One year ago, Donald Trump won a transformative election victory, sweeping all seven swing states, the popular vote, and moving all fifty states redder than they were in 2020.

How did he do it?

By motivating men, young men in particular, and sports fans who were fed up with the insanity of men winning women’s sports championships. I wrote about the victory in my new book, ‘Balls,’ which was released on Tuesday.  

The book addresses the landslide Trump victory, but it also asks an important question when looking forward prospectively: Now that Trump, unfortunately, isn’t able to run for reelection, how do Republicans ensure that the Trump MAGA coalition extends, and even grows, beyond his own presidency?

In 2024, the two most conservative voting groups in America were male senior citizens and young men under the age of thirty.

This has never happened before in any of our lives.

It was a cultural transformation overnight.

Trump also won record support among White, Black, Asian and Hispanic men as well, but that same momentum didn’t extend to 2025. Indeed, Tuesday’s voting results paint an ominous picture of what 2026 and 2028 could look like if young men aren’t motivated to show up and vote like they did in 2024. 

Consider the numbers: in 2024, Trump received 1.968 million votes in New Jersey and 2.075 million votes in Virginia. While he lost both states by narrow margins to Kamala Harris — by roughly 5% — he received more votes than the Virginia Democrat candidate for governor, Abigail Spanberger — who won Virginia with 1.961 million votes — and the New Jersey Democrat candidate for governor, Mikie Sherrill — who won New Jersey with 1.792 million votes. 

So how did both Democratic gubernatorial candidates win election comfortably despite receiving fewer votes than Trump did in their states a year ago? Yes, partly because it was an off-year cycle and overall turnout trended down, but they won comfortably because roughly 600,000 Trump voters didn’t show up to vote in 2025 who did show up to vote in 2024.

Who are these voters?

Young men, sports fans, blue collar workers, the Trump MAGA base that will come out to support Trump when he’s on the ballot, but won’t show up when he’s not on the ballot.

So will these voters return in 2026 and in 2028 when Trump isn’t on the ballot? That depends on how well future Republican candidates speak to these voters. Some of y’all will think I’m crazy for telling you this, but as soon as the 2026 mid-term elections are over, expect a pivot so rapid it will make your head spin — Democrats in 2027 will all argue that Trump’s unique political gifts end with him, that MAGA is over without Trump as its leader. Yep, from ‘He’s Hitler!’ to ‘He’s the most talented Republican president in any of our lifetimes,’ almost overnight.

I’m telling you, it’s coming.

Because Democrats are going to bank on Trump as a political unicorn, a candidate so talented that only he could power a coalition as substantial as he won in 2024.

So what do Republicans need to do to extend and even grow Trump’s appeal with young men? I think it’s a combination of three things, wed the policy and the personal together, as Trump has been uniquely talented at doing.

1. On the policy front, the 2024 election was about the economy, the border, and crime

It was as easy as EBC.

Trump won the arguments on all three of these fronts. So far, Trump 2.0 has ended the border as an issue by ending illegal immigration and driven crime down to record lows in many states and cities. His challenge on the economy is that Biden was so bad, it’s taking time to clean up his mess. With record high stock prices and record low gas prices, Trump is delivering for all of us with stock market assets and all of us who have to fill up our tanks.

But there’s a lingering anger over how much goods cost. Even I feel it each time I buy a Chick-fil-A meal for my family and it costs over $50. For fast food, really!

Prices went up so fast under President Joe Biden that the sticker shock is still real even in 2025. Trump has stopped the rapid price increases and, in the case of some purchases like gas, has actually brought them back lower than they were during Biden, but that bitter aftertaste of inflation takes time to wear off.

So far it hasn’t.

2. Focus on men in women’s sports

Is it the most important issue in the country?

No.

But it crystallizes the absurdity of Democrat policies for young men and sports fans, who provided the fuel to Trump’s record win in 2024.

If you believe a man should be able to win a women’s sports championship, how can I trust your opinion on anything? As I wrote in ‘Balls,’ this issue, combined with EBC, won Trump the election in 2024. 

I think that will still be the message in 2026, too, because, amazingly, Democrats have doubled and tripled down on defending men in women’s sports all over the country.

This issue isn’t going away.

3. HAVE FUN and BE ENTERTAINING.

My two favorite moments of the 2024 campaign were when Trump dressed up as a McDonald’s employee and as a garbage man and rode around in a garbage truck.

Was it absurd and ridiculous?

Of course.

But the number one gift Trump has that he receives zero credit for is this: HE’S FUNNY!

Yes, politics are serious. But they should also be fun. Trump is a happy warrior and happy warriors win.

The two most successful Republican presidents of my life were Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. Both were, in many respects, professional entertainers. They knew how to cut through the noise and were authentic in the way they did so.

Trump isn’t perfect, none of us are, but he’s the most comfortable president in his own skin that any of us have ever seen and he has tremendous political instincts.

You can spend a hundred million on an ad campaign and not get the free media attention that Trump did, scooping out fries and talking with voters at the drive-thru in Pennsylvania. That style of politicking is unbeatable. Heck, I would argue the best version of Trump is the one you get in fast food restaurants. He genuinely loves getting out and interacting with people. That’s a skill that can’t be taught, but it can be emulated.

We used to ask the question, which candidate would you rather have a beer with? While Trump doesn’t drink — as he’s jokingly said, can you imagine what he’d say if he drank? — he’s authentic and real. As artificial intelligence takes over much of the country, I believe authenticity will become the most important political key to the realm.

Young people in particular, who are steeped in social media artificiality fed to them constantly on their phones, have an innate sense of when they’re being poll-tested and marketed to, they sniff it out better than older voters.

If you want them to show up and support you, you have to win their trust.

Which is why I truly believe the election was over when it came to male voters when Trump was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania.

In that moment, having escaped death by half an inch, Trump, whose critics had labeled him a phony, rose up and screamed, ‘Fight, fight, fight!’ three times. At that instant, the election was over for male voters.

It was the bravest presidential moment of my life.

But it was also one of the most authentic.

In times of great peril, your own personal character is revealed. In those perilous milliseconds, Trump became a legend and won the election.

He proved once and for all he had ‘Balls.’

And so far no Democrat has proven that they do.

So long as that remains the case, Republicans aren’t going to lose men.

Which is why the best example of an oxymoron in America today isn’t ‘jumbo shrimp,’ it’s ‘masculine Democrat.’

Because after all, there are certainly big shrimp, but there are still no masculine democrats.

Clay Travis is the author of the new book, ‘Balls: How Trump, Young Men and Sports Fans Saved America.’ Buy it here.

President Donald Trump’s global roller coaster of peace moves — led by him and his team to end wars around the world — is now picking up speed in Sudan, where a 30-month war has left tens of thousands dead, and some 14 million displaced from their homes.

‘Ending wars is a priority for President Trump, and the United States remains focused on working with our partners and other stakeholders to resolve the crisis in Sudan,’ a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday, adding, ‘Engagement with all relevant stakeholders is essential to achieving this goal. Given the immediate urgency of de-escalating the violence, we will continue to engage with the belligerents to end the conflict.’

Talks to end the fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, led by Gen. Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo Musa, known as Hemedti, and the Khartoum government’s Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), under the control of Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, began during the Biden administration but failed to make headway. They have since gained momentum under President Trump, with the U.S. forming a so-called international Quad in September with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Since the weekend, the pace of peace talks has become positively frenetic. The White House’s senior advisor for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, fresh from brokering a ceasefire in the 30-year war between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, held talks with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo on Sunday.

On Monday, Boulos met with the Arab League, with the League stating that Trump’s envoy had briefed them on U.S. efforts to ‘halt the war, expedite aid delivery, and initiate a political process.’

The Sudan Tribune then quoted Boulos as saying later on Monday, ‘Both parties have agreed in principle, and we have not recorded any initial objection from either side. We are now focusing on the fine details.’

But the two sides are still fighting. On Tuesday, Sudan’s Defense Minister Hassan Kabroun talked to the country’s state television network, following a government council meeting in Khartoum, saying, ‘We thank the Trump administration for its efforts and proposals to achieve peace,’ but added: ‘Preparations for the Sudanese people’s battle are ongoing. Our preparations for war are a legitimate national right.’

Also on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt weighed in, telling reporters, ‘The United States is actively engaged in efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to the terrible conflict in Sudan. We remain committed to working with our international partners, including Quad members — Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — as well as others to lead a negotiated peace process that addresses both the immediate humanitarian crisis and the longer-term political challenges.’

Leavitt continued, ‘I actually spoke with Secretary Rubio about this, this morning, as, of course, there’s been, you know, kind of an uptick in recent reporting on the matter. And he assured me that the administration is very much engaged. We’re in pretty frequent communication with those Arab partners that I just mentioned. And we want to see this conflict come to a peaceful end, just as we have with so many others. But it’s — the reality is — it’s a very complicated situation on the ground right now.’

Analysts say last week’s fall of the Sudanese city of El-Fasher, and with it the Darfur region to RSF fighters, effectively cutting the country in two, may have spurred all parties into action. ‘The RSF’s full control of the Darfur region could have dangerous and worrying consequences in the future in terms of partition,’ Boulos told Al Jazeera.

On Tuesday U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan. Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Qatar, Guterres said the war was ‘spiraling out of control.’

‘The fall of El-Fasher to the RSF is a defining moment in Sudan’s brutal civil war’, Mariam Wahba, research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital. Wahba continued: ‘It marks the militia’s full control of the Darfur region and leaves Sudan effectively split in two.’

The human cost is staggering. On Monday, the U.N. reported that ‘over 21 million people across Sudan are facing high levels of acute food insecurity — the largest such crisis in the world.’ The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) found that famine is ongoing in the now-captured El-Fasher and in Kadugli, South Kordofan, with families trapped and surviving on leaves, animal feed and grass.

The Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab released satellite images taken over El-Fasher over the last week, stating Tuesday, ‘Evidence of body disposal activities include at least two earth disturbances consistent with mass graves at a mosque and the former Children’s Hospital; there is one new instance of removal of objects consistent with bodies. This activity appears consistent with RSF conducting cleanup of their alleged mass atrocities.’

Sources say intense negotiations led by the U.S. team are continuing. Details of what’s on offer have not been revealed, but it’s understood an agreement would start with a three-month humanitarian truce, to allow aid delivery in, followed by a permanent ceasefire and a civilian-led transition.

‘For Washington, the stakes in Sudan are rising by the day,’ the FDD’s Wahba told Fox News Digital, adding, ‘The more time the RSF has to cement its control over Darfur and push toward Khartoum again, the harder it will become to prevent the country’s permanent collapse. What happens next in Sudan will shape the balance of power across the Horn of Africa and signal to America’s adversaries whether the United States still has the will to confront instability before it spreads in this critical region of the world.’

President Donald Trump appeared to take a swipe at Republican candidates who lost on Tuesday while addressing the America Business Forum in Miami, Fla., on Wednesday.

After listing a series of his accomplishments, Trump said it’s ‘so easy to win elections when you talk about the facts.’ 

‘Almost 2 million American-born workers are employed today, more than when I took office. That’s nine months ago. Can you imagine?’ Trump said. ‘And I tell Republicans, if you want to win elections, you gotta talk about these facts. You know, it’s so easy to win elections when you talk about the facts.’

He then added that, ‘These are things you have to talk about. It doesn’t just happen, you got to tell them. It’s wonderful to do them, but if people don’t talk about them, then you can do not so well in elections.’

On Tuesday, Republicans lost several major races, including gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, as well as the mayoral race in New York City. While Trump backed former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for mayor over Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, he still made the jab at Republicans generally.

‘One year ago, we were a dead country. Now we’re a country that’s considered [one of] the hottest countries anywhere in the world,’ Trump said, crediting his administration with getting 600,000 Americans off of food stamps and creating jobs for 1.9 million Americans. He highlighted the supposed increase in jobs, saying that nearly 2 million more Americans were employed than when he entered office less than a year ago.

While Trump touted his achievements for the working class, Zohran Mamdani, hot off his victory in New York City, gave a different analysis earlier Wednesday.

During an appearance on ‘Good Morning America,’ Mamdani contrasted himself and Trump. Mamdani argued that, unlike the president, he is ready to solve the ‘cost of living crisis’ for Americans who are struggling.

Mamdani also said that Trump is ‘someone who ran an entire presidential campaign on the promise of cheaper groceries and is now, as the president, making it harder for Americans to afford those groceries by cutting SNAP benefits.’

Trump, who was marking the anniversary of being elected for a second presidential term, did not shy away from taking a swipe at Mamdani as well.

‘We lost a little bit of sovereignty last night in New York, but we’ll take care of that. Don’t worry about it,’ he told the crowd in Miami on Wednesday.

Republicans have largely blamed the lapse in SNAP benefits on Democrats as the parties battle it out in D.C. amid the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

A House Democrat representing a district that President Donald Trump won in 2024 is not seeking re-election next year.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, announced his plans in an op-ed for the Bangor Daily News on Wednesday, a day after Democrats’ sweeping electoral victories in Virginia, New Jersey, California and New York City.

‘I have never loved politics. But I find purpose and meaning in service, and the Marine in me has been able to slog along through the many aspects of politics I dislike by focusing on the good work that Congress is capable of producing with patience and determination,’ Golden wrote.

‘But after 11 years as a legislator, I have grown tired of the increasing incivility and plain nastiness that are now common from some elements of our American community — behavior that, too often, our political leaders exhibit themselves.’

Golden has represented Maine’s 2nd Congressional District since 2019. He’s managed to hold on to the seat through his constituents voting for President Donald Trump in both 2020 and 2024.

The moderate Democrat — also a Marine Corps veteran — has been known to frequently break from his own party, including on the recent government shutdown vote in September.

He shared more of his concerns with the left in his retirement announcement, criticizing both Republicans and Democrats for the current state of politics in the country.

‘We have seen mainstream Republicans stand by as their party was hijacked first by Tea Party obstructionists and then by the MAGA movement and its willingness to hand much of Congress’ authority to the president,’ Golden wrote.

‘I fear Democrats are going down the same path. We’re allowing the most extreme, pugilistic elements of our party to call the shots. Just look again at the shutdown. For as long as I can remember, we have opposed shutting down the government over policy disputes. We criticized Republicans for taking hostages this way. But this year, reeling from the losses of the last election, too many Democrats have given into demands that we use the same no-holds-barred, obstructionary tactics as the GOP.’

And despite his seat being a prime target for Republicans every two years, Golden said that did not factor into his decision.

‘I don’t fear losing. What has become apparent to me is that I now dread the prospect of winning. Simply put, what I could accomplish in this increasingly unproductive Congress pales in comparison to what I could do in that time as a husband, a father and a son,’ he wrote.

‘I have long supported term limits and while current law allows me to run again, I like the idea of ending my service in Congress after eight years — the length of term limits in the Maine Legislature.’

Golden’s seat had been ranked a ‘toss-up’ by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which also rated his district slightly in favor of the GOP at R+4.

House Republicans’ campaign arm wasted no time in seizing on Golden’s announcement, releasing its own statement shortly after his op-ed was published.

‘Serial flip-flopper Jared Golden’s exit from Congress says it all: He’s turned his back on Mainers for years and now his chickens are coming home to roost. He, nor any other Democrat, has a path to victory in ME-02 and Republicans will flip this seat red in 2026,’ National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said in a release to reporters.

Beyond his frustration with partisan politics, however, Golden also revealed that the heightened political environment also pushed him to re-consider his congressional career.

Golden said earlier this year that he and his family had to spend Thanksgiving in a hotel room after receiving a bomb threat at their home.

House Democrats’ campaign arm thanked Golden for his service in its own statement upon his retirement.

‘I sincerely commend Jared for all the work he has done for Mainers, from lowering costs to protecting lobstermen’s jobs and fighting for veterans,’ Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chair Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., said. ‘He has devoted his life so far to service, first as a Marine, then in the Maine legislature, and in Congress since 2019. He embodies Maine’s independent spirit and I wish him and his family all the best in their next chapter.’

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., took over Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s post-election news conference Wednesday, knocking the Democratic Party for their lack of support in political races in New York and Maine.

‘Well, the party leadership did not support [mayoral candidate Zohran] Mamdani in New York,’ Sanders said in front of the Senate podium. ‘Party leadership is not supporting [Senate hopeful Graham] Platner in Maine. And I think he’s going to win… I think there is a growing understanding that leadership, and defending the status quo and the inequalities that exist in America, is not where the American people are.’

Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, won the mayoral race in New York City and Democrat Mikie Sherrill secured the New Jersey governorship.

California’s Proposition 50 was also passed after being placed on the ballot, and Democrats will maintain control of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht won their respective retention races.

Prior to Sanders’ outburst, Schumer, D-N.Y., spoke with reporters, bashing Republicans as the government shutdown stretches into its 36th day, making it the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

‘Last night, Republicans felt the political repercussions [of the Trump administration’s policies],’ Schumer said. ‘It should serve as nothing short of a five-alarm fire to the Republicans. Their high-cost house is burning, and they’ve only got themselves to blame. As loudly and clearly as could possibly be done, from one end of the country to the other, the American people said enough is enough.’

Schumer said he and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries demanded Wednesday morning President Donald Trump sit down with them to discuss healthcare issues.

‘Last night was a really good night for Democrats and our fight to lower costs, improve health care and reach a better future for our country,’ Schumer said. ‘But more importantly than that, last night was a great night for American families that are struggling now to make ends meet, because the election showed that Democrats’ control of the Senate is much closer than the people and the prognosticators realize. The more Republicans double down on raising costs and bowing down to Trump, the more their Senate majority is at risk.

‘… When Leader Jeffries and I met with Donald Trump in the White House a month or so back, we told him this was going to happen. We warned him that if he didn’t do something, working with us to address the health care needs of America, and instead insisting on no negotiation with Democrats, that was a recipe for disaster for the country, and it would come back to haunt them. Last night should make it clear to Republicans that they simply cannot continue to ignore not only us, but the American people, for the good of the whole country.’

Democratic leaders have been urging Republicans in both the House and Senate to confront the surge in health insurance premiums tied to the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies.

At the same time, funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has lapsed.

Though several stopgap measures have been proposed by Republicans, including a GOP-led bill blocked Tuesday, Congress has yet to reach an agreement.