President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas, September 9, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
President Donald Trump seemed more than pleased with the praise and attention lavished on him during the recent GOP midterm convention, but according to his one-time biographer, he seems to have no idea that he helped stage his own "political funeral" in the process.
While parties typically reserve conventions for presidential election years, at Trump's insistence, the GOP held an unprecedented midterm convention in Dallas this past week, aiming to help bolster their chances as polls continue to show a Democratic wave coming to wipe out their congressional majorities. Many observers, however, argued that the event might make things worse for Republicans, given how much of it was dominated by Trump at a time when voters hold an increasingly toxic view of his leadership.
Michael Wolff is a longtime reporter and author, best known for his extensive coverage of Trump's political career. In the latest episode of his Daily Beast podcast, "Inside Trump's Head," he suggested that the convention actually served as a preview for Trump's potential successors within the Republican Party, with appearances from the likes of Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Vance, in particular, was at one point met with cheers of "JD 48," in reference to him potentially becoming the next president.
Wolff further suggested that Trump might not have been aware of the extent to which the event turned into a funeral of sorts for his time in politics.
“It suddenly gave a platform to the people who are going to be running to replace him,” Wolff explained. “And I wonder if he actually realized that. As we go past the midterms into the final two years of this presidency, the one thing that is going to most bedevil him is the idea that someone in his party would actually want to and believe they can replace him.”
Wolff also noted that "the JD machine is now gearing up” and “getting into position now" to launch his own 2028 campaign, even as polls often show him with historic unpopularity for a vice president. He argued that this dynamic going forward is not going to sit easily with Trump and reiterated his past point that Trump will not go quietly to make things easier for his successor.
“Let me repeat my position because I really think it’s the only context in which you can see this,” Wolff said. “The idea that a Republican might become president and overshadow Donald Trump would be the tragedy of his life. Therefore, it’s not going to happen.”
He added: “The Donald Trump presidency is going to continue, if not in the White House—because I don’t think he’s figured out how to pull that one off—but therefore it will continue in Mar-a-Lago. He will be the president in exile with billions of dollars at his disposal to finance this administration in exile.”