Trump's 2028 successors are already fighting over who to blame for GOP midterm wipeout

Republicans are still reckoning with a historic midterm wipeout, but the fight to assign blame and inherit President Donald Trump's political movement is already underway.Vice President JD Vance faults the war in Iran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defends it. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says Republicans fought the wrong battles. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, argues the party lost touch with voters' economic struggles.The competing visions from potential presidential contenders offer an early glimpse of the Republican infighting ahead of 2028. But all face the same dilemma: How to convince voters the party can change course without alienating Trump or the MAGA base they need to win the nomination.The biggest obstacle may be Trump himself, who has shown little appetite for a political retreat.On Monday, Trump made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room, declaring the Iran war "militarily is effectively over" while maintaining that the U.S. remains prepared to resume strikes. Earlier that day, he questioned the legitimacy of Republicans' midterm defeat, suggesting without evidence that voting machines were responsible, days after saying that after years of election den...