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Tap here to get this newsletter delivered to your inbox. Republicans and Trump supporters wake up today in a bit of a daze. While much of the Monday morning quarterbacking will focus on cultural flashpoints and identity politics, the real takeaway should be plain: Voters are demanding relief from everyday burdens—above all, taming stubborn inflation and boosting stagnant wages—and the Trump administration and GOP must refocus accordingly. Tuesday’s results in New York City, New Jersey, and Virginia made clear that Democrats, despite all evidence to the contrary, still own the brand of “we’re for the little guy” more than Republicans do. The Trump administration, and Republicans across the country, have work to do to correct course in this year leading up to next fall’s pivotal midterm elections. When Americans walk into the grocery store, fuel up at the pump, or worry about the cost of medicine, they don’t get bogged down in culture-war fights. They ask: Can I keep up? Can I pay rent and afford food for my family? Inflation exploded under the Biden regime, and the Trump-era GOP has not adequately formulated a game plan to restore the American people’s trust on this all-important issue. Republicans must credibly promise to rein in irresponsible spending and smartly cut waste so that Americans see tangible relief. And contrary to the serial calls for Chairman Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, they must be allowed to raise rates if need truly be to get inflation once and for all down to the Fed’s 2% target. Middle- and working-class workers, more than anything else, want paychecks to stretch, jobs and health care to be secure, and econmic opportunity to be real. Far too many Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and the ubiquity of (necessary) two-income households across the land also disincentivizes the all-important social good of childbearing. Republicans need to present a conscientious job-first platform: Deregulate sectors that choke job growth, support real investment in non-coastal America, champion skills training and apprenticeships, and make wage growth and inflation reduction the very baseline measures of our economic health. That is the politics of bread and butter—of finally competing with Democrats in the contest of who is more for “the little guy.” Here’s the blunt truth: Conservatism can never ignore the fundamentals of economic and social life. Fights against the higher education establishment are laudable, but most voters fail to see the connection of such battles to their everyday lives. Last night’s Democratic triumphs across New York City, New Jersey, and Virginia show that voters are willing to return to the party of bigger government if they believe that party can better deliver on prosperity and economic security. The immediate barrier to Republican success is not the (correct) ideological critique of the Left, but the general inability to offer a clear, demonstrable plan for credible, immediate economic hope and security. The GOP must forge two things simultaneously: an uplifting, forward-facing vision for the American spirit anchored in our Founding and—even more important—a practical agenda rooted in the material realities facing families from sea to shining sea. That means, above anything else, more concrete talk about how to increase wages and stabilize prices. If Republicans succeed in making inflation and wages the top lines of their appeal, they can recapture the strategic high ground and repurpose the conservative coalition for the long haul. Now is the time to get serious. The hour demands it, and the voters expect it. One other programming note: Tomorrow, Newsweek is partnering with AllSides.com to host a virtual national town hall on political violence in America. It will be a great opportunity to debate and connect with Americans all across the political spectrum, all in the name of finding practical solutions to confronting the horrific scourge of political violence. You can register right here. To keep up with me, follow me on Twitter/X, Instagram, and Facebook. You can listen to all episodes of “The Josh Hammer Show” at the Newsweek website or on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts—as well as select radio stations across the country. Make sure to also order my book, Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West! (Signed copies are available for purchase!) Our additional highlighted recent Newsweek op-eds include selections from Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kans.), Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and John F. Crowley, and Nicholas Creel. Have a great rest of your week! We’ll see you again next week. New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates during an election night event at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York on Novembe...
