MS NOW host Chris Hayes has pointed to what he described as Donald Trump's "half-assed attempt" to revive baseless claims of election fraud following the recent midterm elections, where Republicans failed to secure expected gains. Hayes noted that Trump, on social media, questioned the legitimacy of the results, asking, "Does anybody really believe that this ‘Election’ was honest. How could the Polls be so wrong???" He drew parallels to Trump's claims about the 2020 election.
However, Trump's assertions have reportedly faced swift criticism from some prominent conservative voices, including pundit Megyn Kelly, former Trump aide Steve Bannon, and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Hayes discussed this pushback with Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, who stated that Trump's "big lie" narrative is "not going anywhere" for his base but is facing significant headwinds.
Longwell suggested that Trump's diminished standing, evidenced by a low approval rating, means that many within the Republican party are looking to move past his influence. She indicated that the midterm results, which saw widespread voter frustration with issues like the economy, have effectively countered Trump's election denialism for now. "Trump is now a weak, lame-duck president," Longwell said. "Nobody’s trying to curry favor with him. Nobody’s trying to relitigate this election. These Republicans now are going to use this as an opportunity."