Foreign policy analyst David Rothkopf says one of the clearest signs that Donald Trump’s influence in Washington is fading is that prominent Republicans are “not afraid” of him anymore. Appearing Monday on The Daily Beast Podcast, Rothkopf pointed to several moments in recent months that suggest cracks in Trump’s once-iron grip on the party.
One example, Rothkopf noted, was Trump’s failure to stop the Republican-controlled Congress from voting to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, a move he reportedly opposed. Another was Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene telling 60 Minutes that members of her own party mock Trump behind his back. That candor, Rothkopf said, marks a change in the political climate.
“Greene and [Rep. Thomas Massie is not afraid of Trump anymore,” he told host Hugh Dougherty. “In some respects, the biggest development in U.S. politics in the past couple of months is, nobody’s afraid of Trump,” Rothkopf said. Trump’s public image has also shifted. At 79, the president no longer appears to be the commanding force he once was, he argued, and that perception is fueling speculation within the administration about the future.
He mentioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator JD Vance as figures quietly evaluating their own prospects beyond Trump’s tenure. “Rubio has had his spine surgically removed. He is not standing up for anything either. But I think Rubio, like JD Vance, is sitting there going, ‘How do I play this because I want to succeed Donald Trump?’” Rothkopf said.
The analyst pointed to recent concerns surrounding Trump’s health, including visible bruising on his right hand, his chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis, and an MRI last October that the White House described as routine. “They actually are serious issues because they are evidence that Donald Trump is at the end of his story,” Rothkopf said. “They are signs to the world that this is not a vigorous person. This is not a person whose biography is about their future. It’s about their past.”
Trump’s occasional drowsiness at public events, such as appearing to nod off during a Cabinet meeting last week, has only heightened those perceptions, Rothkopf continued. “Marco Rubio is sitting there going, you know, ‘The president is the most vigorous, brilliant man ever.’ And Trump’s like passed out next to him, you know?” he said.
Rothkopf also argued that Trump’s recent push to name institutions and buildings after himself, including the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Kennedy Center, reflects a leader more preoccupied with his legacy than his policy agenda. “If you’re watching his Band-Aids and you’re watching his cankles, the number of things he wants to name after himself, I think, is a good indicator of how ill he thinks he is,” he said. “It’s just him saying, ‘Well, that could make me immortal.’”
The White House strongly rejected Rothkopf’s claim that Trump’s health is declining or that he is struggling to carry out his duties. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the president in a statement to The Daily Beast. “As the President’s physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, has made clear time and again and as the American people see with their own eyes every single day President Trump remains in excellent overall health,” she said.
Leavitt added that Trump’s “relentless work ethic, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility” stand in contrast to how the media handled his predecessor’s health concerns. She accused news outlets of promoting “fake and desperate narratives” to damage the president and said such coverage explains why public trust in the media has reached record lows.
As Trump’s allies, critics, and potential successors navigate this evolving landscape, Rothkopf argues that Washington is already preparing for a political era that may not include the man who has dominated Republican politics for nearly a decade.
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