As results across our Republic begin to finalize, President John Pudner continues his tour as Fox News Radio's post-election analyst in Lima, Ohio, home of Freedom Caucus co-founder and high-ranking Rep. Jim Jordan, whose majority in the House, as well as gain of Senate control, cement the Trump takeover of Congress following his historic victory in the presidential contest. No better example of this could be stated than in Ohio where, despite running eight points behind Trump, Bernie Moreno miraculously defeated Sen. Sherrod Brown, a well-established, pro-union Democrat who was seen as the state's sole crack in its red armor, but who now represents the last domino to fall of what was once the coveted "Blue Wall".
While this certainly implies many new factors for the electoral map, it more than anything else represents the strength of Trump's "Presidential Coattails", or ability to help down-ballot candidates simply by virtue of popularity. Additionally, with this being considered by many one of the most contentious presidential cycles in modern history, enthusiasm for Trump and against Biden, as well as increased political polarization, all trickled down toward benefiting conservative candidates up and down the ballot.
As Pudner and host Todd Walker analyze, however, it can even be boiled down to one simple fact - polling consistently showed a plurality of voters dissatisfied with the current direction of the country. That, coupled with political persecutions, the installation of a major party candidate in the dead of night, and the aforementioned factors all combined toward a modern landslide victory for Trump and Congressional Republicans, determining the fate of our Republic's near future.
Todd Walker: 00:00
A guy who can certainly shed some light on things is John Pudner, president of Take Back Our Republic Action. He’s also a person who ran a campaign to defeat a majority leader in a primary, so he knows a little bit about politics. John, good morning.
John Pudner: 00:18
Thanks for having me!
Todd Walker: 00:20
Let's start at the top—Donald Trump's win. What were your impressions of the victory and the overall size of it? Were you surprised?
John Pudner: 00:35
Actually, I went on record last week, both in media and on our pages, predicting all 50 states. I had it 312 to 226. You could just see it coming. The voter registration was strongly Republican for months, and the early vote was much stronger. Those things really tell you how people are going to vote. If you can get people to vote early, it often drives turnout on Election Day. So, I thought the race was over three weeks ago, and luckily, it played out that way.
Todd Walker: 01:07
Of course, there were the key swing states. If I'm not mistaken, Trump swept them all, right?
John Pudner: 01:15
That's right. I was on air last week and said all seven swing states were going to go Republican. When asked if there were any other states that could go, I said the next closest would be Minnesota, but that’s something for four years down the line. So, yes, Trump took all seven swing states. These are very different regions of the country—Arizona out west, the Bible Belt down south, and the Rust Belt. In each of them, there was a different appeal. There was a huge improvement in support from Black men voting for Trump, and he held his vote among suburban women, who had dropped off in 2022 after Trump's defeat. He had strong rural turnout, but he broke through in all three types of communities.
Todd Walker: 02:01
Do you think this was more about Trump winning or about the Democrats losing?
John Pudner: 02:15
Good question. I still think it was more about Trump winning. But it was a combination. I think the Democrats’ efforts to put the opposing nominee in prison backfired. That just doesn’t sit well with the average American. Even people who weren’t Trump’s biggest supporters, or who weren’t crazy about him, saw what the Democrats were doing and felt it was wrong. People didn’t want to set that precedent. So, I think it was a defense of Trump and his agenda. Of course, people are also focused on things like grocery and gas prices, which were certainly on voters’ minds.
Todd Walker: 02:59
The call was made early that the Republicans would retake the Senate. Of course, West Virginia was a foregone conclusion, but then projections came out that Bernie Moreno unseated Sherrod Brown here in Ohio. It’s kind of funny, the ticket-splitting in Ohio—Trump wins by 11 points, but Moreno wins by only 3.8%. Still, that’s enough to unseat a three-time incumbent Democrat. How surprised were you by that result?
John Pudner: 03:37
I was thrilled. I spent a lot of time campaigning in Ohio 20 years ago when it was a swing state. It’s moved so far to the right since then. I know Sherrod Brown had a solid reputation, but I still remember him as this radical, hippie-like figure when he first ran. So, I was surprised he held onto his seat for so long. Ohio is clearly a red state now. Brown may have moderated his views, but it was definitely time for him to go.
Todd Walker: 04:11
It looks like the Republicans are at 52 seats in the Senate, but Arizona and Nevada aren't quite shaping up to be Republican pickups, correct?
John Pudner: 04:26
Yeah, unfortunately, in Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin has claimed victory. I'm not saying it’s final, but we’ve seen the typical late vote dump from Milwaukee, which has put her ahead. So, while we still have a majority, it could have been better. It would have been nice to pick up those extra seats, but I think the message in D.C. is clear. With Trump’s win, I don’t think there will be as much obstruction from the other side.
Todd Walker: 04:58
The House, of course, is harder to call with so many races and regions. It could be close. What are you hearing there?
John Pudner: 05:07
Yeah, people were predicting a narrow Republican margin of about three votes, but I haven’t drilled down as much into those races. We were so focused on the Senate and the presidency that I didn’t get the full picture of the House. But there are some tighter races, so it’s still up in the air.
Todd Walker: 05:27
So, you’re thinking the Senate will end up with 52 seats for Republicans?
John Pudner: 05:32
Yeah, I think it’ll be 52. But time will tell.
Todd Walker: 05:35
It was certainly a momentous night, John. One that many people will remember.
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