A major shift is happening right now
The David Pakman Show - April 3, 2026
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Donald Trump’s influence over the Republican Party and his base is slowly eroding. MAGA voters and conservative audiences are increasingly frustrated with his inconsistent leadership. Allies are quietly preparing for a post-Trump world, and loyalty is no longer guaranteed.
Claims of widespread illegal voting are largely unsupported. Figures like Senator Mike Lee raise alarms without knowing the scale of the issue. Audits and court cases consistently find only minor errors. Yet, these claims often justify stricter voting laws, creating doubt without evidence of large-scale fraud.
Polling shows Trump’s approval among independents is historically low. This threatens Republicans heading into the midterms, as independents often decide elections. If Republicans lose the House, Trump’s influence will continue to decline.
A focused anti-corruption platform could attract disillusioned MAGA and Republican voters to the Democratic Party. Proposals like blind trusts, watchdogs, and whistleblower protections could force voters to choose between reform and corruption.
Tucker Carlson could plausibly enter politics. He denies interest, but his loyal audience gives him influence. Modern campaigns rely on emotional alignment more than policy expertise. He could win a congressional seat or even compete in a primary for president.
Being wrong no longer carries consequences because bold claims and repeated false predictions go unchecked. Attention and confidence now matter more than accuracy. The system needs accountability that revisits claims and makes errors visible.
Mike Pence’s claim that the GOP hasn’t changed is wrong. While he resisted Trump’s 2020 election overturn, the party is now reshaped around Trump’s style, priorities, and base. Traditional conservatives like Pence have been largely sidelined.
Finally, political outrage no longer shocks the public. A decade ago, gaffes or lies could end a career. Today, scandals barely register before the next headline. This desensitization lets officials act recklessly with little consequence.
On today’s bonus show:
Kristi Noem’s husband is caught up in a cross-dressing scandal, the bullet that killed Charlie Kirk cannot be affirmatively matched to the alleged rifle, Pete Hegseth will not investigate why Army helicopters flew near Kid Rock’s house, and much more…
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I don’t think the Republican Party likes Tucker Carlson very much because lately he’s been telling the truth.
It came out a long time ago about the bullet that allegedly hit Charlie Kirk. The gun people on YouTube knew it was bullshit as soon as the FBI started lying and saying that the bullet was found in Charlie Kirk’s neck and that his cervical vertebrae were super strong. There is no way Charlie Kirk was shot with the high-powered hunting rifle like the 30-06. A 30-06 was not fired because it would’ve been really loud and everybody in the crowd would’ve heard it.
If Charlie were hit with that particular rifle round, it would’ve come very close to decapitating him. It would’ve tore through his neck and the exit wound would be about the size of a fist. That didn’t happen. The case against Tyler Robinson will probably not even go to trial.
The FBI blocked any other law-enforcement source from investigating including the ATF, CIA and counterterrorism.
It wasn’t some left wing nut assassinated Charlie Kirk. More likely it was one of his own or Israel. The person with the most motive to kill him in this country was his wife. She couldn’t even generate crocodile tears when she went on TV with her BS.
The FBI lied.
Too many politicians act purely in their own self interest (like Trump, but with a touch more subtlety). In the Republican party, their calculation is, "Can I survive the primary if I oppose Trump?". Trump demands absolute loyalty. They have no chance to win the general election if they can't get past the primary. They have learned that often, there are enough general election voters who do not pay ANY attention to politics until a few weeks before the election, and a lot of the others have short term, or 'convenient' memories, so they can often pivot after the primary to look more 'sensible'.
This year, the numbers for Trump may even hurt them in the primaries, but are more likely to have effect in the General Election. With Biden, most all voters fell asleep until the election cycle started, at the conventions. Trump has done something truly historic. He made the general public pay attention to politics. I saw a recent poll showing something like 35% approval and 64% disapproval for Trump. What I noticed was there was only 1% 'undecided' and maybe even less than that. This is just not normal. That undecided, at this stage in an election year is usually MUCH larger, and part of what these Senators and Congressional members rely on to pivot for the general election.
I think the Republican politicians are reacting out of fear of Trump and MAGA and lost sight of the very real change in public opinion. Many of them I have noticed are just keeping their heads down and hoping to survive.
The Pollsters who handicap the races do not seem to have clued in this is a 'different' kind of election. The betting pool is populated by gamblers, who tend to be focused on money, and while 'affordability' is certainly an issue, it is more about the fundamental breakdown of the system (placed into 'overdrive' while Trump steers it over the cliff) than the Investors, 'Money market' and Stock market crowd.