The Wall Street Journal, a newspaper known for its conservative viewpoint and ties to media mogul Rupert Murdoch, recently issued a strong warning about Donald Trump’s political strategy. The paper argued that Trump may have seriously hurt his chances of succeeding as president by attacking people in his own party, especially at a time when things were actually going in his favor. They said this kind of self-destructive behavior has been a pattern throughout both of Trump’s presidential terms.
What the Journal is pointing out is that Trump often seems unable to simply take a win and build on it. Instead, whenever he gains momentum, he tends to make impulsive moves that give his political enemies an opening to strike back. It’s as if he can’t help but hand them an advantage, even when it’s not necessary.
A clear example of this, according to the Journal, is the way Trump recently went after Senator Thom Tillis, a fellow Republican from North Carolina. Tillis had criticized a major piece of legislation that Trump is currently promoting, something Trump calls his “Big, Beautiful Bill.” This bill is being debated in the Senate, and it’s one of Trump’s top legislative priorities. Instead of handling the disagreement behind closed doors or trying to win over Tillis, Trump responded by publicly attacking him. This kind of internal fighting within the Republican Party, the Journal says, only weakens their overall efforts and gives the Democrats more of a chance to win key seats.
Tillis, for his part, announced that he would not run for another term in the Senate in 2026. He said the decision wasn’t difficult. Rather than spending six more years dealing with the constant conflict, division, and political games in Washington, he said he’d rather focus on spending time with his family. This means his seat will be up for grabs — and the Journal noted that this creates a big opportunity for the Democrats to take that seat and increase their power in the Senate.
The newspaper didn’t stop there. They warned that if Republicans keep losing seats like Tillis’s, Democrats could gain control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in 2026. If that happens, it would seriously damage Trump’s ability to get anything done. Conservative policy goals would be completely blocked. If a Supreme Court vacancy came up, for example, Trump would have no chance of getting a conservative nominee confirmed if Democrats control the Senate. In that scenario, the Journal said, Trump’s presidency would be stuck — completely powerless and unable to move forward on key issues. In their words, it would be “dead in the water.”
What’s especially striking is that this isn’t coming from Trump’s usual critics. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board is conservative and has supported many of Trump’s policies in the past. But even they are warning that his current behavior could ruin his presidency and hurt the Republican Party’s chances in future elections. They seem to be saying that Trump’s inability to manage internal criticism and his instinct to lash out — even at people on his own side — could end up costing him everything.
