The blue tidal wave election was clearly a voter tirade against the war, tariffs, ICE raids, high gas prices, terrible GOP candidates (like Paxton in TX and Graham in SC), and overall Trump fatigue.

Republicans suffered massive losses in the once solidly red South, in rural areas and with young voters. Hispanics also fled the party after record gains of Latino voters in 2024.

But be clear on this: America has a strong economy.

Nearly every single economic indicator is positive. Real median income is up to an all-time high of $88,000; unemployment is down; America’s poverty rate is at its lowest level ever; we are in the midst of a construction, energy production, and manufacturing boom. The stock market is soaring and so are 401k plans. And the economy is growing at almost 3.5%.

Yes, inflation is up, but so are incomes and household wealth.

Yet perceptions of the economy were negative. Per the NBC exit poll:

And voters say costs are too high:

Right out of the gates the new Democratic majorities in the House and Senate and in many states are likely to pursue soak-the-rich tax hikes, the Green New Deal, Medicare for all, blowout federal spending schemes, blue state bailouts, price controls, a regulatory assault against “big business,” a rollback of school choice and right to work laws in the states. All of which will make economic pain much worse.

To win back voters in 2028, Trump and Republicans need to build a brick wall of resistance against all of these economy-crushing ideas.

It’s going to be a war between free-market prosperity and big-government socialism.