Republicans face internal conflict after midterm wipeout

Republicans are facing internal conflict after a devastating midterm election that left them with their smallest congressional ranks in decades, with no consensus on how to rebuild the party. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the results an extinction-level event, while Sen. Ted Cruz compared it to Watergate. The party is split between returning to traditional Reagan-era conservatism or embracing Donald Trump's hard-line politics, with donors and strategists demanding honest accountability for the wipeout. Trump has refused responsibility, blaming candidates, and elevated Stephen Miller to chief of staff. Leadership fights are brewing over House and RNC positions, while younger Republican voters show less approval of Trump and more concern over economic and foreign policy issues.