Joe Battenfeld: Is Trump 2.0, burdened by war and defections, winding down?

Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald on Aug 19, 2026

Published in Op Eds

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The abrupt departure of longtime, loyal White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt could mean Trump 2.0 is winding down, burdened by the Iran war and the rough economy and looking to transition to JD Vance after the potentially disastrous midterms.

The Republican president looks increasingly tired and running out of steam, has not introduced any major new initiatives and could see the political writing on the wall.

The 80-year-old Trump could even be looking for a way out if Democrats take control of Congress, giving the vice president two years to ramp up for 2028.

Vance has been playing up to MAGA lately, going hard on immigration and confronting reporters similar to his boss.

“That was a doozy,” Vance told a reporter in the White House press room who he criticized for giving a speech masquerading as a question.

The vice president has also taken the lead on defending the Trump administration’s immigration policies and aggressive use of ICE to deport noncitizens.

Trump has kept up an amazing, nonstop pace since winning in 2024, but how long can he do that?

The midterm results so far show that Trump’s power is waning in the Republican Party, with several of his endorsed candidates, like pillow man Mike Lindell, losing badly.

The war against Iran, which now seems bogged down, has taken a major toll on the president both politically and personally. Trump is now looking for a way out of the quagmire.

Pete Hegseth is a joke and should not be Secretary of War, despite Trump’s stubborn insistence that he stay in that important role.

Leavitt’s surprise departure has triggered speculation about her reasons for leaving, which could include more than just her stated reason of wanting to spend more time with her children.

She has a bright future either as a future candidate for office or a Cabinet secretary in a Republican administration.

She could also see that the Trump administration is spiraling down, facing a possible long and nasty impeachment process after the midterms. She may have become angered at being left in the decoy Air Force One during the catering truck escapade.

Or is it possible she realizes that Vance wants his own person in the White House press office?

Just days after Leavitt announced she was quitting, a key Vance person at the White House, deputy national security adviser Andy Baker, said he would be leaving his post in the coming weeks.

The departures could mean Trump is shaking up his administration but more likely they indicate dissatisfaction with the way things are going in the White House.

Trump reportedly told supporters a few weeks ago to get behind Vance, but shortly after denied the report and said he wasn’t taking sides.

Marco Rubio has emerged as a major force in Trump’s second term, serving as Secretary of State at a time when the U.S. was at war with Iran and trying to negotiate an end to the Israel-Hamas war.

Polls show Republican voters are currently about evenly split over who they would back in 2028, with Vance holding just a small lead over Rubio.

_____