GOP prepares for life after Trump as strongman loses control
GOP prepares for life after Trump as strongman loses control  
Podcast: The David Pakman Show
Published On: Mon Feb 02 2026
Description: -- On the Show -- The right-wing media ecosystem turns Charlie Kirk into both a saint and a conspiracy object, hollowing out his legacy while the Trump administration exploits his death -- The White House insists Donald Trump is in perfect health while public footage shows cognitive lapses and a presidency increasingly shielded by public relations -- MAGA functions as a cult of personal loyalty to Donald Trump and collapses without him, leaving the Republican Party to repackage the same resentments in quieter forms -- A Democratic House after the 2026 midterms strips Donald Trump of legislative power and turns his presidency into institutional paralysis and constant investigation -- Republican leaders increasingly treat Donald Trump as a liability to manage rather than a leader to follow, quietly building parallel power structures -- New polling shows Donald Trump deeply underwater with independents, signaling midterm danger as congressional allies distance themselves -- The Trump administration follows the classic authoritarian pattern where loyalty replaces competence and governance collapses into chaos -- Donald Trump’s behavior consistently contradicts his rhetoric, revealing a governing style built on performative outrage and quiet retreats rather than real belief -- On the Bonus Show: Producer Pat hosts the Bonus Show 😁 Zippix Toothpicks: Code PAKMAN10 saves you 10% at https://zippixtoothpicks.com 🛡️ Incogni lets you control your personal data! Get 60% off their annual plan: http://incogni.com/pakman -- Become a Member: https://davidpakman.com/membership -- Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://davidpakman.substack.com -- Get David's Books: https://davidpakman.com/echo -- TDPS Subreddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/thedavidpakmanshow -- David on Bluesky: https://davidpakman.com/bluesky -- David on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/davidpakmanshow (00:00) Start(01:23) Charlie Kirk mythmaking(10:43) Trump perfect health spin(18:44) MAGA as personality cult(26:44) Trump boxed in Congress(35:27) GOP hedges against Trump(42:40) Independents abandon Trump(49:16) Loyalty over competence(56:11) Rhetoric versus reality   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices