President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Vice President JD Vance is &#8220;most likely&#8221; going to be the Republican Party&#8217;s 2028 presidential nominee.
After <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-establishes-task-force-to-prepare-for-2028-olympics-in-los-angeles?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Establishes+Task+Force+To+Prepare+For+2028+Olympics+In+Los+Angeles">signing</a> more executive orders at the White House, Trump was asked by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy to give his thoughts on the 2028 race after the president said earlier on Tuesday that he would &#8220;probably not&#8221; seek a third term.
&#8220;This weekend, Secretary of State [Marco] Rubio said that he thought JD Vance would be a great nominee,&#8221; Doocy said. &#8220;You could clear the entire Republican field right now. Do you agree that the heir-apparent to MAGA is JD Vance?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, I think most likely, in all fairness,&#8221; Trump replied. &#8220;He&#8217;s the vice president. I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form.&#8221;
The president, however, wasn&#8217;t ready to give a full-throated endorsement to Vance as the 2028 Republican nominee.
&#8220;I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here, so it&#8217;s too early obviously to talk about it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But certainly, [Vance] is doing a great job, and he would be probably favored at this point.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
POTUS tells <a href="https://twitter.com/pdoocy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pdoocy</a>: JD Vance is “most likely” the next Republican nominee. <a href="https://t.co/yymVv3daud">pic.twitter.com/yymVv3daud</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1952838033096470777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
Those on stage alongside Trump included Vance, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Last week, Rubio was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-names-a-close-friend-when-pressed-about-potential-2028-presidential-run?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Rubio+Names+A+%E2%80%98Close+Friend%E2%80%99+When+Pressed+About+Potential+2028+Presidential+Run">asked</a> by Fox News host and daughter-in-law of the president, Lara Trump, about the potential competitive field for the 2028 Republican presidential race.
“Well, I think JD Vance would be a great nominee,” Rubio said. “And if you know, I think if he decides he wants to do that. And so, you know, and I think he’s doing a great job as vice president. He’s a close friend. And I hope he intends to do it.”
Rubio added that he wants to stay in his role as Secretary of State &#8220;as long as the president allows me to do it &#8230; which would keep me here all the way through January of 2028.&#8221;
Multiple people in the current Trump administration are viewed as potential contenders in a 2028 Republican primary, which would be the first presidential election cycle without Trump in the race since 2012.

Donald Trump

Trump Reveals Who Will ‘Most Likely’ Be The 2028 Republican Nominee

Election

JD Vance

Marco Rubio

Republican Party

Trump Administration

Firebrand Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace launched her bid for South Carolina governor on Monday, joining what&#8217;s quickly becoming a crowded field in the Palmetto State.
Mace joins Rep. Ralph Norman, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, and state senator Josh Kimbrell in the 2026 Republican primary. The congresswoman addressed her supporters at an early morning rally at her alma mater, The Citadel military college, where she announced her run for governor.
&#8220;I&#8217;m running for governor because South Carolina doesn&#8217;t need another empty suit. It needs a governor who will fight for you and your values,&#8221; Mace <a href="https://x.com/NancyMace/status/1952330227755172211">said</a>. &#8220;South Carolina needs a governor who will drag the truth into sunlight and flip the tables if that&#8217;s what it takes.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve walked into firestorms, and I&#8217;ve come out swinging,&#8221; she added.
Incumbent South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who has served since 2017,  will be term-limited from running again in the November 2026 election.
In a video Mace posted on X Monday morning, the Republican emphasized how she has drawn the ire of both Democrats and Republicans and showed clips of President Donald Trump praising her in the past.
&#8220;When she sets her sight on something, she&#8217;s tough,&#8221; Trump said of Mace.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I’m running to be the Governor of South Carolina!
God’s not done with South Carolina and neither am I. You and me. Our mission begins now.
South Carolina First. Nancy Mace for Governor.<a href="https://t.co/tkO1oN5G0W">https://t.co/tkO1oN5G0W</a> <a href="https://t.co/odvxAKfz5b">pic.twitter.com/odvxAKfz5b</a>
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) <a href="https://twitter.com/NancyMace/status/1952331263710203935?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The relationship between the 47-year-old congresswoman and Trump, however, has been rocky. In 2022, Trump <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3523340-mace-defeats-trump-backed-primary-challenger-in-south-carolina/">endorsed</a> Mace&#8217;s primary opponent, Katie Arrington, after Mace <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/politics/trump-hill-republicans-move-on/index.html">said</a> that Trump&#8217;s &#8220;entire legacy was wiped out&#8221; following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Mace came out on top in the 2022 primary and secured a second term in the House. She won again in 2024 and is currently serving her third term.
Mace has focused much of her attention on fighting to keep trans-identifying men out of women&#8217;s bathrooms. She recently got in a fight over women&#8217;s bathrooms with Delaware Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride, a man who identifies as a woman. Shortly after McBride was elected, Mace introduced a resolution banning men from women&#8217;s facilities in Congress. McBride <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trans-identifying-congressman-agrees-not-to-use-female-bathrooms-after-johnson-brings-the-hammer-down?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trans-Identifying+Congressman+Agrees+Not+To+Use+Female+Bathrooms+After+Johnson+Brings+The+Hammer+Down">agreed</a> not to use women&#8217;s bathrooms on Capitol Hill after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) issued a mandate, saying, &#8220;Women deserve women’s only spaces.&#8221;
Mace is well-known on Capitol Hill for her self-assertive nature and her knack for diving into the middle of controversy.
Earlier this year, Mace made headlines when she shared what she called a &#8220;naked silhouette&#8221; of herself during a House subcommittee hearing. Mace shared the photo while addressing the subject of “Breach of Trust: Surveillance in Private Spaces.” She alleged that the image was captured without her consent, accusing four men of sexual abuse. The men, one of whom is her ex-fiance, have denied any wrongdoing.
“I would run through a brick wall to protect women and girls in South Carolina and to other potential victims, I want you to know I have your back,&#8221; Mace said during the hearing.

Nancy Mace

Nancy Mace Launches Campaign For South Carolina Governor

2026 Midterms

Elections

Politics

South Carolina

Actress Sydney Sweeney appears to be a registered Republican, according to a new report from left-wing website BuzzFeed.
BuzzFeed <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/yes-sydney-sweeney-registered-republican-131433446.html">reported</a> on Sweeney&#8217;s apparent political party affiliation on Saturday, following backlash from leftists online over a Sweeney-centered jean ad campaign. The tone of the article was seemingly to &#8220;out&#8221; or shame the actress.
The Daily Wire reviewed records that show a Sydney B. Sweeney is a registered Republican in Florida. The middle name of Sweeney, the actress, is reportedly Bernice.
Additionally, the date of registration is June 2024, the same time it was <a href="https://pagesix.com/2024/06/06/lifestyle/sydney-sweeney-buys-13-5m-oceanfront-florida-mansion/">reported</a> that the actress Sweeney purchased a 13.5 million dollar home in Summerland Key, Florida. The registration reviewed by The Daily Wire named Summerland Key as the city.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING &#8211; Leftists claim to have dug up Sydney Sweeney’s 2024 voter registration, which lists her as a registered Republican. <a href="https://t.co/OizbACfW32">pic.twitter.com/OizbACfW32</a>
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rightanglenews/status/1951457004280750345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
Some folks online raged about Sweeney apparently being a Republican. One person, for example, said on X, &#8220;She pretends to stand with women, yet votes against their rights and freedoms. Claiming solidarity while actively working against the very people she claims to support. We truly gave the spotlight to the wrong person.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
She pretends to stand with women, yet votes against their rights and freedoms. Claiming solidarity while actively working against the very people she claims to support.
We truly gave the spotlight to the wrong person.
— ؘ (@HitsAndCharts) <a href="https://twitter.com/HitsAndCharts/status/1951735089441997127?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
A critic on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/popcravenow/p/DM3YQ1EuOBM/">wrote</a>, &#8220;I have a feeling *THEY* are gonna start using her as a poster child for their beliefs and she obviously wont say no.&#8221;
&#8220;Yikes. She could have had it all. Oh well, bye,&#8221; another comment reads.
&#8220;Now I really hate her,&#8221; someone else wrote. &#8220;Before I could defend her, but now you&#8217;re just another one of the crowd, who can&#8217;t think for herself.&#8221;
Sweeney has recently been in the news over a sexy American Eagle Outfitters ad campaign about &#8220;good jeans,&#8221; which uses a play on both good genetics and blue jeans. While the Right has celebrated the ad as cheeky and non-woke, some on the Left claim it&#8217;s actually racist since Sweeney is a white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Sweeney has yet to comment on the campaign, or her political affiliation. As for American Eagle, the apparel company is standing by its marketing, as reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-eagle-refuses-to-cave-doubles-down-in-response-to-sydney-sweeney-ad?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=American+Eagle+Refuses+To+Cave%2C+Doubles+Down+In+Response+To+Sydney+Sweeney+Ad">The Daily Wire</a>.
Sweeney was already the target of left-wing ire in 2022. The actress threw a 60th birthday party for her mother, and some of the guests wore red &#8220;Make 60 Great Again&#8221; hats, in the style of &#8220;Make America Great Again&#8221; hats.
Sweeney refused to cave, defending her family and ridiculing the attempt to make the event political.
“You guys this is wild,” she posted to X. “An innocent celebration for my moms milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions. Much love to everyone ♥️ and Happy Birthday Mom!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You guys this is wild. An innocent celebration for my moms milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions. Much love to everyone ♥️ and Happy Birthday Mom!
— Sydney Sweeney (@sydney_sweeney) <a href="https://twitter.com/sydney_sweeney/status/1563660155425673217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
Sweeney has largely refrained from speaking about her personal politics, though in 2020, she published a post supportive of Black Lives Matter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
we need to do better. the hate in this world needs to end. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackLivesMatter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackLivesMatter</a> <a href="https://t.co/vAflcIVEgC">https://t.co/vAflcIVEgC</a>
— Sydney Sweeney (@sydney_sweeney) <a href="https://twitter.com/sydney_sweeney/status/1266989568412143621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2020</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-eagle-refuses-to-cave-doubles-down-in-response-to-sydney-sweeney-ad?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=American+Eagle+Refuses+To+Cave%2C+Doubles+Down+In+Response+To+Sydney+Sweeney+Ad">American Eagle Refuses To Cave, Doubles Down In Response To Sydney Sweeney Ad</a>

2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Arrivals

Leftists Melt Down After Report That Sydney Sweeney Is Registered Republican

Celebrities

Media

Sydney Sweeney

Voting

A Wall Street Journal poll released over the weekend revealed the popularity of the Democratic Party has <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/democratic-party-poll-voter-confidence-july-2025-9db38021?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAiHgZpqzGtTgH8aAJUb0z2ZAeLkfl8uKnQaQFgV6RkTNm7wEZmRlhTMB0H3YkU%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6887a65b&amp;gaa_sig=LWJ5OzLS6j1dmPqi17NnXkMvf3i6YJXDOQ82hMozQep-S2AEPoFareak7CyKP7fEOGml9NHKRMWVTVY0eR89Ww%3D%3D">plunged to its lowest level</a> in at least 35 years.
The poll surveyed 1,500 registered voters between July 16 and 20.
A whopping 63% held an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party, with only 33% having a favorable view. Only a paltry 8% of voters viewed Democrats “very favorably.”
“Disapproval of Trump’s handling of inflation outweighs approval by 11 points, and yet the GOP is trusted more than Democrats to handle inflation by 10 points,” the Journal noted. “By 17 points, voters disapprove rather than approve of Trump’s handling of tariffs, and yet Republicans are trusted more than Democrats on the issue by 7 points.”
Voters trusted congressional Republicans 17 points more than Democrats on immigration in general and 24 points more on illegal immigration.
“The Democratic brand is so bad that they don’t have the credibility to be a critic of Trump or the Republican Party,” Democratic pollster John Anzalone, who joined Republican Tony Fabrizio to conduct the survey, told the Journal. “Until they reconnect with real voters and working people on who they’re for and what their economic message is, they’re going to have problems.”
The Journal noted that in 2017, Democratic voters outnumbered Republicans by six percentage points, but more voters currently identify as Republicans. With the 2026 Congressional elections pivotal as the Republicans hold a perilously narrow majority in the House of Representatives, one salient fact stands out: “Campaign-finance reports out this week show that the Republican National Committee ended the first half of the year with more than $80 million on hand, compared with $15 million held by the Democrats’ national campaign arm,” the Journal reported. “The Democratic committee <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/democratic-donors-progressive-aoc-zohran-mamdani-825242e9?mod=article_inline" data-type="link">raised roughly 20% less than it did</a> in the first six months of 2021, a comparable period in the last midterm cycle, and has in the bank a quarter of what it did four years ago.”

A chef holding a smelly fish

Voters Abandon Democrats, Support Hits Lowest Level in More Than Three Decades: Poll

Democrats

General

Poll

Wall Street Journal

For years, the diplomats and pundits who inhabit Washington have painted the MAGA movement as “isolationist.” And while they correctly identify MAGA’s antipathy for spending money on bloated international bureaucracies, they typically get its actual foreign policy preferences entirely wrong.
This caricature doesn’t survive statistical scrutiny. According to new polls from the Ronald Reagan Institute and the Vandenberg Coalition, MAGA voters overwhelmingly reject withdrawing from the world stage. In fact, a whopping 73% of MAGA Republicans want the United States to be more engaged overseas — beating out Democrats at 65% and non-MAGA Republicans at 59%.
The Vandenberg polling shows the same trend: 80% of MAGA voters support America taking a leadership role in global affairs, and 87% back increasing military spending to keep the United States strong.
Nowhere are these preferences clearer than in Europe. The Left loves to characterize the MAGA movement as soft on Russia and dismissive of NATO. But a majority (76%) of MAGA Republicans say the United States should defend NATO allies if they’re attacked by Russia. That’s a firm commitment to deterrence, not a giveaway to Vladimir Putin.
Even more striking, Reagan Institute data show nearly six in 10 Republicans, including MAGA voters, support increasing the U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe despite years of freeloading off the American taxpayer. MAGA supporters see how President Donald Trump pushed NATO countries to spend more on their own defense and succeeded. The MAGA movement is not abandoning allies–it’s seeking to strengthen them by pushing them to carry their fair share of the security burden.
China is where MAGA voters are sounding the loudest alarm — and for good reason. They don’t view the Chinese Communist Party as a distant strategic competitor but as a direct threat to the homeland.
According to the Reagan Institute’s new data, 91% of MAGA voters are “extremely” or “somewhat” concerned about Chinese land purchases near American military bases, 89% are concerned about CCP-linked companies like TikTok spying on Americans, and 86% are concerned about military-age Chinese men entering the U.S. illegally. They intuitively understand what many in Washington still downplay: that the CCP is infiltrating our society, stealing our data, manipulating public discourse, and using every tool of economic and political influence to weaken America from within.
That urgency extends to China’s global ambitions: Vandenberg polling shows that 84% of MAGA voters say it’s extremely important for the U.S. to maintain superiority over China in military, economic, and technological power. MAGA voters don’t value more summits or empty gestures. They want a strategy that defends our borders, counters CCP espionage, reclaims our technological advantage, and confronts China’s aggression head-on.
That same clarity extends to Taiwan. Once MAGA voters consider what’s at stake — control of the world’s semiconductor supply, protection of vital sea lanes, and preservation of American credibility — 84% say the United States should defend Taiwan if China invades. They know that if America retreats, our enemies advance — and global chaos fills the vacuum.
MAGA voters are even more focused on the Iran threat. Recent polling lists preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon as one of MAGA voters’ top national security concerns — second only to illegal immigration at the southern border.
An overwhelming 90% of MAGA voters say this issue directly impacts American security and prosperity — and that was before President Trump’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. After those strikes, 74% of MAGA conservatives said they would support additional military action, and 68% said the world is now safer because of them. A staggering 92% agree it is extremely important to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
For decades, American foreign policy was mired in either overextension or half-measures, endless negotiations, and failed attempts to buy peace. That record eroded the American people’s appetite for deploying power overseas. But they watched in dismay as the Biden Administration acted with weakness, unfreezing billions of dollars in Iranian assets, ignoring proxy attacks on U.S. troops, and groveling for a nuclear deal. President Trump, by contrast, has shown what it means to project strength without starting wars.
MAGA voters don’t want to remake the world in the United States’ image. They want a foreign policy that puts American security first, prioritizes deterrence, and uses force sparingly but decisively.
This worldview rejects the false choice between interventionism and isolationism. It’s a foreign policy grounded in the prudent use of American power. MAGA voters are asking for an alternative to Biden’s weakness: a foreign policy rooted in sovereignty and strength.  They want a foreign policy through which our enemies fear us, our allies respect us, and deterrence protects us — and a foreign policy that never apologizes for putting America First.
Yousif Kalian is a Policy Advisor at POLARIS National Security. He has over a decade of experience advancing U.S. interests in the Middle East and Eurasia.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

President Trump Delivers Address To Nation On Iran Military Operation

MAGA Voters Are Leading America’s Foreign Policy Revival

Foreign Policy

MAGA

Polls

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said Tuesday that foreign-born voters in the United States have swung toward the Republican Party on immigration by 40 points since 2020.
Immigrant voters have swung harder to the Right than any other demographic, Enten said. The transformation has come side-by-side with large gains by President Donald Trump among immigrant voters, as well.
“Foreign-born voters have gone tremendously to the Right on this issue in 2024 and 2025 versus where they were in 2020,” said Enten. “You go back to 2020, Democrats, get this, held a 32-point lead on this issue. Immigrant voters were in the Democratic camp. Jump forward to 2024, 2025. Look at that shift. A 40-point shift to the Right among immigrant voters.”
“Republicans now lead on this issue by eight points over Democrats, more so than any other group that I could find,” he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
No group has become more hawkish on immigration &amp; shifted to the GOP than immigrants.
Immigrant voters -Trust more on immigration in 2020: Dem +32 pt to Now: GOP +8 pt -Net fav of immigrants here illegally: +23 pt in &#39;20, -6 pt in &#39;24 -Trump&#39;s vote: 36% in &#39;16 to 47% in &#39;24! <a href="https://t.co/YebaSvfL7D">pic.twitter.com/YebaSvfL7D</a>
&mdash; (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForecasterEnten/status/1932441141237989444?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Since 2016, Trump’s signature issue has been immigration, and he appears to have benefitted politically from immigrants’ views swinging hard to the Right on the issue. Among immigrants who are registered to vote in the United States, Trump has gained 11 points in support since his first presidential campaign.
“Look at this, 2016, he got 36 percent of the vote. You go to 2020, 39 percent of the vote. Look at this, in 2024, all the way up to 47 percent of the vote,” said Enten. “Some polls I looked at had him barely losing that vote. Some polls I looked at had him barely winning that vote. Again, there is no bloc of voters that shifted more to the Right from 2020 to 2024 than immigrant voters.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
Immigrant voters have also soured in their views on illegal immigrants. In 2020, foreign-born voters had a 23-point positive view of illegal immigrants. In 2024, the consensus flipped to become a 6-point negative view of illegal immigrants, according to Enten.
Enten’s analysis of the legal immigrants’ views on immigration comes as Trump has responded forcefully to anti-immigration enforcement riots in the Los Angeles area. After days of unrest over federal immigration operations, the president ordered 2,000 National Guard troops into Los Angeles on Sunday, followed by more guardsmen and Marines on Monday.
Rioters and demonstrators have attacked law enforcement, burned vehicles, and written threatening messages to federal immigration agents in recent days as the Trump administration has stepped up deportation operations in the Los Angeles area.
Democrats in California have fought Trump on the immigration operations. Governor Gavin Newsom backed a state lawsuit against the administration on Monday claiming that Trump’s orders sending in the military to quell the riots and protect law enforcement violated the law.

Legal Immigrants Have Swung 40 Points Right On Immigration, Favor GOP: Polling Expert

Democratic Party

Deportations

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Editor’s note: This is the sixth and final installment of a six-part series by pollster Brent Buchanan on the politics of the American South. In the last installment, Buchanan took a close look at Georgia to tell the story of the South’s political crossroads. Today, he offers suggestions for how Republicans can achieve political victory in the South.
We hope you enjoy.
—
It’s easy to oversimplify American politics. But when it comes to our collective understanding of regionality, it really is as simple as North, East, South, and West.
Engrained in the minds across generations, defined by mighty rivers and a brutal Civil War, the South — more than any other region — is more politically consequential than it ever has been. For most of modern American history, the “Solid South” was a real thing that helped Democrats win the White House and the presidency.
Today, it is a myth.
The real story of America’s South, as you’ve been reading in this <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/brent-buchanan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">six-part series</a>, is the story of an emerging patchwork of political intricacies and growing political dominance. Our exclusive analysis of the South shows 10 distinct regions transcending state lines and traditional constructs, showing vulnerabilities and opportunities for both parties – but more for Republicans — if they can capitalize before Democrats find a rudder and sales pitch.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-929707" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Full-Map-2.jpeg" alt="" width="670" height="407" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Full-Map-2.jpeg 670w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Full-Map-2-300x182.jpeg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 670px) 100vw, 670px" /></div>
State lines determine the borders for how we’ll count votes, but voters and their stances on key issues of the day don’t adhere to state lines. How well each party understands and adapts to the South’s regional realities will determine the balance of power for the 2026 midterm elections and the rest of Donald Trump’s presidency.
To culminate this deep analysis of aggregated demographic variables, survey responses, and trends in everything from education, income, gender, age, and partisanship, we offer four things Republicans should focus on to achieve political victory in the South.
<h3>Base Fortress Regions With GOP Ceilings</h3>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-929697" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/DixieBigSkyTrumpianH-mapsx3.png" alt="" width="785" height="409" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/DixieBigSkyTrumpianH-mapsx3.png 785w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/DixieBigSkyTrumpianH-mapsx3-300x156.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/DixieBigSkyTrumpianH-mapsx3-768x400.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 785px) 100vw, 785px" /></div>
Pollsters and political operatives felt the tremors of America’s massive political realignment before most of the mainstream media caught on, but by now it’s common knowledge that Trump’s emergence as the central figure of political life was the catalyst of a growing Diploma Divide.
But Trump reflects an electorate whose political preferences began changing even before he came down that golden escalator.
While this realignment has happened nationally, it’s most prominent and evident in the South. For the Republican Party, three main regions anchor its new political advantage. What we’ve dubbed Dixieland, Big Sky South, and the Trumpian Highlands serve as base fortresses from diploma-divide-driven gains from Democrats — but offer little to no room for growth. In 2024, Trump’s ballot shares were 71% in Dixieland, 70% in the Big Sky South, and 75% in the Trumpian Highlands.
“This is about as good as it’s going to get for the GOP in these New South buttresses,” said Nicholas Valdiviez, Cygnal’s Sampling Lead for this project. “These three strongholds are reliable for Republicans, but it’s unreasonable to expect they can deliver more than they already have.”
So what? As we’ve seen in previous cycles, it can be easy to try and offset lagging performance in harder-to-get voter groups by surging turnout in reliable regions like these. But the GOP’s focus should be on keeping turnout and engagement at these levels — which won’t be easy as these areas aren’t growing as much as other Southern regions less friendly to Republicans. There’s more peril in the ceilings of these fortresses if voters are unenthused and stay home.
<h3>Wild Cards &amp; Volatility: Regions That Could Flip</h3>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-929705" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/TexMexCondoCoal-mapsx2.png" alt="" width="767" height="295" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/TexMexCondoCoal-mapsx2.png 767w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/TexMexCondoCoal-mapsx2-300x115.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 767px) 100vw, 767px" /></div>
If you’ve followed this series, you know the only states we called out as standalone fixtures in the still uncertain political future of the South were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hold-what-the-peach-states-political-patchworks-mean-for-2026?author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=What+The+Peach+State%E2%80%99s+Political+Patchworks+Mean+For+2026%C2%A0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Georgia</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bbq-politics-how-north-carolinas-sauce-divide-mirrors-voting-behavior?author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=BBQ+Politics%3F+How+North+Carolina%E2%80%99s+Sauce+Divide+Mirrors+Its+Voting+Behavior%C2%A0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina.</a> Beyond the regions we’ve identified as the TexMex Nexus and Coastal Condo Coalition, those are the two states with the highest volatility and uncertainty heading into the midterm elections.
North Carolina’s split personality in politics is mirrored by its split choice in barbeque sauces, while Georgia’s newish designation as a swing state is defined by a seeming disappearance of the traditional Black Belt and regional creep from the stronghold of the Trumpian Highlands. Both states are incredibly consequential to party control in Washington — but they’re not the only volatile areas we’re watching.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-929699" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/CoastalCondoCoal-map1.png" alt="" width="484" height="383" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/CoastalCondoCoal-map1.png 484w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/CoastalCondoCoal-map1-300x237.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 484px) 100vw, 484px" /></div>
First, let’s look at the Coastal Condo Coalition, centered in Florida&#8217;s densely urbanized southern tip. It is one of the most demographically and economically unique regions in the South. Traditionally a Democratic stronghold (Democrats lead 45% to 32% in registration), this region has seen notable Republican gains since 2016, culminating in a 6.6% swing toward the GOP in 2024. This is its best performance in years, nearly flipping the partisan split to 49-51.
Then, let’s look at the TexMex Nexus. This region spans heavily Hispanic areas along the Texas border, and in scattered urban centers, it has been one of the most politically dynamic zones in our Southern analysis. After holding steady at a near 50-50 partisan split in 2012, this region took a sharp left turn in 2016, moving 10 points toward the Democrats — double the next largest leftward shift in the South. That trend continued into 2020 with another 4-point Democratic gain, making it seem like a prime target for Democrats as their registration advantage grew to 53% over the GOP’s 39%.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-929701" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/TexMexNexus-map1.png" alt="" width="514" height="383" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/TexMexNexus-map1.png 514w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/TexMexNexus-map1-300x224.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 514px) 100vw, 514px" /></div>
But 2024 brought a dramatic reversal, as the Tex-Mex Nexus saw the second-largest rightward swing of any region, moving 9 points toward Republicans and ending at a D+5 margin — a five-point improvement for the GOP compared to 2016. This shift was powered by significant Republican gains among Latino voters, particularly men, and by a focus on economic and border issues that resonated locally.
So what? With popular Governor Brian Kemp out of contention for the Georgia Senate race, the state remains in flux alongside its northern swing state counterpart, North Carolina. Factor in the fact that neither the Coastal Condo Coalition nor the TexMex Nexus is on lock for the GOP, and you have the four biggest wild cards in the South.
<h3>Stagnation &amp; Gridlock in the “Sweet” Burbs and Faux South</h3>
So, now we’ve got the Republican strongholds identified and the wild cards laid out — but that’s only half the picture. Vast swaths of the South are in political gridlock where even the sheer force of personality from someone like Trump has managed to crack — or break. These are the regions we’ve labeled the Sweet Tea Suburbs and the Faux South. While old voting patterns seem to be fading, these regions remain “stuck zones,” political wastelands where entrenchment and razor-thin margins offer no clear advantage to either party.
“These are not battlegrounds in the traditional sense,” Valdiviez says. “Rather they are stagnant bogs who have more impact on their urban cores and outlying mixing zones of other regions and therefore should be pursued nice-to-have incremental gains rather than outright winnable. The catch is these areas are political fronts that if left unattended could wind up being potential wild cards.”
So what? With so much talk of massive realignments and sweeping partisan shifts, both in strongholds and wild cards, these doldrums are different, and should be approached differently. The GOP’s only hope is to nibble around the edges of these regions with dynamic quality candidates and a message more akin to hometowns than the machinations of Washington, D.C.
<h3>Growth Regions: The GOP’s Next Frontier</h3>
Now for the fun part: the opportunities for Republicans in the South. If you’ve been following along so far, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster to say the least, but here are the three regions we think will comprise the next frontier for Republicans.
The Soulful South stands out among them, but not because of the 58% Republican ballot share or because Georgia’s Black Belt is now less visible in our regional analysis. Rather, the Soulful South stands out because it has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-end-of-democratic-assumptions-how-minority-voters-are-reshaping-southern-politics?author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+End+of+Democratic+Assumptions%3A+How+Minority+Voters+Are+Reshaping+Southern+Politics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trending rightward</a> since 2012.
The fact that Democrats take these voters for granted — combined with the connection forged by Trump’s candidacy — has made the Soulful South a budding ground of opportunity for Republicans going forward. Overconfidence here is perilous, but with Democrats without a message or a messenger that resonates with this predominantly black region, our analysis shows more to gain for Republicans than to lose. They should keep their foot on the gas here.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-929703" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SoulfulSouth-map1.png" alt="" width="455" height="361" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SoulfulSouth-map1.png 455w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SoulfulSouth-map1-300x238.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px" /></div>
Our proprietary naming conventions and analysis also identify the Republican Resettlers and Big Hat Bloc regions as prime opportunities. The Republican Resettlers region, fueled by an influx of newcomers from liberal states seeking communities with conservative governance (you heard that right), has shown some of the most consistent rightward movement in the South, swinging eight points further right by 2024 to reach an R+17 margin. As migration trends continue, especially along the Georgia and Florida coasts, this bloc is poised to expand its influence and deliver reliable support for Republican candidates.
Similarly, the Big Hat Bloc, which experienced setbacks during the early Trump years, has rebounded with record Republican margins in 2024. This region’s mix of cultural conservatism and economic focus makes it fertile ground for further Republican consolidation, especially if the party can maintain strong turnout and continue to address local priorities — much like those strongholds we addressed earlier.
With both regions trending right and absorbing new, like-minded residents, the GOP’s prospects for midterm gains are strong, provided they stay focused on localized outreach and avoid complacency in data, spending, and messaging.
So what? This is where Republicans should surge their efforts with non-college educated, non-white voters, and even those <a href="https://cygn.al/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Cygnal-Election-2024-Focus-Group_Analysis.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ticked-off, young, working class, and diverse</a> voters within these regions. These are new constituencies for the GOP, and now is the time to further build out these inroads and lock in the gains for the post-Trump era.
<h3>Conclusion: The States and Their Shapes</h3>
As Americans, we know the regionality of our nation inherently, and we understand that state lines can be pesky and a bit funny. We also know those lines serve a multitude of purposes, chief among them governance and counting votes. With that in mind, it only makes sense to examine the South from our <a href="https://www.cygn.al/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/10-Regions-of-the-American-South-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">distinct regional perspective, noting</a> that Texas and Florida alone are projected to gain eight new congressional seats by 2030, with other Southern states like Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina also on the rise.
This shift comes at the expense of traditional blue state strongholds in the Midwest, fundamentally redrawing the map of political opportunity in America. The parties that best understand these new Southern realities — where regional identities like we’ve defined here, not state lines, drive turnout and loyalty — will tip the upper hand for 2026 and the next decade.
But here’s the catch: like the Democrats before them, Republicans can’t afford to treat the South as a monolith or rely on pre-Trump playbooks.
The story of the South today is one of ceilings, wild cards, gridlock, and growth. The lesson for Republican campaigns, operatives, and strategists is as clear as it is urgent: the old assumptions are dead, and the new map of power is regional, dynamic, and deeply local. The party that can surge turnout in fortress regions, lock in gains in growth zones, nibble at the edges of gridlocked suburbs, and win the battle for the wild cards will be the party that defines the next era of American politics.

Vice President JD Vance Tours Nucor Steel Berkeley In South Carolina

The South’s Next Act: Wild Cards In 2026 And Beyond 

Georgia

North Carolina

Southern States

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk polled his followers on Thursday, asking if there should be a &#8220;new political party in America&#8221; as he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-hes-very-disappointed-with-elon-musk-fires-back?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Says+He%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%98Very+Disappointed+With+Elon%E2%80%99%3B+Musk+Fires+Back">sparred</a> with President Donald Trump over the &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221;
&#8220;Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?&#8221; Musk asked his 220 million followers on X, the platform he owns.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1930685402631053403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Musk, who took a step back from his White House role last week, has been increasingly critical of Trump&#8217;s signature piece of legislation. The former senior Trump adviser and brainchild behind the Department of Government Efficiency project argues that the president&#8217;s bill doesn&#8217;t do enough to cut waste and fraud in the federal government and is concerned about it adding to the federal deficit.
While Trump remained quiet on Musk&#8217;s criticism for days, the president finally addressed Musk&#8217;s comments, telling reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday that he was &#8220;very disappointed&#8221; with Musk &#8220;because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here.&#8221; Trump also said he &#8220;would have won Pennsylvania regardless of Elon,&#8221; sparking the ire of Musk, who donated hundreds of millions of dollars in 2024 to help elect Trump and other Republicans and appeared on stage with Trump at some of his rallies.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,&#8221; Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930667528696828120">shot back</a>.
&#8220;Such ingratitude,&#8221; he added.
Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ive-done-enough-musk-says-he-will-spend-a-lot-less-on-future-political-campaigns">said</a> last month that he was “going to do a lot less in the future” in regards to political donations, but left the door open.
“I think I’ve done enough,” Musk said at Bloomberg’s Qatar Economic Forum, adding, “If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I do not currently see a reason.”
Musk also dug up old tweets from Trump, such as when Trump called out Republicans in 2012 and 2013 for neglecting fiscal responsibility.
&#8220;Where is the man who wrote these words?&#8221; Musk asked. &#8220;Was he replaced by a body double!?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Where is the man who wrote these words?
Was he replaced by a body double!? <a href="https://t.co/N4Mliip5U4">https://t.co/N4Mliip5U4</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1930683435280167193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Elon Musk

Musk Floats Creating ‘A New Political Party’ Amid Fallout With Trump

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Executive

White House

CNN data analyst Harry Enten voiced his disbelief on Monday as the latest polls show that Republicans have eliminated the Democratic Party&#8217;s double-digit advantage in one key metric: which party looks out for the middle class?
Enten laid out several polls — including one from CNN and one from Reuters — showing that Republicans held the advantage when it came to the economy, even after four months of what Democrats and media have repeatedly painted as economic upheaval and the stock market &#8220;going bonkers.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨HOLY SMOKES: CNN veteran pollster is completely FLABBERGASTED by new polling that reveals how Democrats are failing even FURTHER behind.
&#8220;How is that possible, Democrats?!&#8221;
&#8220;Democrats have traditionally been the party of the middle class. NO MORE&#8230;! Adios, amigos!&#8221;
BRUTAL. <a href="https://t.co/WPlUhfQpu3">pic.twitter.com/WPlUhfQpu3</a>
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1929546587782484255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;After the first five months of the Donald Trump presidency &#8212; the first four months of the Donald Trump presidency, you&#8217;d expect that Democrats would have this massive lead on the economy,&#8221; Enten began. &#8220;It ain&#8217;t so, it ain&#8217;t so! The party that is closest to your economic views, in November of 2023, it was the Republicans by 11 points. Now, it&#8217;s still within that range, still within that margin of error — plus eight point advantage for the Republican Party.&#8221;
&#8220;How is that possible, Democrats?! How is that possible after all the recession fears After the stock market&#8217;s been doing all of this, after all the tariffs that Americans are against, Republicans still hold an eight-point lead on the economy? Are you kidding me?&#8221; Enten continued.
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He went on to note that multiple polls were telling the same story  — with some even showing Trump&#8217;s numbers going up despite the erratic markets.
&#8220;Despite all of that, the Democrats are down by 12 points on the economy,&#8221; he said, &#8220;This speaks to Democratic problems on the economy.&#8221;
He finished with the key question — &#8220;Which is the party of the middle class?&#8221; — on which polling has traditionally skewed Democrat by double digits, and showed how Republicans had chipped away that lead dramatically since Trump was first elected in 2016.
In 1989, Enten explained, Democrats had held a 23 point advantage. They only lost six points over nearly three decades — dropping only to a 17-point lead after 27 years in 2016. The Democrats&#8217; lead dropped to just four points in 2022 and as of 2025, has disappeared entirely.
&#8220;This, I think, speaks to Democratic ills more than anything else,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Democrats have traditionally been the party of the middle class. NO MORE! Donald Trump and the Republican Party have taken that mantle away and now a key advantage for Democrats historically has gone. Adios, amigos!&#8221;

President Trump Meets With El Salvador President Nayib Bukele At The White House

CNN Pollster Shocked As GOP Obliterates Major Advantage Dems Have Had For Decades

polling

Former FBI Director James Comey called the Republican Party “white supremacist adjacent” on MSNBC.
Comey was interviewed over the weekend by MSNBC host and former Biden White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
“One of the things that is happening now is that the Trump administration, of course, is testing the system in ways it hasn’t been tested before,” Psaki claimed. “In the law enforcement sense, do you think there are laws that should be put in place that would help better manage this, that aren’t in place now? I mean, are we equipped? Is the law enforcement system and the legal system equipped to deal with what we are seeing now?”
“Probably there could be changes at the margins, but in the main we have the tools; there are cultural impediments to doing this work,” Comey answered. “Let’s say you work in the FBI; you know that one of the two political parties is — let me put it nicely— white supremacist adjacent, at a minimum. And so why would you wanna throw your career on that side of the line and be summoned to Capitol Hill to be asked why you’re pursuing these innocent groups. And so we have a cultural impediment to working it effectively that should get more attention than it does.”
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In April 2019, Comey <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/04/opinion/james-comey-trump-racism.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> President Trump of “stirring” racism for his own political benefit, writing in the New York Times, “America has long had a radioactive racist soup in the center of our national life. Donald Trump thinks he is stirring it for political benefit. He’s actually doing something more dangerous.” He addressed Trump directly, saying, “You must stop trying to unleash and exploit the radioactive energy of racism.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
James Comey says the Republican Party are White supremacists.
He also called to ass*ssinate Trump.
He’s demonizing an entire group and calling for violence.
He knows exactly what he’s doing.<a href="https://t.co/Fv5HUosbpn">pic.twitter.com/Fv5HUosbpn</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1927003388534816881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Comey also attacked the GOP by accusing the party of ignoring principles, although he followed by suggesting — without any irony at all and ignoring the actions of the Biden presidency, that a Democratic president might implement investigations of the GOP. He stated, “I know Republicans these days aren’t big in thinking about principle or precedent; they’re gonna be deeply sorry that disappears because someday there’ll be a Democratic president and there will be investigations of Republican office holders. If I’m them (sic), I sure would want these career people in place making sure that it’s done in the right way.”

ABC News – 2018

James Comey Calls GOP ‘White Supremacist Adjacent’

James Comey

White Supremacists

People often say, “Never discuss politics in polite company.” But, considering today’s volatile climate, let’s break that rule.
As a Christian who’s been president and CEO of Care Net since 2012, I’ve seen the abortion debate shift dramatically — especially since the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade. Many pro-lifers celebrated, thinking we’d won the war.
But did we declare victory too soon?
For decades, the pro-life goal was clear: overturn Roe through the courts. Every January, faithful pro-lifers marched in Washington, D.C., aiming for the right Supreme Court justices to rule in favor of life. Dobbs seemed like the victory we’d fought for — overruling Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, declaring abortion isn’t a “substantive right” rooted in our nation’s history.
But events since then demand we reflect and consider the serious limits of purely political solutions.
The Democratic Party’s position on abortion hasn’t budged since 2012: abortion on demand, anytime, for any reason. It’s their litmus test. Meanwhile, the Republican stance has shifted.
In 2012, with Mitt Romney as their standard-bearer, Republicans opposed all abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or the mother’s life — exceptions that would make 97 percent of abortions illegal. Today, President Donald Trump says abortion should be left to “the will of the people” at the state level. Other Republicans support six- or fifteen-week bans with exceptions, allowing nearly 98% of abortions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The 2024 Republican platform no longer affirms the unborn’s “fundamental right to life” or supports a Human Life Amendment, only opposing late-term abortions — less than 2% of cases.
Here’s the inconvenient truth: when you consider the abortion issue based on both parties’ platforms, both parties are essentially pro-choice now — one has no exceptions, the other has some.
The debate isn’t about bans anymore; it’s about abortion availability.
This shift undermines two core pro-life convictions: human life begins at conception and is worthy of protection, and a baby’s value isn’t determined by conception circumstances. A weeks-based approach — negotiating when it’s acceptable to end a life — compromises these convictions. This should be as non-negotiable as saying it’s wrong to kill an innocent outside the womb.
Pro-choice advocates don’t negotiate. Their conviction — bodily autonomy at all costs — supports abortion up to birth. That’s why they fought Mississippi’s fifteen-week ban in Dobbs, even though it seemed they would lose. But our weeks-based strategy fails morally and practically. Morally, it undermines the baby’s personhood. Practically, compromising on conviction doesn’t inspire others to adopt it. I can’t think of a successful movement — religious, political, or social — where this approach worked.
History shows that compromising on conviction rarely inspires change. Look at slavery. Abraham Lincoln called it “wrong, morally and politically” in 1859, yet his 1861 inaugural address avoided abolishing it, focusing on stopping its spread. He compromised.
Abolitionists like Frederick Douglass shared Lincoln’s conviction but refused to negotiate, linking their actions to ending slavery entirely. Douglass’s clarity pushed Lincoln. By 1865, Lincoln couldn’t imagine a union with slavery, seeing the Civil War as God-ordained “woe” for the offense of slavery.
We need that clarity today. A weeks-based framework doesn’t inspire courage in politicians or the culture. Without acting like Douglass, we won’t get a Lincoln. I’m grateful for pro-life Republicans working to support women at risk for abortion, and for Dobbs. But if the national policy tolerates most abortions, those efforts are muted. Indeed, abortions are up since Roe was overturned, more states have loosened their restrictions on abortion than not, and public opinion has shifted in a pro-choice direction.
Politicians face Pontius Pilate’s dilemma when faced with an innocent Jesus: “Should the shouts of a powerful and vocal crowd sway them to sacrifice the innocent?” The politics of abortion don’t change its morality. In 2012, Republicans had a measure of clarity — I hope they regain it, and Democrats find it, because vulnerable lives are at stake.
Culture shapes politics, and religion shapes culture. The 2023 Ohio ballot initiative, making abortion a constitutional right, passed with 57% support in a “pro-life” state. Exit polls showed Catholics and Protestants voted yes at rates mirroring the broader culture. Worse, 54% of women who have abortions profess to be Catholic or Protestant.
If you lose the pews, you lose at the polls.
Roland Warren is president and CEO of <a href="https://care-net.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Care Net</a> and the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alternative-Abortion-Must-Abundant-Life/dp/0997228539/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GE1540HN1QI0&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.puTuVSrDnqiSL-sbmiDzx4VDsjs8IzGvmM7Mkl9eYtz0brcntZs1IqkZV1FRqnk-iIYazXoiCCXWOQiczInm11PwHrpxCuDiyaoQgJaTcK7JJGMCcfGgg-9__tSGOI__WeCVTB0WvHBmW_2ujDtZl2NqDgLfgWZix08DE1eaXEXdATvQAKHncx-DECpW_gYPu24FR7VRHCXSWeBi0pB3HgRuPUuboOcxRjtQMNJudkk.S9JjGheZ3vdBUxf6tNQG9-DWoSHJFrtISKjQg40kSm4&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=The+ALternative+to+Abortion&amp;qid=1747317907&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=the+alternative+to+abortion%2Cstripbooks%2C113&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Alternative to Abortion: Why We Must Be Pro-Abundant Life</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

US-JUSTICE-COURT-ABORTION

Why Politics Alone Will Never Save the Pro-Life Movement

Abortion

Dobbs

Pro-Life Movement

Editor’s note: This is the fourth installment of a six-part series by pollster Brent Buchanan on the politics of the American South. Last week, Buchanan broke down the unique features and critical importance of the Southern suburbs. Today, he takes a close look at North Carolina.
We hope you enjoy.
It might sound like a stretch to think voting behavior and political divides in one of the South’s most consequential swing states could be explained by barbecue sauce.
But that’s exactly what we found in North Carolina.
In both barbecue sauce and politics, North Carolina’s “split personality” is rooted in centuries-old settlement patterns and evolving demographics. Barbecue here is a source of pride, and, like taste preferences nationally, voters in the Tar Heel State — or, shall we say, the Sauce State — are divided.
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The so-called &#8220;barbecue boundary&#8221; is more than a culinary cleave; it reflects the state’s foundational divisions. Western North Carolina, settled predominantly by German and Moravian immigrants, developed the Lexington style of barbecue with tomato-based sauces.
Then there’s Eastern North Carolina, settled earlier by English and Scots-Irish immigrants, known for their whole-hog barbecue and vinegar-based sauces. These regional distinctions mirror broader cultural and political divides, with the western &#8220;Trumpian Highlands&#8221; standing apart from the more moderate &#8220;Faux South&#8221; and gridlocked “Sweet Tea Suburbs&#8221; of the east.
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Our analysis shows a political patchwork of those Trumpian Highlands in the west reflecting the deep-red, Appalachian-rooted strongholds that have surged rightward in recent years, and the Faux South in the east, which is a concentration of moderate, Mid-Atlantic-influenced counties shaped by trade routes rather than mountain and lowland plantation culture. Mixed in are the modern Sweet Tea Suburbs, encompassing the politically gridlocked, middle-class communities ringing cities like Raleigh and Charlotte.
“The Tar Heel State’s battleground status is primarily driven by their voters in the Trumpian Highlands,” said Nicholas Valdiviez, Cygnal’s Sampling Lead, who spearheaded this project. “The turnout differentials are even more galvanizing where we saw those areas jumping 14% for Republicans from 2012 to 2016, and falling 16% for Democrats in this same time, which is a whopping 31% delta in turnout between parties leading into Trump’s first term.”
By 2024, the Republican margin in the Trumpian Highlands reached 74-26, rivaling the deepest red regions anywhere in the South. However, keep in mind this region was among the hardest hit by Hurricane Helene and while they may have been trending Republican in recent years, President Joe Biden’s woeful (putting it mildly) response could have added fuel to voters’ enthusiasm for Trump.
These numbers still suggest a partisan ceiling in the western part of the state, excluding more liberal pockets like Asheville and Charlotte, meaning the GOP’s continued dominance here will depend on sustaining enthusiasm among rural voters, especially as the state’s population centers continue to grow and attract out-of-state liberals. Without the magnetism of Trump atop the ticket, Republicans can’t bank on the lovers of Lexington BBQ to deliver a statewide win.
Meanwhile, on the eastern side of the barbecue boundary, the Faux South region — with its Mid-Atlantic heritage and more moderate political leanings — tells a different story. The region as a whole saw Republicans peak in 2016, winning 52% of the vote, but then saw the steepest decline of any southern region from 2016 to 2020, with only a mild recovery. North Carolina was a latecomer to the larger trend in 2024, showing a five-point spread favoring Republicans.
Then, from 2020 to 2024, the Faux South shifted three points to the right, signaling that even in historically challenging areas, the GOP is capable of making incremental gains and keeping them. But it is the region’s volatility that makes it a true wild card — one that could swing statewide outcomes if either party finds the highly attractive candidates, compelling messages, and a solid mobilization strategy.
As we <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beyond-the-swing-why-southern-suburbs-refuse-to-budge?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=Original&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Beyond+The+Swing%3A+Why+Southern+Suburbs+Refuse+To+Budge%C2%A0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mentioned,</a> the Sweet Tea Suburbs surrounding North Carolina’s major cities are politically gridlocked, with little movement since 2008. Turnout and margins are often determined by local issues and demographic changes from transplant residents.
“Though Republicans don’t control the governor’s mansion, they do hold both Senate seats and a majority of House seats,” said Valdiviez. “But if both sides of the barbecue boundary, Lexington and Eastern-style, continue to grow in population — especially in the ‘burbs — things could make the politics more precarious for Republicans.”
Valdiviez is right: things could get dicey for Republicans, but only if they fail to connect with middle-class voters’ day-to-day concerns in the same way Democrats have.
But things look different if Republicans make those more moderate Democrats in North Carolina distance themselves from or defend the radical voices of Bernie Sanders and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-cuomo-blasts-80-20-loser-ocasio-cortez-warns-dems-not-to-pick-her-in-2028?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Chris+Cuomo+Blasts+%E2%80%9980-20+Loser%E2%80%99+Ocasio-Cortez%2C+Warns+Dems+Not+To+Pick+Her+In+2028" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AOC</a>, who now lift the party’s mantle. Just because the suburbs’ inelasticity is inherently left-leaning does not mean those ardent Leftists won’t alienate independent voters in the same way they did in 2024, turning North Carolina to Republicans.
North Carolina’s electoral map is a lot like its barbecue boundary: divided, fiercely proud of its local identity, and resistant to one-size-fits-all solutions. It requires a nuanced understanding of each region’s history, culture, and evolving priorities. And just like BBQ in North Carolina, if you bring the wrong sauce in the wrong region, you’re going to be asked politely to leave.
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COMING UP NEXT: Like North Carolina, all eyes are on Georgia, especially as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stacey-abrams-linked-group-received-2b-from-biden-admin-slush-fund-doge-finds?author=Ashe+Schow&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Stacey+Abrams-Linked+Group+Received+%242B+From+Biden+Admin+Slush+Fund%2C+DOGE+Finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revelations</a> about Stacey Abrams’ shady political machine during the Biden years and Republicans look to unseat the swing state’s vulnerable Democrat Senator, John Ossoff. 
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ABOUT THE MAP: Amid America’s massive political realignment, mostly ushered in by President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement, the South is more consequential than anywhere else. It is responsible for more than a third of Senate seats, the equivalent of an entire <a href="https://www.senate.gov/senators/Class_II.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">class</a> of Senators up for reelection in any cycle, and it accounts for 193 electoral votes, more than half the needed amount to win a presidential election.
By breaking the South into distinct regions, we can better understand the layered realities on the ground. We named each of the South’s regions out of necessity, not novelty. This regional lens reveals patterns and divides that state lines alone obscure, allowing for a more accurate and intelligible analysis of the South’s electoral dynamics.
This large-scale project aggregates voter trends in areas like education, income, gender, age, and partisanship – and even some of our own recent polling data. So far, we’ve analyzed everything from the realignment of its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-end-of-democratic-assumptions-how-minority-voters-are-reshaping-southern-politics?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=News+and+Analysis&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=The+End+of+Democratic+Assumptions%3A+How+Minority+Voters+Are+Reshaping+Southern+Politics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">minority voters</a>, the stagnation of its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beyond-the-swing-why-southern-suburbs-refuse-to-budge?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=Original&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Beyond+The+Swing%3A+Why+Southern+Suburbs+Refuse+To+Budge%C2%A0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suburbs</a>, and the necessity to call out its unique regions, which transcend state lines and better <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-rise-of-the-south-is-not-what-you-think-why-it-holds-the-keys-to-political-control" target="_blank" rel="noopener">define</a> its implications on national elections.

Manufacturing losses swing voters in 2 N.C. counties

BBQ Politics? How North Carolina’s Sauce Divide Mirrors Its Voting Behavior 

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