Light at the End of the Tunnel? By J.E. Dean

The election results are in from Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Georgia, California, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. Republicans and MAGA lost. Democracy won. 

Last night, dare we say it, was a turning point. The voters spoke. They’ve had enough of President Trump, MAGA, Stephen Miller, ICE raids, blowing up “suspected” Venezuelan drug boats, relentlessly (albeit unsuccessfully) pursuing the Nobel Peace Prize, demolishing the East Wing of the White House, pardoning business partners, as well as fraudster George Santos, and wrecking political retribution on James Comey, Letitia James, John Bolton, and Jack Smith. And don’t forget DOGE, Pam Bondi, Pete Hegseth,  JD Vance, USAID, and the legions of fired federal employees.

I could go on, but you don’t need to watch the video of Trump’s “Gatsby-themed” party at Mar-a-Lago to know that when voters returned Donald Trump to the White House, he won, not the American people.

But let’s not be too quick to declare the Trump era over. It’s not. And, as President Trump himself wrote last night, he was not on the ballot. The House and Senate remain in Republican hands, as does the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump’s presidential term has more than three years remaining.

A lot of damage can be done to democracy in three years. And don’t fool yourself into thinking that Trump will learn something from last night’s Democratic wins. Trump will double down on claims of election fraud and efforts to require voter ID, eliminate mail-in ballots, and other “reforms” intended to deprive the right to vote to many.

Trump will also accelerate efforts to deport undocumented immigrants, slow down legal immigration (except for white South Africans), and use the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence to celebrate his own Presidency and MAGA.

It is too early to throw out those “No Kings” placards and signs. The No Kings movement and other protests against destructive Trump policies are needed now more than ever.

Last night’s election returns resulted, in part, from the good work those of us who participated in the No Kings protests have done this year. Like it or not, more work remains to be done if Democrats are going to win back the House of Representatives a year from now.

So, let’s not count chickens before they are hatched. But let’s also welcome the light at the end of the tunnel. Voters last night delivered something more than wins in their respective States. They offered hope for the future. Yes, America, Trump’s “Golden Age” won’t last a thousand years, regardless of how many memorials Trump builds for himself in the next three years.

But there’s more. Republican officeholders across America received a message from voters last night. That message was that blindly following Donald Trump and his “movement” can be dangerous to your political career.

Here are a few of the things that were won last night, thanks to Democratic voters.

Trump and MAGA have a new, powerful motivation for ending the destructive government shutdown. Voters are angry and, despite claims to the contrary, know it was Trump and his lemmings on the Hill who closed the government.

Republican legislators now know that blindly following Trump can be political suicide. Expect more Republicans to break ranks with Trump on his political appointees, and especially on legislation not in their constituents’ interests.

The public is increasingly aware of corruption in Washington. Even voters who like the MAGA agenda are asking how the Trump family has made billions since January. As one friend told me last week, “The Trump presidency is a house of cards, and the wind is blowing.”

The public knows the President is obsessed with retribution against his political enemies. Could last night’s vote convince more Republicans to speak out against it? I expect it will.

I could go on, but my point is that America had a good night last night, but there is work to be done. Our fundamental civil rights remain in jeopardy, especially our right to vote.

While we celebrate last night’s Democratic wins, we cannot forget that.

J.E. Dean writes on politics, government, goldendoodles, and other subjects. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack.