How Trump Was a Winner Last Night

Jonathan Last: “First, he watched another potential Republican challenger implode. Glenn Youngkin was the last, best hope for Republican donors wishing that someone could parachute into the race at double-digits and take on Trump. Floppy-hair Glenn McVest is now cooked. He staked his national viability on Republican control of the Virginia legislature and that bet didn’t come home. His consolation prize will be a 2026 Senate run against Mark Warner.”

“But the bigger win for Trump was the continued salience of abortion as an issue. I think Democrats have a real blind spot here because they see Trump as the guy who overturned Roe with his SCOTUS appointments. But I don’t know that voters are going to see him that way—especially since Trump is the only Republican with the freedom to sound vague on abortion.”