The Front Page: After midterm fail, the man set to dethrone Trump’s Republican reign

The midterms did not go well for former US President Donald Trump. Photo / AP

Former US President Donald Trump has long had a strong hold over the Republican Party.

His endorsements in the lead-up to the midterm elections resulted in the Republican Party putting forward a number of candidates aligned with the idea that the 2020 election was stolen.

This approach has, however, backfired with the Republicans losing many key states that they thought they could win.

TVNZ US correspondent Anna Burns-Francis tells The Front Page podcast that Trump ended up doing more harm than good to the Republican Party through his involvement – leading many to question whether he’s the best person to stand for the party at the next election.

The one person who will not be complaining about Trump’s struggle is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is making a strong case for being the man to succeed Trump at the helm of the Republican Party.

“They do not like each other,” says Burns-Francis.

“They held rallies in Florida only miles apart from each other on the same day and did not mention each other. Trump has mentioned DeSantis in the past, calling him DeSanctimonious. He’s obviously preparing the rallying cry if he needs to fight a challenge off for that Republican nominee.

“You’ve got to think it’s going to be one of those two guys running for the next presidential election.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is gunning for the Republican presidential nomination. Photo / AP

The Republicans aren’t the only ones who could be on the hunt for a new nominee at the next general election.

Democrats also believe it would be a mistake for Joe Biden to run at the next election given his age and lack of popularity.

• So who could replace Biden?
• Why did the predicted Red Wave not sweep through the midterms?
• What chance do the Democrats have of winning in 2024?
• Is Trump still planning to launch his presidential campaign?
• Which states will be integral in the general election?
• And what is the general political mood in the US at the moment?

Listen to a special edition of The Front Page podcast for answers to these questions.