factor driving down Republican fortunes in this election.
All the arguments concede that it was a factor, but point to the fact that the president slid some after Liberation Day. Granted, going from 47 approval on Inauguration Day to stabilizing at 40 isn’t optimal. But dropping to 33 by August of 2026 is catastrophic. The argument was about impact and scale of defeat, and it is still right.
About the Author
Michael Brendan Dougherty is a senior writer at National Review Online.
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