Beware the Biden Nostalgia

The caricature that Joe Biden’s hapless image-makers engineered for the former president is about to make a comeback.

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Then-President Joe Biden gestures after giving remarks on the day he announced a new plan for federal student loan relief during a visit to Madison Area Technical College Truax Campus in Madison, Wis., April 8, 2024.

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

The warning signs for Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections are mounting.

Over the weekend, a Democratic candidate’s special-election victory in a Texas State Senate seat that Donald Trump won in 2024 by 17 points sent a shock wave through Republican politics. More alarmingly, the Democratic candidate’s overperformance fits within a trend that saw double-digit swings toward Democrats in special and off-year elections throughout 2025. As of today, the Democratic Party’s lead in the generic congressional ballot test is the largest it has ever been in the second Trump era.

Noah Rothman

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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