The era of Donald Trump has brought many changes to the political world since 2016, and 2023 is no exception – the Bush, Cheney, McCain and Clinton dynasties have no mercy either in the state or in the national office.
The franchise dynasties that had dominated the US political landscape since the 1970s came to a sudden halt when Liz Cheney lost the Republican congressional primary in Wyoming on Tuesday.
Whether the Republican Party controls Congress in the November midterm elections comes down to January 23, in the halls of Congress, the White House, and even at the state level.
In Texas, for example, George P. Bush, despite all his efforts to ensure Trump’s victory, will end his term as state land commissioner and de facto end the Bush dynasty until he returns to politics.
File/George P. Bush speaking at a campaign event Thursday, February 10, 2022 in Lakeway, Texas, USA (via Getty Matthew Bush/Bloomberg)
In recent years, few political dynasties in Texas have been as invincible as the Bush family, with solid legacies dating back to the 1960s. Under Trump, the name has certainly faded, and George P. Bush was the last casualty when he lost to Ken Paxton in the race for Texas Attorney General earlier this year. How Texas Tribune Noticed in May:
Widespread recognition of his name is becoming a burden for the Republican Party. George P. Bush, now the state’s land commissioner, trails Paxton in the polls. Some of the main reasons for his reluctance among Republican voters are his family’s links to centre-right political views and his own past political positions.
Bush said the attacks were directed by Paxton and did not reflect the support he had seen on the campaign trail. The incumbent attorney general’s advertisements against Bush focused on calling him a RINO—a Republican named only—and associating him with his famous family.
George P. Bush did everything he could to win Trump’s favor, both supporting him as president and eagerly seeking his support, until he immediately endorsed former president Ken Paxton at the door. Beyond the Attorney General’s race, Bush’s name resonated in other areas as well, such as his cousin Pierce Bush finishing third in Houston’s 2020 race for the congressional seat.
Many factors contributed to the fall of the Bush House, but most of the credit goes to this moment during the 2016 Republican primary, when Trump openly criticized Jeb Bush and George W. Bush in a debate in South Carolina. As CNN noted at the time:
Even for Donald Trump, this is a dangerous political undertaking.
Days after a crushing victory in New Hampshire, the Republican presidential candidate entered the debate stage in South Carolina, accusing former President George W. Bush of lying about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. He also blamed the former president for the September 11, 2001 attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center.
For any other politician, this could be the end of the campaign. Instead, he highlighted Trump’s uncanny ability to make statements that would discredit others but still rise to the top. He easily won the South Carolina primary on Saturday, beating the runners-up by about 10 points. And the former president’s brother, Jeb, dropped the presidential bid after a disappointing performance.
Although Cindy, widow of the late Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, worked on the fringes of politics in 2020 by supporting Joe Biden and opposing Donald Trump at every opportunity, the McCain political dynasty ended in 2018 with the senator’s death and showed no symptoms. becoming a national powerhouse any time soon.
While Democrats have long believed that former first daughter Chelsea Clinton can follow in her father’s and mother’s footsteps, the Clinton political dynasty faced the rise of Donald Trump in the 2016 election.
File/Hillary Rodham Clinton, former US Secretary of State and US Senator from New York (left) and her daughter Chelsea Clinton, Clinton Foundation Vice President, take to the stage together at the 2015 University Clinton Global Initiative meeting at New York University. Miami, March 7, 2015, Coral Gables, Florida. (Joe Radle/Getty Images)
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hinted at the possibility of running in 2024, but didn’t say anything convincingly about her future plans.
While the Obamas certainly made their presence felt on the cultural front through their production company Higher Grounds, former First Lady Michelle Obama showed no sign of nomination, despite Democrats’ best hope.
When news of Liz Cheney’s defeat spread rapidly on Tuesday night, people immediately noticed this new trend in American politics.
When the Wyoming voters oust Liz Cheney tonight, it will be the first impeachment of Bush, McCain, Cheney or Clinton in over a hundred years!
— George Papadopoulos (@GeorgePapa19) 17 August 2022
Donald Trump ended the political dynasties of Cheney, Bush and Clinton.
— Selection Wizard
(@ChoiceWiz) 17 August 2022
Everyone rightly pointed out that Trump ended the Bush, Clinton and Cheney dynasties. Very true.
It also ended Paul Ryan’s political career.
And a very Trumpian predecessor, David Brat, graduated from Eric Cantor.
Win everything.
— William Wolfe
After tonight, there will be no one else named Cheney, Bush, Clinton, Obama, Kennedy or McCain in office.
Trump destroyed ALL of these political dynasties in seven years.
— Laverna Spice
Trump wasn’t even a politician 6 years ago.
Six years later, Bush ended the political dynasties of Clinton and Cheney.
Don’t tell me the Orange Man didn’t give you anything to the workers.
— RazorFist (@RAZ0RFIST) 17 August 2022
Bush went. Clinton is gone. Cheney is gone. Fiction!
– Chad Prather (@WatchChad) 17 August 2022
For the first time in nearly forty years, there is no Kennedy, Bush, Clinton, Cheney in power. and very good for Americans
– Mike Billand (@billand_mike) 17 August 2022
Source: Breitbart
