Abby McCloskey, Bloomberg Opinion, January 5, 2026

“This might be Republicans’ last big year to get things done for a while. President Donald Trump is in the second year of his second term — his last before reaching lame duck status. His party is unlikely to hold Congress after the midterms if history is any indication.

What do Republicans want? As 2026 begins, I’m not sure they know. Last year was the big push: the DOGE cuts; the reconciliation bill; tax relief; deportations; tariffs; securing the southern border. It was a four-year term shoved into one.

It almost feels too soon to ask, “What now?” But we are in a moment in history where time is speeding up, not slowing down, as the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife underscores. But what about policy on the home front?”