There is no easy way out of Tuesday’s crushing defeat for Republicans, and no blaming immigrants or voter fraud for the blue wave that washed over the country. 

Since Tuesday, political commentators, from Benny Johnson to hosts on The Blaze, have argued that Texas, for example, turned blue because of its large Hispanic electorate, not because of Republicans’ own failures in power. These convenient explanations absolve Republicans of responsibility for their record and their promises to voters. But they don’t hold up. 

On Tuesday, traditionally Republican demographics, including men and white voters, swung sharply toward Democrats after overwhelmingly backing Republicans just two years ago.

According to data analyzed by the Wall Street Journal, yes, areas with larger minority populations shifted sharply toward Democrats: places where non-Hispanic white residents make up less than 20 percent of the population moved 22.2 percentage points in Democrats’ favor, while those with a 20-40 percent white population shifted 14.5 points. 

But that movement was hardly isolated to minority-heavy communities. Areas with a 60-80 percent non-Hispanic white population shifted 10.9 points toward Democrats, and those with an 80-100 percent white population moved 12.2 points. 

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But let’s say you’re still not convinced. Preliminary data from The New York Times, combining surveys, post-election interviews, and election results, show that white men ages 18 to 29 swung 35 percentage points toward Democrats. That’s a striking reversal for a demographic Charlie Kirk was credited with helping deliver to Republicans by a margin of between 25 and 28 points in 2024.

But maybe that still isn’t enough. CNN’s exit polling also reports a 17-point swing toward Democrats among young white men.

The same pattern extends across groups and communities often described as central to the Republican coalition: voters without college degrees, working-class voters, Latinos who backed Trump in 2024, rural and small-town communities, and men more broadly. 

Every single demographic, including Republicans, of all people, swung leftward. There is, however, a straightforward explanation for the midterms; conservatives just need to be brave enough to see the writing on the wall. The American electorate was unhappy, perhaps not with specific policies themselves, but with the economy, with the rollout of certain policies, and with being told the economy was great while the vast majority didn't think so.

Tuesday night was the result of a broad coalition of voters, many of whom are traditionally Republican, not something conservatives can pin on any one group in a game of identity politics. The path forward into 2028 begins with being candid about what actually happened earlier this week, not finding ways to absolve our party of all responsibility.