Despite the Republicans' trolling about a third term, President Donald Trump’s behavior seems to indicate he is content with this being his last.

He is acting aggressively and with impunity, as if he and his allies know he has nothing to lose politically.

Republican politicians, though, have attached themselves to this aggressive variant of Trump without seemingly giving a second thought to what that will mean for them as we head into the 2026 midterm elections.

Voters are watching, and the Republicans could suffer the consequences of Trump’s underwater approval ratings. The consequences of this administration might not reach Trump. But Republican elected leaders could be headed to a political reckoning.

Trump thinks he has a mandate. Republicans should be hesitant.

Trump was quick to say that an electoral victory gave him an overwhelming mandate to implement his ambitious agenda. America reelected the president, but they reelected him within the constraints of our Republican system of governance.

Trump has indicated that he believes the ordinary constraints on his presidential power, for whatever reason, don’t apply to him. In his view, his mandate is unlimited.

I have disagreements with the concept of presidential mandates generally, but in a practical and political sense, Trump is right.

Trump is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term in office, so he no longer has to worry about his electoral prospects. He can just do as he wants, especially if nobody is willing to stop him. Second-term presidents are elected with the understanding that they are free from worrying about reelection.

We see that in Trump's second term, clearly. He has had no problem implementing an unpopular tariff regime, taking aggressive fights against the judicial branch, and using the power of the executive branch to go after his political opponents. He has no problem making it his way or the highway. It's a luxury of being a lame-duck president.

The problem is that the Republican Party and its members need to look to the future. The GOP doesn’t seem to have realized that there is a disconnect between what is best for Trump and what is best for the long-term prospects of the country.

When Trump goes after his enemies with the Justice Department, that is not in the interest of Republicans. When he goes after late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel with the Federal Communications Commission, that is not in the interest of Republicans. It's only in his interest, but Republicans are forced to defend it, or at least explain it away.

Republicans need to be wary of the boxes Trump puts them in

Republican elected officials are in a difficult bind. They are so invested in Trump that they need to support his aggressive actions, yet they also need to consider voter opinions to ensure their success in the 2026 and 2028 election cycles.

While they may have already gone too far down that path, they should still be mindful to avoid further mistakes.

The president’s party historically is at a disadvantage going into the midterm elections. Republicans should treat retaining their narrow majorities in both the House and Senate as an uphill battle.

Trump’s approval rating hasn’t hit the lows it did during his first term, but it does remain underwater. Republican politicians need to be wary of how much they attach themselves to Trump, whose approval could drop even further as Americans become tired of his antics.

Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump can't run again. It's Republicans who have to answer for him with voters. | Opinion

Reporting by Dace Potas, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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