'There's going to be pain': Even skeptics say Republicans’ wheels 'are off'

Former George Bush speechwriter Tim Miller is not an optimist. When the Bulwark podcaster steps in as a visiting panelist on cable news shows he is not the one spouting gold and rainbows and skewing optimist in every scenario involving Democrats.

“I'm not that guy,” insisted Miller. “There's other YouTubers out there where people have been like, ‘the walls are closing in on Trump every day. Trump's going to be in jail.’ That was never me. I've been negative. I'm still negative. I'm still worried. I'm still concerned. But as a political analyst, I think that people are slow to recognize what is happening. And that’s that the wheels are really coming off of MAGA.”

Miller expressed surprise at himself for seeing hope for “pro-democracy Americans,” arguing that Republican efforts to skew the election with onerous voting requirements and alleged poll booth intimidation may not be enough to overwhelm the smell of Trump’s recent mistakes.

“This Iran war is going to be an unbelievable s——show. It already is,” said Miller, hours before Saturday news broke of yet another Iranian ballistic missiles and drone strike injuring at least 12 U.S. Service members in Saudi Arabia. “The fallout from this will be a disaster of epic, epic proportions. I said a few weeks ago, and I stand by it.”

In addition to Trump’s failing war effort, Miller said Democrats are undeniably winning the shutdown fight currently plaguing TSA agents and souring voters on government.

“On the funding fight ... In Washington, I've called the second straight shutdown officially … a victory for the Democrats,” said Miller. “It's not really even close. Republicans don't know what the hell they're doing. The House Republicans are now left holding the bag where it's their fault because there's been a bipartisan Senate vote to fund the TSA. We got a text from a Democratic congressman just a couple minutes ago about the House Republicans positioning on this. The text reads, ‘House R's are a train wreck. They don't know what they're doing. They can't govern.’”

Additionally, yawning cracks in the MAGA coalition over Iran are showing up everywhere, said Miller.

“This decision to go into this war was the most catastrophic decision of either term from the president,” Miller said. “… That is why we see the MAGA coalition breaking up. Because influencers and commentators -- and politicians even -- don't want to be made out to be fools to their voters or to their listeners or viewers. There's going to be pain as a result of this terrible decision, so we shouldn't be light about it.”

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