Republican Party (United States)

==== Trump era ====
{{Main|Presidency of Donald Trump|Trumpism}}
[[File:Donald Trump official portrait.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Donald Trump]], the 45th president (2017–2021)]]

In [[2016 United States presidential election|the 2016 presidential election]], Republican nominee [[Donald Trump]] defeated Democratic nominee [[Hillary Clinton]]. The result was unexpected; polls leading up to the election showed Clinton leading the race.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/12-days-stunned-nation-how-hillary-clinton-lost-n794131|title=12 days that stunned a nation: How Hillary Clinton lost|website=[[NBC News]]|date=August 23, 2017|access-date=December 8, 2019|archive-date=January 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128124221/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/12-days-stunned-nation-how-hillary-clinton-lost-n794131|url-status=live}}</ref> Trump's victory was fueled by narrow victories in three states—[[Michigan]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[Wisconsin]]—that had been part of the [[Blue wall (U.S. politics)|Democratic blue wall]] for decades.<ref name= "elites">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/specials/donald-trump-republican-party/presidency|title=How Trump won and proved everyone wrong with his populist message|website=[[NBC News]] Specials|date=December 14, 2016|access-date=December 8, 2019|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108102242/https://www.nbcnews.com/specials/donald-trump-republican-party/presidency/|url-status=live}}</ref> It was attributed to strong support amongst working-class white voters, who felt dismissed and disrespected by the political establishment.<ref name="campani" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/upshot/why-trump-won-working-class-whites.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109094913/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/upshot/why-trump-won-working-class-whites.html |archive-date=November 9, 2016 |url-access=limited|url-status=live|title=Why Trump Won: Working-Class Whites|first=Nate|last=Cohn|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 9, 2016|access-date=February 15, 2021}}</ref> Trump became popular with them by abandoning Republican establishment orthodoxy in favor of a broader nationalist message.<ref name= "elites" />

After [[2016 United States elections|the 2016 elections]], Republicans [[2016 United States Senate elections|maintained their majority in the Senate]], [[2016 United States House of Representatives elections|the House]], and [[2016 United States gubernatorial elections|governorships]], and wielded newly acquired executive power with Trump's election. The Republican Party controlled 69 of 99 state legislative chambers in 2017, the most it had held in history.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/12/us/republicans-expand-control-in-a-deeply-divided-nation.html?_r=0|title=Republicans Expand Control in a Deeply Divided Nation|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 11, 2016 |access-date=February 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119193906/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/12/us/republicans-expand-control-in-a-deeply-divided-nation.html?_r=0|archive-date=November 19, 2016|url-status=live|last1=Bosman |first1=Julie |last2=Davey |first2=Monica }}</ref> The Party also held 33 governorships,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-2017-2018-governors-races-predictions.html|title=2017-2018 Governors' Races: Where Power Is Most and Least Likely to Flip|date=January 3, 2017|website=Governing}}</ref> the most it had held since 1922.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2016-11-09/republicans-expand-control-of-governorships-legislatures|title=Republicans Governorships Rise to Highest Mark Since 1922|work=[[U.S. News & World Report]]|access-date=September 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915132840/https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2016-11-09/republicans-expand-control-of-governorships-legislatures|archive-date=September 15, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The party had total control of government in 25 states;<ref>{{cite news|title=Republican governorships rise to highest mark since 1922|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2016-11-09/republicans-expand-control-of-governorships-legislature|work=[[U.S. News & World Report]]|date=November 6, 2016|first=David A.|last=Lieb|agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Phillips|first=Amber|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/12/these-3-maps-show-just-how-dominant-republicans-are-in-america-after-tuesday/|title=These 3 maps show just how dominant Republicans are in America after Tuesday|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 12, 2016|access-date=November 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113061740/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/12/these-3-maps-show-just-how-dominant-republicans-are-in-america-after-tuesday/|archive-date=November 13, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> it had not held total control of this many states since 1952.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lieb|first1=David A.|title=GOP-Controlled States Aim to Reshape Laws|url=https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chicago-tribune/20161229/281822873464433|date=December 29, 2016|agency=Associated Press|access-date=December 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231075054/https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chicago-tribune/20161229/281822873464433|archive-date=December 31, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The opposing Democratic Party held full control of only five states in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Greenblatt|first1=Alan|title=Republicans Add to Their Dominance of State Legislatures|url=http://www.governing.com/topics/elections/gov-republicans-add-dominance-state-legislatures.html|date=November 9, 2016|work=[[Governing (magazine)|Governing]]|access-date=November 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116125852/http://www.governing.com/topics/elections/gov-republicans-add-dominance-state-legislatures.html|archive-date=November 16, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In [[2018 United States elections|the 2018 elections]], Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives, but strengthened their hold on the Senate.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/11/2018-election-results-democrats-regain-control-house/575122/|title=The Democrats Are Back, and Ready to Take On Trump|first=David A.|last=Graham|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=November 7, 2018|access-date=November 17, 2020|archive-date=December 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209204842/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/11/2018-election-results-democrats-regain-control-house/575122/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Over the course of his presidency, Trump appointed three justices to [[Supreme Court of the United States|the Supreme Court]]: [[Neil Gorsuch]], [[Brett Kavanaugh]], and [[Amy Coney Barrett]]. It was the most Supreme Court appointments for any president in a single term since [[Richard Nixon]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Kumar |first=Anita |date=September 26, 2020 |title=Trump's legacy is now the Supreme Court |work=[[Politico]] |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/26/trump-legacy-supreme-court-422058 |access-date=November 17, 2020 |archive-date=February 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216160832/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/26/trump-legacy-supreme-court-422058 |url-status=live }}</ref> Trump [[List of federal judges appointed by Donald Trump|appointed 260 judges]] in total, creating [[Judicial appointment history for United States federal courts|overall Republican-appointed majorities on every branch of the federal judiciary]] except for the [[Court of International Trade]] by the time he left office, shifting the judiciary to the [[Right-wing politics|right]]. Other notable achievements during his presidency included the passing of the [[Tax Cuts and Jobs Act]] in 2017; the creation of the [[U.S. Space Force]], the first new independent military service since 1947; and the brokering of the [[Abraham Accords]], a series of normalization agreements between [[Israel]] and various [[Arab states]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 22, 2017 |title=Trump signs tax cut bill, first big legislative win |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-signs-tax-cut-bill-first-big-legislative-win-n832141 |website=[[NBC News]] |access-date=April 1, 2021 |archive-date=February 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208215849/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-signs-tax-cut-bill-first-big-legislative-win-n832141 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Leonard  |first=David |date=December 21, 2019 |title=Trump Officially Establishes US Space Force with 2020 Defense Bill Signing |url=https://www.space.com/trump-creates-space-force-2020-defense-bill.html |website=Space.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603070522/https://www.space.com/trump-creates-space-force-2020-defense-bill.html |archive-date= Jun 3, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Forgey |first=Quint |date=September 15, 2020 |title='The dawn of a new Middle East': Trump celebrates Abraham Accords with White House signing ceremony |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/15/trump-abraham-accords-palestinians-peace-deal-415083 |website=[[Politico]] |access-date=April 1, 2021 |archive-date=February 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226143445/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/15/trump-abraham-accords-palestinians-peace-deal-415083 |url-status=live }}</ref> Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives in 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. On February 5, 2020, the Senate voted to acquit him.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/05/trump-acquitted-in-impeachment-trial.html|title=Trump acquitted of both charges in Senate impeachment trial|last1=Wilkie|first1=Christina|last2=Breuninger|first2=Kevin|date=February 5, 2020|website=CNBC}}</ref>

Trump lost [[2020 United States presidential election|the 2020 presidential election]] to Democrat [[Joe Biden]]. He refused to concede the race, claiming widespread electoral fraud and [[Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|attempting to overturn the results]]. On January 6, 2021, the [[January 6 United States Capitol attack|United States Capitol was attacked by Trump supporters]] following a rally at which Trump spoke. After the attack, the House [[Second impeachment of Donald Trump|impeached Trump for a second time]] on the charge of [[Sedition|incitement of insurrection]], making him the only federal officeholder to be impeached twice.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/trump-impeachment-effort-live-updates/2021/01/13/956449072/house-impeaches-trump-a-2nd-time-citing-insurrection-at-u-s-capitol|title=House Impeaches Trump A 2nd Time, Citing Insurrection At U.S. Capitol|first=Bill|last=Chappell|work=[[NPR]]|date=January 13, 2021|access-date=February 14, 2021|archive-date=February 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220221620/https://www.npr.org/sections/trump-impeachment-effort-live-updates/2021/01/13/956449072/house-impeaches-trump-a-2nd-time-citing-insurrection-at-u-s-capitol|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/us/politics/trump-impeached.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/us/politics/trump-impeached.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited|title=Trump Impeached for Inciting Insurrection|first=Nicholas|last=Fandos|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 13, 2021|access-date=February 14, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Trump left office on January 20, 2021. His impeachment trial continued into the early weeks of the [[Biden presidency]], and he was [[Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump|acquitted on February 13, 2021]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-acquitted-impeachment-trial-7-gop-senators-vote-democrats-convict-n1257876|title=Trump acquitted in impeachment trial; 7 GOP Senators vote with Democrats to convict|first=Dareh|last=Gregorian|work=[[NBC News]]|date=February 13, 2021|access-date=February 14, 2021|archive-date=February 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213205205/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-acquitted-impeachment-trial-7-gop-senators-vote-democrats-convict-n1257876|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2022 and 2023, Supreme Court justices appointed by Trump proved decisive in landmark decisions on [[New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen|gun rights]], [[Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization|abortion]], and [[Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard|affirmative action]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-guns-decision-second-amendment-new-york-2022-6 | title=Supreme Court strikes down century-old New York law, dramatically expanding Second Amendment rights to carry guns outside the home | website=[[Business Insider]] | access-date=November 21, 2022 | archive-date=June 26, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626001859/https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-guns-decision-second-amendment-new-york-2022-6 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/24/roe-v-wade-overturned-by-supreme-court-ending-federal-abortion-rights.html | title=Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, ending 50 years of federal abortion rights | website=[[CNBC]] | date=June 24, 2022 | access-date=November 21, 2022 | archive-date=June 24, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624141534/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/24/roe-v-wade-overturned-by-supreme-court-ending-federal-abortion-rights.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The party went into the [[2022 United States elections|2022 elections]] confident and with analysts predicting a [[Wave elections in the United States|red wave]], but it ultimately underperformed expectations, with voters in [[swing state]]s and competitive districts joining Democrats in rejecting candidates who had been endorsed by Trump or who had denied the results of the 2020 election.<ref name="FiveThirtyEight 2022">{{cite web|date=November 8, 2022|title=<!--2022 Election: Live Analysis and Results-->How Election Week 2022 Went Down|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/2022-midterm-election/|access-date=November 17, 2022|website=[[FiveThirtyEight]]|archive-date=November 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116174931/https://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/2022-midterm-election/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Hounshell 2022">{{cite news |last=Hounshell |first=Blake |date=November 9, 2022 |title=Five Takeaways From a Red Wave That Didn't Reach the Shore |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/us/politics/midterm-elections-takeaways.html |access-date=November 9, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=November 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118043809/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/us/politics/midterm-elections-takeaways.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Tumulty 2022">{{cite news |last=Tumulty |first=Karen |date=November 9, 2022 |title=The expected red wave looks more like a puddle |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/11/09/no-red-wave-midterm-outcome-analysis/ |access-date=November 10, 2022 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=November 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112060937/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/11/09/no-red-wave-midterm-outcome-analysis/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The party won control of the House with a narrow majority,<ref name="Cowan 2022">{{cite news |last=Cowan |first=Richard |date=November 17, 2022 |title=Republicans win U.S. House majority, setting stage for divided government |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republicans-one-seat-away-winning-house-us-midterm-vote-2022-11-16/ |access-date=November 17, 2022 |archive-date=November 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125100214/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republicans-one-seat-away-winning-house-us-midterm-vote-2022-11-16/ |url-status=live }}</ref> but lost the Senate and several state legislative majorities and governorships.<ref name="composition_2023_05_23_ncsl_org">[https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/state-partisan-composition "State Partisan Composition"], May 23, 2023, [[National Conference of State Legislatures]], retrieved July 4, 2023. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704082911/https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/state-partisan-composition |date=July 4, 2023 }}.</ref><ref name="states_2023_07_01_gazette">[[Thomas Cronin|Cronin, Tom]] and Bob Loevy: [https://gazette.com/news/american-federalism-states-veer-far-left-or-far-right-cronin-and-loevy/article_47b241d8-1604-11ee-a860-3383285a990d.html "American federalism: States veer far left or far right"], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704082911/https://gazette.com/news/american-federalism-states-veer-far-left-or-far-right-cronin-and-loevy/article_47b241d8-1604-11ee-a860-3383285a990d.html |date=July 4, 2023 }}, July 1, 2023, updated July 2, 2023, ''[[Colorado Springs Gazette]],'' retrieved July 4, 2023</ref><ref name="trifectas_2023_01_18_nytimes">[https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/11/us/politics/state-legislatures-democrats-trifectas.html "In the States, Democrats All but Ran the Table"], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704082911/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/11/us/politics/state-legislatures-democrats-trifectas.html |date=July 4, 2023 }} November 11, 2022, ''[[The New York Times]],'' retrieved July 4, 2023</ref> The results led to many Republicans and conservative thought leaders questioning whether Trump should continue as the party's main figurehead and leader.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bender |first1=Michael C. |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |date=November 10, 2022 |title=Trump Under Fire From Within G.O.P. After Midterms |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/us/politics/trump-republicans-midterms.html |access-date=November 23, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=November 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122225849/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/us/politics/trump-republicans-midterms.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gomez |first=Henry |title=Battleground Republicans unload on Trump ahead of expected 2024 announcement |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/battleground-republicans-unload-trump-ahead-expected-2024-announcement-rcna57153 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123151640/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/battleground-republicans-unload-trump-ahead-expected-2024-announcement-rcna57153 |archive-date=November 23, 2022 |access-date=November 23, 2022 |website=[[NBC News]] |date=November 15, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>