Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Nikki Haley and Tom Cotton — those are a few of the names of rising stars within the GOP whose presidential aspirations took a hit when Donald Trump got elected president, the Washington Examiner reported.
Republican governors and senators alike in their 40s and early 50s who thought they might have had a shot at the White House in 2020 will likely have to wait 8 years, a long time to try to stay relevant at the national level.
"Trump unexpectedly winning completely changes the political landscape for a lot of prominent Republicans, especially governors, who may have had their eyes set on running for president," GOP strategist Jim Dornan told the Examiner.
For Govs. Haley and Scott Walker who get termed out of office in two years, 2024 is light years away.
But a threat to all of them is how Trump changes the dynamics of the GOP during his presidency.
Think Jeb Bush.
"We're witnessing a bit of a populist conservative coalition," a Republican adviser told the Examiner.
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