On New Year’s Day, C-SPAN invited Lincoln Square Executive Editor Susan J. Demas to discuss Trump’s first year in office, the Democrats’ odds in the 2026 midterms, Zohran Mamdami’s historic win and more.
C-SPAN host John McArdle asked Susan about the DNC’s refusal to release its 2024 “autopsy” report.
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“Transparency is important to build trust with people,” she said. “Because despite the fact that Democrats have done very well in these special elections [in 2025], if you look in polling, the party is still very unpopular. People still have a lot of doubts.”
John also wanted to know who she thought was the GOP frontrunner in 2028. Susan noted that Donald Trump has made no secret of the fact that he’s interested in seeking a third term, even though that’s unconstitutional. But because of that, even ambitious Republicans who would love to run — like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Senator Ted Cruz, and Senator Josh Hawley — have to be careful so they don’t offend the President.
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“Donald Trump has just so thoroughly dominated the Republican Party,” Susan noted. “And pretty much, if you were a Republican who opposed him, you’re either not in office anymore or not a Republican anymore.”
What are your predictions for the midterms? Tell us in the comments!
