In 2020, Trump emphasized his opposition to socialism and other conservative issues. He remained competitive in the Rust Belt relative to other post-Ronald Reagan GOP presidential nominees, claiming he only fell short in these states due to widespread voter fraud, but President-elect Joe Biden narrowly moved them back into the Democratic column.

But many Republicans will want to move past Trump’s populist brand of politics after he exits the White House. The president himself has publicly focused on his election challenges, intervening in the COVID-19 spending package only very late in the process. His inability to sway GOP lawmakers on these issues could signal he is losing his grip on the party rather than demonstrating his 2024 staying power, some Republican insiders say.

“He may think supporting a $2,000 check now will help his unannounced 2024 presidential chances, but if he loses the Georgia Senate seats by continuing to trash Republican officials down there, the only thing he’ll be thinking about in 2024 is how he managed to lose Republican control of the presidency, the House, and the Senate in four short years,” said a veteran GOP operative in Washington, D.C. “Republicans won’t be comparing him to Lincoln or Reagan. They’ll be comparing him to Obama and Nixon.”